IT News HeadLines (techPowerUp) 14/12/2010

(PR) Synology Launches Budget-Friendly, Business-Grade NAS DiskStation DS211+
Synology America Corp. today launched the DiskStation DS211+, a high-performance and full-featured 2-bay NAS server for office and enthusiast users to share files, centralize backup, and protect data. The latest addition to the professional class of DiskStations comes with Synology's distinctive DiskStation Manager (DSM) 3.0 software to provide an intuitive interface for managing the server.

As part of the revamped design, the DS211+ offers hot-swap drive bays, which will help businesses to minimize downtime in the event of a drive failure. Priced around $400, this is the first DiskStation to offer this feature at this price point. For photographers, it also offers an integrated SD card reader, making for easier transfers to the NAS.


Read More ...

---

MSI's AMD Fusion ''Brazos'' Powered CR650 Notebook Pictured
MSI will be among the first to release notebooks based on AMD's ambitious "Brazos" mobile platform, that takes AMD's Fusion accelerated processing units to notebooks, at price points that will strike a sweetspot between performance-crippled netbooks and entry-level notebooks. At the center of MSI's first such notebook, the CR650, is an AMD Fusion E-350 dual-core processor, supported by AMD Mobility Radeon HD 6300 series graphics.

With a screen size of 15.6-inches, the MSI CR650 is a typically sized widescreen notebook with features and product design (styling) very much into notebook domain. It looks to pack several multimedia features such as D-Sub and HDMI video output, high quality HD audio with some enhancement DSPs, a high-definition webcam, and Color Film Print Technology that adds clarity to images close to analog displays such as film projection and CRTs (less pixellation). The Fusion APU combines a dual-core processor with a GPU, and low-latency memory controller. Not much more is known about the CR650 at this point.


Read More ...

---

(PR) Nexus Announces Snowy White SM-7000W Silent Click Wireless Mouse
After the popular SM-7000B (black), Nexus now introduces the same mouse but only in white. The Nexus SM-7000W (white) has the same specs, same silence just snowy white. The SM-7000W (Silent Mouse White) is an advanced 2.4 GHz wireless optical mouse which connects to your PC, MAC or laptop with a super small nano receiver and has a 1000/1600 DPI selection button.

The Nexus Silent Mouse has a comfortable size and is an excellent mouse for desktop use. But also for laptop users it is very suitable. Especially because of the small nano receiver you plug it in a USB port and leave it there. It is so small that you do not need to take it out...you just forget its there.


Read More ...

---

(PR) OCZ Subsidiary PC Power and Cooling Announces Silencer 760W PSU
OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs), memory modules, and power supplies for computing devices and systems, has launched the new Silencer 760 power supply from PC Power & Cooling, OCZ's PSU (power supply unit) subsidiary. Built for best-in-class stability and reliability for today's high-end gaming systems and professional workstations, the Silencer line has proven itself as one of the most trusted PSU series on the market for more than 20 years.

"The PC Power and Cooling Silencer power supplies have long been regarded as a top-quality solution by system builders and clients who require the very best performance and dependability," said Charlie McMenomey, Product Manager at OCZ Technology Group. "Building on the proven core architecture of the original series, the new Silencer 760W further raises the bar with an 80 PLUS Silver efficiency, exceptional reliability and the power output to meet the demands of power users."


Read More ...

---

Gigabyte Also Intros HD 6870 OC Graphics Card with WindForce 3X GPU Cooler
Gigabyte also rolled out a new performance-segment Radeon HD 6870 graphics card that is optimized for overclocking, and is overclocked out of the box as well. The GV-R687OC-1GD from Gigabyte features the company's in-house PCB and cooler designs. The PCB looks to be around 10-inches long, and makes use of Ultra Durable VGA+ construction. The WindForce3X GPU cooler makes use of a large aluminum fin array and three 80 mm fans to keep the card cool.

The GPU is clocked at 915 MHz against reference speeds of 900 MHz, and memory at 1050 MHz (4200 MHz GDDR5 effective). The card features 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 256-bit wide memory interface. Display connectivity includes two each of DVI and DisplayPort; and one HDMI. Gigabyte did not announce its price.


Read More ...

---

(PR) Silicon Power Announces New Ultra-Micro Stylish USB Card Reader
With the popularization of modern digital handheld devices mobile streaming is becoming increasingly important for end-users. Leading flash memory manufacturer Silicon Power released ultra-micro "Stylish USB reader & microSD/SDHC Combo Pack" to the end-users all over the world. The reader is aimed at the strong need of mobile streaming. Consumers can easy carry their favorite video, photo or music through this tiny card reader.

The weight of Stylish USB reader is less than 3g. New USB reader features elegant design and combines pure white and sky blue colors. From outside to inside, Stylish USB reader gives you a whole new experience of mobile storage. The combo pack of one mobile card and a card reader does not require any cables, just plug into your PC then backup your data or plug your card and you're good to go! Silicon Power Stylish USB reader has compact size, users can easily attach it to the purse, keychain or cell phone. The combo pack does not only read your mobile card, but also can be used as expandable USB flash drive. It brings the entertainment and enriches your daily life.


Read More ...

---

(PR) Colorful Announces Single-Slot iGame GeForce GTS 450 Buri-SLIM Graphics Card
Colorful, one of the biggest AICs in Asia, announces their new product - a single-slot GTS450, named iGame450-1024M Buri-SLIM. We had seen the PCB of this item before, which quipped 3+1 phases VRM, all high-C POSCAP capacitors onboard, and driven by ONSENMI MOSFET. And the chocks attract many peoples' eyes- they are threaded installed on the PCB. And also, the PCB is ventilated, so it could improve the thermal performance for the components on the PCB.

Today, we are glad to see Colorful announces the full sample. The card uses a cooper base radiator. The air is leaded to left-top side by the vents which are tightly installed on the cooper base, and the exhaust will be radiated from the vents on the cooler cover and top side.


Read More ...

---

Gigabyte Intros New Cheap DDR3-Based HD 5670 Graphics Card
Gigabyte introduced a new Radeon HD 5670 based graphics card that is intended to be cost-effective. Carrying the model number GV-R567D3-1GI, it makes use of 1 GB of DDR3 memory instead of GDDR5. The 1 GB of memory is clocked at 800 MHz (1600 MHz DDR), installed across a 128-bit wide memory interface. The standard HD 5670 features 1 GB of GDDR5 memory clocked at 1000 MHz (4000 MHz GDDR5 effective). The HD 5670 GPU is clocked at 775 MHz. Based on the 40 nm Redwood core, it features 400 stream processors. Other features specific to Gigabyte's design include a silent double-slot cooler that makes use of an 80 mm fan, and display connectivity that includes one each of DVI, D-Sub, and a gold-plated HDMI port. Gigabyte did not give out a price, though one can expect it to be a little lower than that of the standard HD 5670.



Source: TechConnect Magazine
Read More ...

---

(PR) Toshiba Introduces Enterprise-Class Solid State Drive Family
Extending its position in the enterprise storage market, Toshiba Storage Device Division announces its new family of enterprise-class solid state drives (SSDs). Developed to meet the market's demand for higher performance and lower power consumption, the new MKx001GRZB series combines Toshiba hard disk drive (HDD) expertise and its leadership as the inventor of NAND flash technology. The 2.5-inch small form factor drives use the latest 32 nanometer (nm) enterprise grade single-level cell (eSLC) NAND flash memory from Toshiba and 6 Gb/sec Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface. Samples will be available for customer qualification in the first quarter of 2011 and volume production will begin in the first half of 2011.

"Toshiba offers the industry's most comprehensive range of storage technologies and the resulting synergies distinguish us as a world-class total storage provider," said Joel Hagberg, vice president of enterprise marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. "Toshiba stands alone in the market as the only SSD supplier that is vertically integrated for NAND flash and has deep enterprise HDD expertise. We possess one of the world's largest and most advanced NAND flash fabs, our own controller and firmware design teams, critical interface technologies, and established relationships with every major enterprise server and storage OEM. As a result, Toshiba is uniquely positioned to engineer solid state drives that deliver the performance, endurance, and reliability required for business critical applications."


Read More ...

---

AMD Introduces Catalyst 10.12 and 10.12 Preview Featuring Redesigned Control Center
AMD today released its latest version of the AMD Catalyst software suite, Catalyst 10.2 WHQL, as well as unveiled a Catalyst 10.2 Preview driver that lets you use the latest version Catalyst Control Center (CCC) that features a more functional user interface. The new CCC features a reworked UI that allows easier adjustment of 3D settings and image quality; makes setting up multiple displays easier; and helps adjust power settings to optimize battery life (on notebooks).

Apart from that, Catalyst 10.2 introduces DivX Accelerated support for AMD Radeon HD 6800 series GPUs; support for OpenGL 4.1, including new ARB extensions introduced with OpenGL 4.1; and an updated AMD Stream v2.3 API.

DOWNLOAD:AMD Catalyst 10.12 for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit
A complete list of changes follows:
Read More ...

---

AMD Cayman Taken Apart, PCB Pictured
We've seen quite a few pictures of the AMD Radeon HD 6970 from its exterior, including some finer details observable. For the first time, we're getting to take a peek inside, thanks to a Chinese website that looks to be auctioning off an HD 6970 ahead of launch for a quick buck, if we're not terribly mistaken. The PCB shot reveals many details about the GPU and its board design:

• To begin with, the GPU indeed has a 256-bit wide memory interface, counting the memory chips on the obverse side, and looking at the size of the GPU package.
• The size of the die, and taken that Cayman is a 40 nm GPU, indicate that Cayman is not much bigger than Cypress, it should be about 400~500 million transistors higher compared to Cypress.
• Given the roughly 2500 million transistor count, the stream core count of 1536 seems more realistic. AMD is said to be using an architecturally superior VLIW4 stream processor design that increases performance per mm² die area.
• The board uses a high-grade 6+2+1+1 phase digital PWM voltage regulation design, draws power from 8+6 pin power connectors.
• The reverse side of the PCB has no memory chips, so AMD might be using 2 Gbit memory chips to get 2 GB of total memory

Images Courtesy: Taobao.com
Read More ...

---