HP Signs $100 Million Tech Services Agreement With Coca-Cola FEMSA
Despite their recent issues with Oracle, HP has got Latin America locked down when it comes to technical infrastructure. The company announced today that they will continue the relationship that started over a decade ago with the Mexican arm of soft-drink giant Coca-Cola to the tune of $100 million and 5 more years. Hector Calva, Chief Information Officer of Coca-Cola FEMSA commented,
After experiencing sustained growth across Latin America, these additional efforts to centralize and standardize will give us the support we need to find new opportunities to put beverages in the hands of the Latin American people.
Something tells me that the Latin American people want more opportunities than just a soda en los manos, but the idealism is almost as refreshing as their iconic beverage. HP is reportedly consolidating 348 different locations to a single data center in Mexico- from a business perspective, that sounds like a lot of people will be out work once the debris settles. Hopefully they've been there long enough to take advantage of their stock opciones. PALO ALTO, Calif., March 28, 2011
Hewlett-Packard Mأ©xico, S. de R.L. de C.V., today announced Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. ("Coca-Cola FEMSA"), the largest public bottler of Coca Cola products in the world in terms of sales volume, has signed a five-year technology outsourcing services contract to build and manage an HP Converged Infrastructure.
The new services and infrastructure support the company's Latin American growth while providing better service and lower costs. The agreement adds more than $100 million to HP's existing Coca-Cola FEMSA relationship, which began in 2000.
HP and Coca-Cola FEMSA will consolidate 348 locations to a single data center in Mexico and migrate business-critical SAP applications and server monitoring and management to HP Best Shore locations in Brazil and Argentina. HP Security Services will be provided from HP Best Shore global delivery centers in Costa Rica. HP Best Shore combines HP's technology portfolio with global delivery expertise to give clients greater flexibility and cost efficiencies while minimizing risk.
HP will continue to manage Coca-Cola FEMSA's technology infrastructure supporting its Latin American operations in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela.
"After experiencing sustained growth across Latin America, these additional efforts to centralize and standardize will give us the support we need to find new opportunities to put beverages in the hands of the Latin American people," said Hector Calva, chief information officer, Coca-Cola FEMSA. "HP knows our business and industry well. With the team's extensive experience in data center consolidation, we will have the technology foundation and support critical for our growth plans and future success."
HP will continue to provide Data Center Services and Storage Services to manage and support Coca-Cola FEMSA's data center environment. HP provides Server Management to host more than 650 midrange servers and Backup and Restore Services for disaster recovery. The agreement also includes international and regional telecommunications Carrier Management Services in addition to Network Management Services for the company's LAN/WAN environment. HP also provides Enterprise Application Hosting Services for Coca-Cola FEMSA's SAP platform and will move to dedicated support.
In addition, HP will continue to deliver Workplace Services for Coca-Cola FEMSA's 14,500 desktop and notebook PCs, handheld devices, printers and servers as well as moving to dedicated Service Desk Services in Spanish and Portuguese for employees using these devices.
Coca-Cola FEMSA will consolidate its data center on an HP Converged Infrastructure using HP Superdome 2 servers and Integrity BL860c i2 server blades running HP-UX v3, HP StorageWorks Enterprise Virtual Arrays, HP StorageWorks XP24000 and P9500 disk array enterprise class storage systems, and HP Data Protector software for backup and recovery. Each is intended to improve reliability and efficiency in the consolidated data center.
HP Agility Alliance partners, including SAP and Microsoft, will provide additional tools, technologies and resources to HP in support of Coca-Cola FEMSA.
"In a region such as Latin America with its many opportunities for growth, companies that develop an efficient technology infrastructure and business procedures to support an 'Instant-On' enterprise will be better able to take advantage of those opportunities," said Octavio Marquez, managing director, HP Mexico. "Our industry knowledge and decade-long relationship with Coca-Cola FEMSA, as well as our ability to scale when and where the client grows, will continue to help the company achieve its goals."
In a world of continuous connectivity, the Instant-On Enterprise embeds technology in everything it does to serve customers, employees, partners and citizens with everything they need, instantly.
About Coca-Cola FEMSA
Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V. produces and distributes Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Lift and other trademark beverages of The Coca-Cola Company in Mexico (a substantial part of central Mexico, including Mexico City and southeast Mexico), Guatemala (Guatemala City and surrounding areas), Nicaragua (nationwide), Costa Rica (nationwide), Panama (nationwide), Colombia (most of the country), Venezuela (nationwide), Brazil (greater Sأ£o Paulo, Campiأ±as, Santos, the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, part of the state of Goias and part of the state of Minas Gerais) and Argentina (federal capital of Buenos Aires and surrounding areas), along with bottled water, beer and other beverages in some of these territories. The Company has 30 bottling facilities in Latin America and serves over 1,500,000 retailers in the region. The Coca-Cola Company owns a 31.6 percent equity interest in Coca-Cola FEMSA. Visit http://www.coca-colafemsa.com for more information.
About HP
HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world's largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the competitive pressures faced by HP's businesses; the development and transition of new products and services (and the enhancement of existing products and services) to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2011 and HP's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2010. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
آ© 2011 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
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Monday Afternoon Roundup
The latest happenings from around the web - March 28th, 2011
Systems
- Hands On Preview With ZOTAC's ZBOX AD02 Plus AMD Fusion E-350 Mini-PC @ Futurelooks
- Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch @ Hot Hardware
Video/Monitor
- Asus GTX 570 Direct Cu II, GPU on the rock ! @ Cowcotland
- The AMD "Radeon HD 8000" Open-Source Milestone @ Phoronix
- XFX HD6950 1GB Overclocked Edition @ Overclockers Club
- Inno3D GTX560 Ti 1GB OC @ Vortez
- MSI R6970 Lightning @ tbreak
- Asus GTX590 and HD6990 @ Kitguru
Audio/Media
- Patriot PBO Core HD Media Player @ ThinkComputers
- Jabra BT530 Bluetooth Headset @ Tech-Reviews
- Arctic Sound E361-BM Earbuds @ Funkykit
- Arctic Cooling P321 USB Headphones @ Viperlair
Cases/Modding/PSU
- Jou Jye BITWIN BW-B430JL 430W PSU @ Techpowerup
- FSP Aurum Gold 700 PSU @ VR-Zone
Cooling
- Xigmatek Aegir SD128264 CPU Cooler @ RWLabs
- Xigmatek Durin D982 CPU Cooler @ HiTechLegion
- Thermalright Shaman VGA Cooler @ Tweaknews
- Enermax T.B. Fan-Series @ Technic3D
Storage
- ingston Releases Important Firmware Fix for SSDNow V100 Solid-State Drives @ Techgage
- TR Podcast 84: Wicked graphics and solid state storage @ Tech Report
- Kingston V100 SSD Firmware Update @ Overclock3D
- Intel 320 Series 300GB SSD Performance @ PC Perspective
- Intel 320 Series 300GB SSD Review w/ 25nm Flash @ Legit Reviews
- Intel's 320 Series solid-state drive @ Tech Report
- Intel 320 Series 300GB SATA II SSD Review - Intel Maintains Focus On SATA II SSD Consumer Need @ TheSSDReview
Other
- MSI Big Bang Marshal P67 Review @ Overclock3D
- Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer DDR3 PC3-12800 Memory Kit @ Madshrimps
- Sandy Bridge Mobile Performance Review @ PC Perspective
- Tt eSPORTS Black Gaming Mouse @ BCCHardware
- Eszter Morvay from IDC on tablets-n-targets @ Kitguru
- Gigabyte Aivia M8600 Wireless Gaming Mouse @ Hardware Heaven
- Tt eSPORTS BLACK Gaming Mouse @ Techgage
- Gigabyte Aivia M8600 Hybrid Gaming Mouse @ Hardware Canucks
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Download of the Day: Any Video Converter 3.21
Our Download of the Day today is Any Video Converter 3.21.
Any Video Converter is an All-in-One video converting tool with easy-to-use graphical interface, fast converting speed and excellent video quality. It allows you to effortlessly convert video files between every format! It can convert almost all video formats including DivX, XviD, MOV, rm, rmvb, MPEG, VOB, DVD, WMV, AVI to MPEG-4 movie format for iPod/PSP or other portable video device, MP4 player or smart phone. It also supports any user defined video file formats as the output. Any Video Converter makes it easy for anyone to enjoy the any format video with your iPod, PSP, mobile phone or MP4 player.
- User-friendly interface that is easy to use.
- Converts all video formats to Apple iPod Video, Sony PSP and more
- Batch convert any video formats including avi, wmv, asf, mpg, mp4, etc.
- Support DivX and Xvid avi format as importing and exporting video
- Support default video/audio settings or user customized parameters for video and audio.
- Has the option to preview the video in real-time before conversion .
- World's fastest video conversion speed with stunning video and audio quality.
- Supports adjust many video/audio options for MP4 files. For example, video/audio sample rate, bit rate, video size...
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Deal of the Day: Samsung WiFi Ready Blu-Ray Player for $90.99 with Free Shipping
Our Deal of the Day today is the Newegg - Samsung WiFi Ready Blu-Ray Player for $90.99 with Free Shipping.
Offer: The coupon knocks off an additional $21 on top of the $68 savings but will probably not last long so get it quick while it's still good. Use promo code: EMCKGHE29 (expires 3/31/11, login or join for free)
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Amazon.com lets you play with Android virtual machine - try apps before you buy
Amazon's Appstore was unveiled last week but no one seemed to notice the Test Drive feature that could now become the biggest part of the new Appstore. Test Drive allows US customers to try Android-based apps before you buy them on Amazon.com - pretty great, huh?
Test Drive actually features an entire virtual Android smartphone with working mouse controls, which is quite the feat and quite the service that Amazon.com are giving their customers. Test Drive allows you to try out games, delete said game, browse photos, listen to some music or even surf the web from the virtual Android device.
Amazon explains it as:
Clicking the "Test drive now" button launches a copy of this app on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), a web service that provides on-demand compute capacity in the cloud for developers. When you click on the simulated phone using your mouse, we send those inputs over the Internet to the app running on Amazon EC2 - just like your mobile device would send a finger tap to the app. Our servers then send the video and audio output from the app back to your computer. All this happens in real time, allowing you to explore the features of the app as if it were running on your mobile device.
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GIGABYTE Aivia M8600 Wireless Macro Gaming Mouse Review
First impressions last. That's the first thing you'll think of when looking at the GIGABYTE Aivia M8600 Wireless Macro Gaming Mouse. It's quite striking to look at; to hold on the other hand is a different argument. I use as my everyday mouse a Razer Mamba and it's quite curved; the GIGABYTE Aivia M8600 mouse has a high ridge where your palm rests which can be annoying - you may ask why I'm starting off with a negative?
Because that's about the only thing I didn't like with the mouse. GIGABYTE has done quite a good job on the Aivia M8600. The box packaging is very, very unique with a cylinder tube that comes apart in 3 pieces - the mouse in its own section, with a bag of goodies (charger, batteries, etc) in another section.
In the package you receive the mouse, two batteries (finally!), driver disc, two charging cables (which I thought was a great idea), the charging dock and some stickers. The mouse itself as I said in my intro feels quite different - again, as I explain to anyone using a mouse or keyboard, it's a very personal thing.
Every hand is different. Some are small, some are big, some people have large fingers, some have small. I have medium sized hands and my palm kind of double thinks as I lay it on the mouse itself. Kind of like "what the hell is this edged bump?" - but you get used to it.
The button clicks I love, they are very "clicky" which is great instead of a little whimper some mice have. Next we have the scroll wheel; this thing is great! I'm quite picky with my scroll wheel and it's one thing on the Mamba I didn't like. It gets quite squeaky, too. The GIGABYTE Aivia M8600 is great; it's both smooth, but feels like there's a defining 'click' between each scroll.
The DPI sensitivity buttons are also easy to press, just behind the scroll wheel and between the left and right buttons of the mouse. They can't be accidentally pressed, but allow for DPI speed changes for different tasks.
I didn't even need to install the GIGABYTE drivers to change these speeds, which is another tick in the ever-growing 'great' box. The thumb rest is a different texture than the top of the mouse - this would be for gripping, instead of sliding around after some heavy gaming use.
The actual use of the mouse feels natural; it glides very smoothly across any surface. I tried my Razer Vespula mousemat, my wooden table, my hand... all surfaces were picked up and felt smooth. Of course, the mouse mat was the best, but that's to be expected. It feels more natural than most mice I've tried - this is thanks to GIGABYTE's twin-eye gaming-grade laser engine. This engine is based on advanced laser technology.
That is one of the most surprising things about it, it doesn't look like it would be smooth to move because of its sharp edges, but don't be fooled - it's smooth.
The GIGABYTE Aivia M8600 has two removable, rechargeable batteries that are slotted into the bottom of the mouse below where your palm would sit. It's quite easy to pull them out (by pressing the open button on the bottom of the mouse) and then replace it with the battery that is docked in the charger. This would mean you're never going to not have the mouse in wired mode (which it's also capable of).
The M8600 is also able to be docked to charge, with a spare battery in-case of the above-mentioned long gaming sessions.
Dual batteries are a great idea for those frantic gaming moments when you're in the middle of an intense battle and go "oh crap, I need to plug in my charger into the front of my mouse so I can continue gaming". It takes less than 15 seconds to remove the battery, install the new one, put the dead one on charge and continue your slaughter of enemies.
I used the GIGABYTE M8600 gaming mouse in Crysis 2 for this review - I had a bunch of time to use it in both single and multiplayer games. One word; SMOOTH. It's smooth, almost uncannily smooth. This is the biggest plus for me. I enjoy my mice like I enjoy my scotch. Smooth.
Quick snaps up, down, left, right - the GIGABYTE Aivia M8600 just doesn't stop.
The only other gripe I have with the mouse is the LED's on top of the mouse - they look very cheap. I'd say 30-percent of the brightness of what they should be. It makes the mouse feel cheaper because of these dull red and green LEDs that try to shine, but fail. This is something that can of course be overlooked, as your hand is on top of the LEDs when in use. It's just a vanity issue and I'm probably nit-picking now.
After a week with the mouse being used as my everyday mouse the physical design and bump at the top that I originally complained about was actually comfortable. It was just something to get used to when compared to other curvy mice.
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Crucial m4 256GB SATA 6G SSD Preview and Next Gen 2x0+ GB Shootout
Introduction
The Crucial m4 needs little introduction since it is one of the two most anticipated SSDs of 2011. The truth is that most of you are planning on skipping the next handful of pages to get right to the benchmarks. Don't do that! Take everything you've already read about the Micron C400 / Crucial m4 and toss it out of your mind, because mumble - mumble - mumble isn't exactly accurate. Let me explain with swollen tongue.
The Crucial RealSSD C300 was based on the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 controller. To my knowledge the C300 was the only SSD based on this controller and it was available with both Marvell and Crucial branding. Fast forward to June 2010; at Computex we were given the ADATA S501 to play with for a couple of days, another SATA 6G Marvell controlled drive that used the 88SS9174-BKK2 controller. The BKK2 is now being used in the retail ADATA S501 that is available in very limited quantities, the new Intel 510 Series, Plextor PX-xxxM2S and Corsair Performance 3 Series.
The new BKK2 revision of the 88SS9174 is very different than what was found in the RealSSD C300. Both controllers have their strengths and weaknesses, something we will talk more about in the conclusion of this preview.
The latest version of the 88SS9174 controller is the BLD2 and that is what Crucial has employed for the new m4. We've had just two days to try and unravel the new 88SS9174-BLD2 with a single example of this controller. Our sample drive is not a retail product and comes in the form of an OEM style Micron C400 with a Crucial label attached. The M400 is the exact same hardware, programming and firmware as the Crucial m4 and our testing has indicated that this will be the first retail m4 drive that will hit the market in April.
So, what makes the Crucial m4 different than the Intel, LiteON + partners BKK2 drives? That is what we are here to find out. Let's go!
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Dragon Age II Xbox 360 Review
To say that Dragon Age II has had an interesting development cycle would be the same as saying the sky is blue. Ever since the original game, it seemed like BioWare wanted to try something new with Dragon Age to reach a wider audience with it, and as such they have made major changes to what you saw in the original game. However, in many ways these changes make the game better. Dragon Age II feels a lot more structured and streamlined for the console and on this review platform (the Xbox 360) that is a welcome thing, but PC fans do have some reason to be angry as well.
Dragon Age II takes place as expected after the Dragon Age Origins Expansion pack. You once again you play as the hero who removed the dark spawn, but instead of being able to customise your characters name, you are appointed Champion Hawke in either a female or male format depending on your preference. What this has allowed BioWare to do is have a more streamlined story, but in many ways they have not taken advantage of the changes as well as they could have.
First of all, the introduction and first few hours of Dragon Age II does not really grab you at all. You arrive at the township of Kirkwall, refugees from the fight with the Dark Spawn and are once again a nobody. You come across a dwarf who wants to travel to a far away land filled with riches, but does not know a good way to get there and is unable to finance it. So for the first few hours you are tasked with gathering gold (and this takes a long time) and finding these maps. Not the high adventure we were expecting, that is for sure. Those who stick with it, though, beyond Act 1 will find the time well spent.
BioWare obviously know they are onto a good thing with Mass Effect and have shoehorned in the same sort of chatting style. That is, there are moral choices and these choices have an affect on the game and your character. This in our opinion is an improvement to the game. THere is no doubt Mass Effect has one of the best dialogue systems around and to expand this into Dragon Age seemed like a no brainer.
The other change as mentioned is the camera. Instead of being able to zoom out and take in the whole battlefield, it is shown from a third person view which is more suitable for console than PC. However, what BioWare has not changed is where the first problems creep in with this decision. Like in the original game, you can pause and give commands to your party. In Dragon Age this was incredibly intuitive as you were able to zoom out and see all the characters. Instead, now you really can only see your character on screen. You can still switch between controlling characters (this is done with the shoulder buttons), but again you can really only see the currently controlled character.
One thing which works well in the game is the quest system and more specifically knowing where to go for a quest. Many of the locations in the world have both day and night missions and rather than rely on a day/night cycle like many games, BioWare has allowed you to enter an area in the game in either the day or the night.
As well as this, above each area in the world map you can see what quests can currently be progressed in that area, which means in general (there is a few exceptions to this) it's almost impossible to get stuck.
Another problem we noticed is that the game does tend to spike in difficulty at one point. Those who pick up and play the game and choose easy would expect to be able to complete the game without too much fuss, however this is not the case.
You can change the difficulty at any time, but even on the lowest difficulty level there are some big challenges, and having the right characters in the right place is a large part of success in Dragon Age II which is one way the game significantly differs to Mass Effect 2.
Although the game doesn't have much of a main quest (it is significantly long, but it's not a huge epic story), it does a good job of keeping you on the right path if side quests mean nothing to you as a gamer. The interface displays which quests are optional and which are mandatory, but even the side quests have significant dialogue and cut scenes which means they do not feel like throwaway quests in ways many other RPG game side quests do.
One thing which has carried over from Dragon Age and will either make you happy or have you cringing again is the blood splatter. After each fight characters talk to each other absolutely smothered in enemies blood and whilst it has become a trait of Dragon Age, it doesn't make it any less ridiculous.
Aside from this, the graphics are impressive, although another ridiculous trait appears to be the size of the ladies breasts. Again, fast becoming a Dragon Age trait. Voice acting is done well, but the dialogue at times comes across as cheesy and trite, but overall does carry the story to the player well.
Dragon Age II is a good game, but does not feel like a direct sequel to Dragon Age for a number of reasons including the fact you cannot import previous characters, plus the storyline is really encapsulated within this game. There are slight references to the past games, but not as much as you would expect.
However, if you can look past this fact and see Dragon Age II for what it is, it is easy to see that it is a solid RPG game that fans of the series and one that any self respecting RPG gamer should at least look at.
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Fight Night Champion Xbox 360 Video Review
The latest iteration to the Fight Night series sees Fight Night Champion get a Hollywood inspired story. Starting in a prison boxing match, the rawness of Fight Night Champion can really be seen here as EA have taken us to a much darker side of boxing. After a brief experience in prison you'll find yourself jumping back in time working to the point of how you got there.
From Amateur boxing at the Olympics to contending to become world champion, you've got every boxing clichأ© you would expect. The corrupt promoter, falling on hard times, subtle love interest and a trash talking nemesis, it's all here and while it's everything you would expect, the story takes the series to a completely new level of enjoyment, made only better with extra polish like the inclusions of ESPNs Friday Night Fights and Brian Kenny who make a number of appearances throughout helping keep you up to date on what's happening with your boxer and the competition.
Gone are the days of sore thumbs after six rounds with a simpler flick process being implemented for punching. While sounding like a bit of a low blow for fans of the series, you'll quickly find yourself appreciating the new style which gives you all the combinations you need with a flick, making sure that button mashing players won't out box you, while at the same time giving new comers to the game a chance to ease into it.
Blocking has become more automated when holding down the right trigger and gone are the powerful haymakers, instead replaced with a heavy punch modifier. While a more simplistic approach has been taken, making the effort to dodge and weave while using the right punch is very rewarding and still takes a good level of skill; something that will be needed in the higher difficulty settings. Healing is also now automated and based on how well you did in the previous round.
A new range of training games are found and while for the most part are more frustrating than anything else, they will indeed help you level your boxer up as you work through legacy mode, which gives you the ability to create your own boxer or use someone well known.
Like previous Fight Nights this is a great looking game. Unlike the previous ones, though, there's clearly a higher level of blood and the attention to detail is great as you pummel in a competitors face.
Commentary with Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas is over the top as you would expect, but overall very good. As the hours do get on, though, you find the same lines over and over again get quite tiresome.
Strong visuals combined with strong voice acting and thumps that will send a rumble through any great subwoofer make for a game that's pleasing on both the eyes and ears and help justify the cost of that expensive surround sound system and TV.
Fight Night Champion is clearly the best we've seen from the series thanks to a fantastic story mode, and while a little short, it does indeed help take the franchise to another level.
Outside of all that, we've got the normal multiplayer mode which is best enjoyed in an environment when a friend's over more so than over the internet.
If you're a fan of the series you're going to love what Fight Night Champion brings to the table in its story mode and while some areas feel like they've had more of a makeover than anything else, there's still plenty of fun to be had as you battle out dream match ups.
If boxing isn't your type of sport, don't let that turn you off. Once you get into Fight Night Champion you should truly enjoy what's on offer and you'll quickly realize you know more about the sport than you thought, as you see names like Ali and Tyson.
While the story could indeed be longer and some more life could've been breathed into Legacy Mode, Fight Night Champion is still a fantastic game that a lot of people will enjoy. If you're still not sure about taking the leap, it's definitely worth grabbing the demo to see if it sparks your interest. To end on a lame pun, Fight Night Champion really is a Knockout.
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NVIDIA PhysX Technology Adopted for Funcom's Dreamworld Engine
NVIDIA PhysX Technology Adopted for Funcom's Dreamworld Engine
Game Engine Is the First to Feature Server-Side PhysX Support, Enabling Major Speedup of In-Game Physics Calculations for Massively, Multiplayer Online Games
SANTA CLARA, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 03/28/2011 -- NVIDIA today announced that Funcom's Dreamworld 2.5, a leading game engine for massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), is the first game to incorporate server-side NVIDIAآ® PhysXآ® technology.
This unique implementation into Dreamworld Engine 2.5 results in more than a doubling in the speed-of in-game physics processing vs. traditional client-side PhysX technology, delivering realistic collision effects within the online gaming environments.
Dreamworld 2.5 currently powers two of the world's most popular MMOs: Age of Conan and Anarchy Online, with a third, the Secret World, currently in development. The updated Dreamworld Engine 2.5 with server side PhysX is now live in Age of Conan.
"We are excited to be working closely with NVIDIA to integrate PhysX technology into our Dreamworld 2.5 engine," said Rui Casais, chief technology officer at Funcom. "Server-side collision using PhysX will allow us to add a new level of realism to our online worlds, and we look forward to implementing other enhancements as well, including NVIDIA APEX clothing and destruction, to make our games even more interactive and immersive."
Continued Casais: "We are also proud to today launch a fully rewritten render engine for Age of Conan, yielding major performance increase on high-end systems and enabling several new visual features for lower end machines. We've been collaborating closely with NVIDIA in continuously improving the quality of the Dreamworld Render engine, resulting in fully new effects such as shader-based anti-aliasing techniques now being implemented in Age of Conan. The launch of the new engine is a major milestone towards the high requirements for visual performance in virtual adventures required for The Secret World."
NVIDIA PhysX technology is the world's most pervasive physics solution for designing real-time, real-world effects into interactive entertainment titles. While the NVIDIA PhysX development environment gives developers unprecedented control over the look of their final in-game interactivity, NVIDIA APEX technology takes PhysX technology content creation to the next level. With APEX, artists can create intricate physics enabled environments: they can expand the quantity and visual quality of destructible objects; make smoke and other particle-based fluids integral to game play; and create life-like clothing that interacts with the character's body to achieve more realism in their games.
Available across all major gaming platforms, including PC, Xbox360, PLAYSTATION 3, Nintendo Wii , iOS (including iPhone, iPod, and iPad), OSX, Linux, and Android (including NVIDIA Tegra devices), NVIDIA PhysX and APEX technologies are designed to run on a variety of CPU architectures, and can be accelerated by any CUDAآ® architecture-enabled NVIDIA GPU, GeForce 8-series or higher.
For more information about Age of Conan, or to download a free trial, please visit: www.ageofconan.com.
For more information on NVIDIA PhysX and APEX technologies, please visit http://www.nvidia.com/physx
About Funcom
Funcom is one of the most experienced developers of massively multiplayer online games in the world, having launched critically acclaimed titles such as 'Age of Conan' and 'Anarchy Online'. The latter has served over 200 million hours of entertainment or more than 8 million days of playtime thanks to almost two million gamers who have set foot on the virtual world of Rubi-ka. The former was released in May 2008 and has shipped over 1.2 million copies, making it the best-selling new MMO of the year. An expansion pack, 'Rise of the Godslayer', was launched in 2010 and received great critical acclaim.
About NVIDIA
NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from tablets and portable media players to notebooks and workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. The Company holds more than 1,800 patents worldwide, including ones covering designs and insights that are essential to modern computing. For more information, see www.nvidia.com.
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Intel Announces Third-Generation SSD: Intelآ® Solid-State Drive 320 Series
Intel Announces Third-Generation SSD: Intelآ® Solid-State Drive 320 Series
Features Enhanced Performance/Reliability, Larger Capacities and 25nm Intelآ® NAND Flash Memory
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
- Third-generation Intelآ® SSD 320 Series on 25-nm NAND flash memory offers 40-, 80-, 120-, 160-GB plus higher capacity 300- and 600GB options.
- Advanced architecture enables robust, reliable SSDs with enhanced security features for desktop/notebook PCs or server data center storage.
- Performance, reliability upgrades enhance solid line of high-performing SSDs with up to $100 price drop over current Intelآ® X25-M SSD model.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 28, 2011 - Intel Corporation announced today its highly anticipated third-generation solid-state drive (SSD) the Intelآ® Solid-State Drive 320 Series (Intelآ® SSD 320 Series). Based on its industry-leading 25-nanometer (nm) NAND flash memory, the Intel SSD 320 replaces and builds on its high-performing Intelآ® X25-M SATA SSD. Delivering more performance and uniquely architected reliability features, the new Intel SSD 320 offers new higher capacity models, while taking advantage of cost benefits from its#25nm process with an up to 30 percent price reduction over its current generation.
"Intel designed new quality and reliability features into our SSDs to take advantage of the latest 25nm silicon, so we could deliver cost advantages to our customers," said Pete Hazen, director of marketing for the Intel Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) Solutions Group. "Intel's third generation of SSDs adds enhanced data security features, power-loss management and innovative data redundancy features to once again advance SSD technology. Whether it's a consumer or corporate IT looking to upgrade from a hard disk drive, or an enterprise seeking to deploy SSDs in their data centers, the new Intel SSD 320 Series will continue to build on our reputation of high quality and dependability over the life of the SSD."
The Intel SSD 320 is the next generation of Intel's client product line for use on desktop and notebook PCs. It is targeted for mainstream consumers, corporate IT or PC enthusiasts who would like a substantial performance boost over conventional mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs). An SSD is more rugged, uses less power and reduces the HDD bottleneck to speed PC processes such as boot up and the opening of files and favorite applications. In fact, an upgrade from an HDD to an Intel SSD can give users one of the single-best performance boosts, providing an up to 66 percent gain in overall system responsiveness.1
The Intel SSD 320 Series comes in 40 gigabyte (GB), 80GB, 120GB, 160GB and new higher capacity 300GB and 600GB versions. It uses the 3 gigabit-per-second (3gbps) SATA II interface to support an SSD upgrade for the more than 1 billion SATA II PCs installed throughout the world. Continuing to offer high-performing random read and write speeds, which most affect a user's daily computing experience, the Intel SSD 320 produces up to 39,500 input/output operations per second (IOPS) random reads and 23,000 IOPS random writes on its highest-capacity drives. In addition, the company has more than doubled sequential write speeds from its second generation to 220 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) sequential writes and still maintains one of the highest read throughputs at up to 270 MB/s sequential reads. This greatly improves a user's multitasking capabilities. For example, a user can easily play background music or download a video, while working on a document with no perceivable slow down.
Already one of the most solid-performing SSDs over time, Intel continues to raise the bar on SSD reliability in the way it has architected its third generation, using proprietary firmware and controller, to further demonstrate that not all solid-state drives are created equal. In this rendition, Intel creatively uses spare area to deploy added redundancies that will help keep user data protected, even in the event of a power loss. It also includes 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard capabilities on every drive, to help protect personal data in the event of theft or loss.
"Solid-state drives continue to be one of the hottest trends in computing," said Bernard Luthi, vice president of marketing, Web management and customer service at leading e-retailer Newegg.com. "Intel remains a top brand because of its consistent performance and extremely low return rate. We are sure customers will welcome the new higher capacity drives, and now is a great time for consumers to upgrade their PC to a fast new SSD."
Intel SSD 320 prices, based on 1,000-unit quantities, are as follows: 40GB at $89; 80GB at $159; 120GB at $209; 160GB at $289; 300GB at $529 and 600GB at $1,069. Check retailers/e-tailers for consumer pricing. All models include a limited 3-year warranty from Intel.
"With recent announcements, we have expanded our SSD product line and now offer both consumers and computer OEMs more SSD choices," said Tom Rampone, vice president and general manager, Intel NVM Solutions Group. "We see the Intel SSD 320 as a solid advancement to our SSD roadmap, and will continue to upgrade and refresh our SSD product line as we add more enterprise options for our business customers throughout the year."
Another benefit for Intel SSD purchasers is the Intelآ® SSD Toolbox with Intelآ® SSD Optimizer, a free utility which provides Microsoft Windows* users with a powerful set of management, information and diagnostic tools to help maintain the health and out-of-box performance of the drive. To help ease the installation process, all Intel SSD users can download the free Intelآ® Data Migration Software to help clone the entire content of a previous storage drive (SSD or HDD) to any Intel SSD.
Intel SSDs can be purchased in the United States from such retailers as Best Buy or Fry's Electronics, plus a variety of resellers, retailers or Internet e-tailers such as Newegg.com or Amazon.com worldwide. To download the multimedia press kit go to Intelآ® Solid-State Drives (SSD). A special enterprise addendum for data center customers and more information on Intel SSDs can be found at www.intel.com/go/ssd. Follow Intel SSDs on Twitter: @intelssd, Facebook: Intel Solid State Drive (Official) or communities.intel.com.
Additional Information
Product Brief: Intelآ® Solid-State Drive 320 Series
Technology Brief: Enhanced power-loss data protection in the Intelآ® Solid-State Drive 320 Series
Technology Brief: Data security features in the Intelآ® Solid-State Drive 320 Series
- Intelآ® Solid-State Drive 320 Series Demostrations
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Apple Worldwide Developers Conference to Kick Off June 6 at Moscone West in San Francisco
Apple Worldwide Developers Conference to Kick Off June 6 at Moscone West in San Francisco
CUPERTINO, California-March 28, 2011-Appleآ® today announced that it will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 6 through June 10 at San Francisco's Moscone West. At this year's five-day conference Apple will unveil the future of iOS and Mac OSآ®, including exciting demonstrations of the new kinds of apps that developers can build using Apple's advanced frameworks and more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers.
"At this year's conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss."
Mobile developers will be able to explore the latest innovations and capabilities of iOS and learn how to greatly enhance the functionality, performance and design of their apps. Macآ® developers will see and learn how to develop world-class Mac OS X Lion applications using its latest technologies and capabilities. Developers can even bring their code to the labs and work with Apple engineers, applying development techniques and best-practices to enhance their apps.
Activities at Apple's WWDC 2011 include:
- more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers on a wide range of technology-specific topics for developing, deploying and integrating the latest iOS and Mac OS technologies;
- over 1,000 Apple engineers providing developers with code-level assistance, insight into optimal development techniques, and guidance on how they can make the most of iOS and Mac OS technologies in their apps;
- the opportunity to connect with thousands of fellow iPadآ®, iPhoneآ® and Mac developers from around the world; and
- Apple Design Awards which recognize iPad, iPhone and Mac apps that demonstrate technical excellence, innovation and outstanding design.
Go to the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 website (developer.apple.com/wwdc) to purchase tickets, as well as for updates and more information.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
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New Patriot LX PRO Series obliterates current SDHC Class 10 performance classifications
New Patriot LX PRO Series obliterates current SDHC Class 10 performance classifications
FREMONT, CALIF., USA - March 28, 2011 - Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash, storage and enthusiast computer products, today gives professional and hobbyist photographers and videographers an extra performance boost with the professional-grade LX PRO Series SDHC cards. The Patriot LX PRO Series SDHC cards surpass existing SDHC speed classifications and deliver twice the performance of standard Class 10 SDHC memory cards.
Although the Patriot LX PRO Series are classified as Class 10 SDHC cards, the professional-grade SDHC deliver 20MB/s transfer speeds - twice that of typical Class 10 SDHC cards. The high-speed transfer speeds ensure photographs and video are written to the memory card instantly to the Patriot LX PRO Series.
"Image and video quality constantly improve with each generation of digital camera and camcorder. The latest generation of professional-grade digital cameras and camcorders push quality to unprecedented levels of detail and video bitrates," says Les Henry, Patriot Memory's Vice President of Engineering. "With the new Patriot LX PRO Series SDHC cards, photographers and videographers can capture images in continuous shot mode or shoot films at maximum video bitrates without worrying about memory card write errors due to insufficient performance."
The Patriot LX PRO Series will be available in large 16GB and 32GB capacities to store plenty of images and video footage before running out of space. Expect the Patriot LX PRO Series SDHC cards to ship in April.
General details
- New Patriot LX PRO Series SDHC cards
- Obliterates current SDHC Class 10 performance classification
- Up to 20MB/s transfer speeds
- 16GB and 32GB capacities
- Ships in April
About Patriot Memory:
Patriot Memory designs, manufactures and markets high performance, enthusiast memory modules, flash products, and computing technologies. Patriot products have become world renown for their extreme performance, reliability and innovation. Patriot Memory sells its products through original equipment manufacturers, retailers, e-tailers and distributors. It has operations in North America, Asia and Europe. Patriot Memory LLC was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Fremont, California, USA.
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Inno3D GeForce GTX 590 is Crafted for the Elite Enthusiast
Inno3D is thrilled to announce the launch of the much anticipated Inno3D GeForce GTX 590, the world's fastest DirectX 11 graphics card ever built. With the sleek exterior that houses dual 512-core GTX 500 GPUs and a custom vapor chamber cooler, the GeForce GTX 590 delivers high-end performance with style. Hook up three monitors with GeForce GTX 590's three dual-link DVI ports to play your favourite games at ultra-wide resolutions like 5760x1080 in NVIDIA Surround. Plus get all the premium GTX gaming technologies such as NVIDIA 3D Vision, PhysX, and Quad SLI for the ultimate PC gaming experience.
Raise the standard of gaming with the powerful Inno3D GeForce GTX 590 and lose yourself in the ultra realistic worlds achievable with HD graphics that redefines your gaming reality. Expect the unexpected as PhysX technology delivers fine detail sure to drive your visual stimulation.
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