IT-Code-News: IT News HeadLines (techPowerUp) 23/03/2011

Acer Intros Duo of New Large Full-HD PC Monitors
Acer introduced two new B-series PC monitors that make use of vertical-alignment (VA) panel technology, and LED backlit illumination. The Acer B243HLCOymdr is a 24-inch model, while the B273HLOymidh is the 27-inch part. Both displays feature full-HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and 100 million to 1 dynamic contrast ratio, providing a "zero bright dot guarantee". With 8 ms response time, the B243HLCOymdr is the snappier among the two, it features 250 cd/m² maximum brightness, and display inputs that include DVI and D-Sub; while the B273HLOymidh has 10 ms response time, 300 cd/m² brightness, and features HDMI input apart from D-Sub and DVI. The stands of both monitors allow rotating, tilting, height adjustment; the 24-inch model even allows pivoting. The Acer B243HLCOymdr and B273HLOymidh are priced at آ€249 and آ€399, respectively.

Source: TechConnect Magazine
Read More ...

Firefox 4 Clocks Over Six Million Downloads in First 24 Hours
Released to the web, Mozilla Firefox 4 has been downloaded over 6 million times in 24 hours since its launch. The figure is three times greater than that of Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, which clocked about 2 million downloads in its first 24 hours since launch. Firefox 4 is the latest version of the popular open-source web-browser software, it introduced radical design changes to its user interface, and embraced a faster GPU-accelerated rendering engine. Firefox 4 can be downloaded from here.

Sharkoon Intros SATA QuickPort Quattro 4-Drive Dock
Sharkoon rolled out its take on a four-slot HDD/SSD dock, the SATA QuickPort Quattro. The device lets you connect up to four SATA HDDs or SSDs in 3.5" or 2.5" form-factors, like inserting cartridges into ye olde video game consoles. Measuring 285x165x95 mm (LxWxH), the dock, the dock weighs a little over a kilogram. It connects the drives to a host system over USB 3.0 or eSATA 3 Gb/s. There are separate power buttons that let you activate/deactivate individual drives, as well as individual power/activity LEDs. The unit is cooled by two fans, the speed of each fan can be adjusted manually. Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Quattro will be priced at around آ€99.

ASUS GeForce GTX 590 Unboxed
A Chinese source, probably a distributor/retailer, leaked the first pictures of a retail-grade ASUS GeForce GTX 590 graphics accelerator. The pictures reveal a fairly standard packaging by ASUS, which features the same green box with a mythological warrior character used on most recent GeForce graphics cards by the company. Inside, there's a harder black paperboard box, which contains the graphics card and its accessories. ASUS' card bears a reference design. As with many high-end graphics cards released by ASUS in recent times, there are no fancy anime stickers on the card, rather it features the company badge.

The pictures also reveal a little bit about the card. It's a little longer than most NVIDIA GeForce cards released, including the GTX 295. The two GPU systems look well spaced apart from the central fan, which looks to be engineered for higher air-flow. Flipping the card, reveals that NVIDIA did not use a single full-coverage back-plate, rather two smaller ones, that just cover the area behind each GPU, and spread heat from memory chips located at the reverse side of the PCB. Display IO includes three DVI and a mini HDMI. You can use all three DVI connectors at a time, to drive a 3-display NVIDIA 3DVision Surround setup.

Source: PCINLIFE Forums
Read More ...

EVGA Announces GeForce GTX 560 Ti Crysis 2 Maximum Graphics Edition Bundle
EVGA is celebrating the release of what is touted to be this year's blockbuster game title, Crysis 2. The company released the EVGA GTX 560 Ti Crysis 2 Maximum Graphics Edition bundle, which combines a GeForce GTX 560 Ti (NVIDIA reference design) graphics card with a copy of Crysis 2 (PC), and some Crysis 2 memorabilia, including a Crysis 2 poster, and a black t-shirt. The special edition GTX 560 Ti graphics card features clock speeds of 900 MHz core, 1800 MHz CUDA cores, and 4212 MHz memory. It packs 384 CUDA cores, and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 256-bit wide memory interface. The GTX 560 Ti should typically let you play Crysis 2 at full-HD resolution (1920 x 1080), with hightened eye candy. The EVGA GTX 560 Ti Crysis 2 Maximum Graphics Edition bundle is priced at US $299. A bargain, if you ask me.

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 590 Exclusive Bundle Detailed, Benchmarked
Gigabyte want to launch its GeForce GTX 590 in a big way. The company prepared a special, probably limited-edition package, which it refers to as "Exclusive Bundle". Packed in an industrial-looking toolbox, Gigabyte is including its reference-design GeForce GTX 590 3072 MB graphics card, a load of cables and accessories, and a Gigabyte GHOST M8000X gaming mouse, in its complete package (including adjustable weights). Gigabyte's package looks very well made, advertising the products inside well. It kind of makes sense to pack a ultra high-end graphics card with a high-end gaming mouse. With this, Gigabyte is looking to project the GTX 590 as more of a premium gamers' product (than something you buy and put under frozen gases right away).

Gigabyte's press deck also included some benchmark results. Testing is completely internal to the company. Gigabyte is a vendor-neutral graphics card partner (it sells both GeForce and Radeon), so these numbers can be taken at face value. According to Gigabyte, the GTX 590 rocks 3DMark Vantage at low resolutions, but the gap between it and Radeon HD 6990 closes at higher resolutions. It admits that Radeon HD 6990 is a faster graphics card overall for 3DMark 11. In game tests, GTX 590 and HD 6990 trade blows with each leading the other in different game tests. If these figures are to go by, it will be a very close and interesting battle for supremacy between the GTX 590 and HD 6990. Gigabyte's GTX 590 Exclusive Bundle is priced in China at a little under US $1,150.

Source: Taobao.com
Read More ...

(PR) Corsair Announces Windowed Side Panel Kit for the Graphite Series 600T
Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the availability of a windowed side panel for their award-winning Graphite Series 600T PC case.

The replacement side panel features an impact-resistant acrylic plastic clear window for showing off components when the case is closed. The customer has the further option of replacing the window with the included mesh insert that matches the look of the mesh grilles on the front and top of the case. The mesh side panel doesn't just look good - it includes mounting points for adding up to four 120mm fans for improved cooling performance.

(PR) TYAN Validates Fusion-io 160GB and 640GB ioDrives in Dual-Socket Server Platforms
TYAN, an industry-leading server platform manufacturer, and a subsidiary of MiTAC International Corp., has completed validating 160GB and 640GB ioDrives from Fusion-io in two of their most powerful HPC computing platforms: the S7025, a dual Socket 1366 motherboard supporting Intel Xeon 5500/5600 series processors, and the S8232, the company's newest dual Socket G34 board supporting AMD Opteron 6100 series processors.

TYAN's rigorous validation process included testing ioMemory technology from Fusion-io with a full range of operating systems and applications, as well as comprehensive hardware testing to ensure complete compatibility. Tyan engineers also performed some cursory benchmark tests. "Validating Fusion ioDrives with Tyan's leading HPC platforms gives Tyan and our OEM partners total confidence in Fusion's game changing technology. We're looking forward to expanding our relations with Fusion-io in the future," stated TYAN's Senior Director of Sales, Joe James. Both motherboards are available now through TYAN distributors worldwide. OEM pricing is available on request.

(PR) Buffalo Unveils Sleek Piano-Black MiniStation and DriveStation
Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of storage and wireless networking solutions, has announced a stylish design for its external storage range. Available now, the glossy, piano-black MiniStation portable device and the DriveStation desktop hard drive, will allow users to add additional external storage to any computer or laptop simply using a USB port.

The smooth, lightweight and portable MiniStation is USB powered, meaning there is no additional power supply needed. Available in 500GB and 1.0TB, the MiniStation offers a compact, stylish solution that enables users to store, back up and transport digital images, music and other files without taking up additional storage space from your PC's hard drive.

(PR) AMD Hires Mike Wolfe as New CIO
AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced it has appointed Mike Wolfe, age 52, as the company's chief information officer. He brings more than 30 years of engineering and information technology experience, most recently as vice president of IT for product development and engineering at HP for the last five years. Wolfe will be responsible for managing AMD's global technology infrastructure and will report to Thomas Seifert, senior vice president and chief financial officer and interim CEO.

"Mike has effectively led IT transformations, constantly focusing on reducing operating costs and significantly improving business innovation," said Seifert. "His considerable talent and experience will help AMD to continue strengthening our IT infrastructure and streamline our business based on our own products and platforms."

(PR) V3 Gaming PC Partners with NVIDIA to Offer $599 Salvo Desktop with GeForce GTX 550 Ti
V3 Gaming, manufacturer of high-end computer systems, has partnered with NVIDIA to offer the Salvo Desktop Computer for $599. The V3 Salvo features the brand new GeForce GTX 550 Ti graphics card and the 2nd Generation Intel Core family of processors. The system itself is geared towards bringing a custom gaming computer experience to a larger audience of gamers.

Thanks to the GeForce GTX 550 Ti graphics card from NVIDIA, the V3 Salvo has plenty of gaming chops. The GTX 550 Ti is a compact yet powerful DirectX 11 GPU that is great for small form factor and budget computer systems. It supports NVIDIA's CUDA, PhysX, and 3D Vision technologies for the most realistic gaming experience possible. The card has 1GB of GDDR5 memory and packs in 192 CUDA cores for efficient gaming performance in the latest game titles.

(PR) Sharkoon Introduces New T-Series PC Cases
Sharkoon expands their tower portfolio. The six overall ATX models of the new T-series provides versatile installation options and different color designs. Colorful highlights of the models from the T9 Value series: The tower is in a black design and waits for a colorful finish to the main board plate - choices are bright green, luscious red or elegant white. Look in through the acrylic window on the side panel. The faceplates and hard drive fasteners are the same color as the main board plate. Additional illuminating LEDs produce a similarly identical color with the three illuminating preinstalled fans as well as the tower and hard drive operating displays. If the entire look of the amenities of the tower are to colorful, then a T9 Value only with a black interior finish and an unlit fan is also available.

(PR) Kingston Digital Extends the Speedy Class 10 microSDHC Family
Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it is shipping a 4GB and 8GB Class 10 microSDHC card, joining the previously released 16GB Class 10 card. Kingston will add a 32GB capacity to the family in Q2. The Class 10 cards have a fast minimum data transfer rate of 10MB/s.

"Kingston's Class 10 microSDHC cards are compatible with many of the latest mobile phones including Android smartphones and BlackBerry devices, hi-def cameras and the increasingly popular tablet PCs," said Mike Kuppinger, Flash card business manager, Kingston. "The Class 10 speed provides faster data transfer rates and the various capacities help satisfy storage needs for users with both light and heavy memory needs."

(PR) NZXT H2 Classic Silent Chassis Establishes New Era of Whisper-Quiet PC Gaming
NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce the H2, a silent midtower chassis that drastically reduces the chaotic noise produced by powerful gaming PCs. In designing H2, NZXT's challenge was to engineer a decibel reduction solution while allowing components to remain cool through effective airflow. To achieve these feats, the H2 implements a layer of premium noise dampening foam that keeps internal noise from escaping the chassis. A magnetic fan cover on the top 140mm fan adds another element of silence, but can be removed if the user prefers to maximize cooling.

Efficient airflow is further achieved with a unique 3 phase fan controller that allows enthusiasts to adjust speeds at 40%, 70%, and 100%. The removable touch powered fan compartments are wireless so there's no need to open the side panel to rummage through neatly managed cables behind the motherboard to remove the fan. 8 Front facing HDDs give H2 a thermal edge over other silent solutions on the market by enhancing natural airflow in the front of the case.

(PR) Toshiba Adds New STOR.E STEEL S and STOR.E ALU 2S External HDDs to its Portfolio
Toshiba Europe GmbH today announced STOR.E STEEL S and STOR.E ALU 2S: two external hard disk drives featuring USB 3.0 connectivity for fast data transfers of up to 5 Gigabits per second and high enough storage capacities to host large multimedia libraries. STOR.E STEEL S and STOR.E ALU 2S will be available during the first quarter of 2011 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The ongoing digitalisation of entertainment content is fuelling user demand for reliable external hard disk drives with large capacities and fast data rates. Many users want to transmit large files such as videos, music tracks and photos quickly between the backup medium and the computer. STOR.E STEEL S and STOR.E ALU 2S both feature a USB 3.0 port offering a data rate of up to 5 Gigabits per second. However, computers and peripheral devices with USB 2.0 only can still be used with these new state-of-the-art hard disk drives.

(PR) Super Talent Announces New JEDEC MO-300V Standard Compliant mSATA SSD
Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced a new mSATA interface SSD that conforms to new JEDEC MO-300V standard.

SSDs are fast, reliable, non-volatile storage devices used in a variety of portable devices. The recent proliferation of netbook and tablet designs has created the need for a standard to enable easy and efficient integration possibilities. The mSATA JEDEC standard MO-300B is one such standard. It is a SATAII interface SSD using a mini PCIe formfactor.

Mozilla Firefox 4 Web-Browser Released
Mozilla Corporation unveiled the "latest and greatest" version of its popular web-browser, Mozilla Firefox 4. With this release, the open-source browser achieves all essential features common with the latest generation of web-browsers that include Google Chrome 10+ and Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, which are: HTML5 support, and GPU-accelerated webpage drawing. Apart from being a lot faster than Firefox 3.6, the new browser sports a completely new user interface that shifts tabs to the titlebar, shifts menus to a "Firefox" button, and consolidates the address bar, search bar, and navigation buttons into a single line, which it refers to as the "Awesome Bar". Apart from a new bookmark manager, Firefox lets you group tabs to streamline multitasking on the browser. Mozilla Firefox 4 will be available to a variety of platforms.

DOWNLOAD: Mozilla Firefox 4
Read More ...

Thursday, March 24, 2011

IT News HeadLines (techPowerUp) 23/03/2011

No comments: