Well guys, we are (almost) there once again. It is January and CES 2009 is about to kick off on the 8th of January. We will be there a couple of days early to give you the inside scoop. All the juicy stuff will be posted in form of news here on the front page. We, W1zzard and I, are currently stranded in Cincinnati but should arrive in Las Vegas tomorrow.

Source: TechPowerUp

Despite a tough economy, the gaming industry held strong in 2008 and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system recorded the biggest year in Xbox history, with more consoles, games and online entertainment experiences sold than any previous year. It was a year in which life-to-date unit sales of Xbox 360 systems climbed to 28 million consoles worldwide — expanding the product’s lead over Sony PlayStation 3 to more than 8 million units. The Xbox LIVE community also grew to more than 17 million active members, as online consumer spending increased 84 percent from last year. Since the launch of the Xbox 360 three years ago, more than $1 billion has been spent on Xbox LIVE. This amazing growth was fueled by the launch of the New Xbox Experience; the broadest selection of hit games, TV shows, and movies available; and mass-market price points, starting at $199.

According to reports by TechConnect Magazine, the third generation of the SATA interface could be introduced as early as the second quarter of this year. The Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO), who have developed the technology, are expected to finalize specifications, with the launch of products sporting the new interface at the same time. The first backwards compatible drives to feature the new interface are expected to be solid state drives (SSD), followed by hard disk drives (HDD) shortly after. The main advancement is doubling the bandwidth from 3Gbps to 6Gbps, but until the official announcement of the final specifications are released, we will not know what further changes are in store.

Source: TechConnect

Now that the market for Intel Core i7 supportive motherboards is well laid out, starting with a ~$200 Gigabyte EX58-UD3R all the way up to a ~$400 ASUS Rampage II Extreme, MSI finds the time ripe to introduce its flagship motherboard based on the Intel X58 chipset with the new LGA 1366 socket, the Eclipse Plus. Featured on MSI's product roadmaps as a then undisclosed model, the Eclipse Plus is a notch above the Eclipse SLI with greater expansion options, with components and features packed with keeping the serious performance enthusiast in mind. The Eclipse Plus will be releasing shortly.

To begin with, the Eclipse Plus features four PCI-Express x16 slots for 4-way ATI CrossfireX or 3-way SLI. Unlike with the Eclipse SLI, where the three PCI-E x16 slots which are directly routed to the X58 northbridge and get arranged as x16, x8, x8 electrically when all three slots are populated, the Eclipse Plus uses NVIDIA BR-03 multiplex chips to provide full-bandwidth x16 connections to the installed graphics cards. The BR-03 not just routes data to the graphics cards but as noted with nForce 780a motherboards, the nForce 200/BR-03 chips perform broadcast functions so the same pieces of data which are meant to be supplied to all member graphics cards of a SLI system are "broadcast" by the BR-03, easing congestions on the PCI-E x16 link that connects it to the Intel X58. The rest of the features are similar to those of the Eclipse SLI as listed in the roadmap slide.


Source: Syndrome OC

Toshiba is taking gaming on the go one step further with the unveiling of its Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725 laptop. A technically advanced multimedia platform for the gaming and entertainment enthusiast, the Qosmio X305-Q725 blends features built for fidelity and speed, including: a 17-inch diagonal widescreen TruBrite display (1680x1050 resolution), high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTX graphics 1GB GDDR3, a variety of Intel Core 2 processors including the 2GHz Core 2 Quad Q9000 quad-core CPU, 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM, premium Harman Kardon stereo speakers and much more. Qosmio X305-Q725 also includes hybrid storage option that consists of a primary 64GB solid state drive and a secondary 320GB 7200 rpm SATA HDD. The Qosmio X305-Q725 is available now at a variety of major consumer electronics and computer stores nationwide or directly at Toshiba Direct. The laptop is available in a range of configurations starting from $1,449 and going all the way up to $2,699.99.


Source: Toshiba

DivX marked the introduction and rise to popularity of high-quality video compression standards based around H.264 and MPEG-4. DivX played an important role in propagating MPEG-4 derived standard as licences to not only PC video players but also to DTH TV, and importantly consumer video players with the introduction of DivX CD/DVDs where generic data-CDs holding the .avi files of the actual video could be played back just like standard VCDs and DVDs.

DivX Inc. announced its seventh installment of the DivX software. Based on the H.264 video compression standard DivX 7 offers playback and creation of compressed video at resolutions of up to HD 1080p. DivX software is available free (for playback and consumption of content based on the DivX and generic MPEG-4 CODECs, while a premium Pro version allows content creation by providing conversion tools. "The release of DivX 7 for Windows marks a true milestone for digital video users everywhere," said Kevin Hell, CEO of DivX, Inc. "Eight years ago, the first DivX video software helped create the market for high-quality video on the PC. We then worked with a global ecosystem of licensees to extend that support beyond the PC to a variety of devices so that consumers all over the world could enjoy their videos anytime and anywhere."

Source: DivX

Mushkin Enhanced, one of the leading manufacturer for High Performance Computer Parts announces the availability of a new son for the “Gold-Series” – the 1000MHz 4GB dual-channel DDR2 kit “996593X2”.
“Our customer and friends were fascinated about our 800MHz Gold-Kit.” Is Steffen Eisenstein, CEO of Mushkin Logistic GmbH pleased. “So we had to come up with something even better, the 1000MHz kit is the logical consequence.”

Intel Corporation today announced preliminary fourth-quarter financial information with revenue of approximately $8.2 billion, down 20 percent sequentially and down 23 percent year over year. Revenue will be lower than the company's previous expectation, provided on Nov. 12, 2008, as a result of further weakness in end demand and inventory reductions by its customers in the global PC supply chain. The preliminary estimate of gross margin for the fourth quarter is at the bottom of the previous expectation of 55 percent, plus or minus a couple of points.

Cisco today announced the Linksys by Cisco Wireless Home Audio system at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. From the world leaders in networking, the Wireless Home Audio system utilizes Wireless-N technology to deliver a rich audio experience to any room in the home. Users can create a party atmosphere with immaculate synchronization when listening to the same song throughout the entire home, or send different music to customized “zones”. The Wireless Home Audio solution also puts millions of songs at your fingertips through integrated Internet services such as Rhapsody, AudioLounge, and RadioTime. An optional Docking Station for iPod enables your content on Apple iPods, including Podcasts, Audio Books, and purchased iTunes content, to be played through any Wireless Home Audio device on the network. Wireless Home Audio products also work great with the newly announced Linksys by Cisco Media Hub that gathers and presents the available media on a network.

Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD) is yet another manufacturer that is enhancing its storage line-up, by releasing a new half-terabyte external hard drive, after the start of Consumer Electronics Show 2009. The new 500GB Toshiba USB 2.0 portable external hard drive (model number HDDR500E03X) comes with a glossy black finish and frost white contemporary graphics that will appeal to most customers. Inside the case is a new 500GB ultra-quiet hard drive, with 8MB buffer size and improved acoustics. The drive also ships with NTI Shadow real-time backup software pre-installed. Toshiba’s new 500GB USB 2.0 external HDD is priced at $179.99 (MSRP) and available now at Toshiba Direct and through major retailers and online outlets.


Source: Toshiba

Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the immediate availability of the new Crucial.com Netbook Upgrade Center for purchasing DRAM memory, Solid-State Drives (SSDs) and flash memory cards suitable for most netbook products now available in the market. Netbooks, simplified notebooks designed to be affordable, energy efficient, and smaller in size, are growing in popularity with consumers because of their practical price point and no-nonsense capabilities. The Crucial.com Netbook Upgrade Center will help customers optimize the performance of their netbooks with the right upgrades and accessories. The complete line of DRAM, SSD, and flash memory netbook upgrades are now available at Crucial.com, Crucial.UK, or Crucial.EU.

ASUS, world-leading producer of top quality graphic solutions, has today introduced the world’s fastest dual and single GPU graphics cards incorporating the latest generation of NVIDIA GPUs—the GeForce GTX 295 and GeForce GTX 285 chipsets; with the ASUS ENGTX295, ENGTX285 ULTIMATE, and ENGTX285 TOP graphics cards. With an outstanding 3DMark Vantage Extreme Preset score of 9126, the ENGTX295 leads the pack as the world’s fastest graphics card; while the ASUS ENGTX285 ULTIMATE and ENGTX285 TOP deliver 10% and 5% improvements respectively in gaming experiences when compared to reference designed boards. Furthermore, in order to show that ASUS cares for all gamers, both the ASUS ENGTX295 and ENGTX285 Series graphics cards will come bundled with a special coupon to obtain up to $25 or 10% off on a total of 5 games or CUDA applications at the NZONE webpage.

To the excitement of audiophiles and music enthusiasts worldwide, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. is hosting world famous recording legends Bill Schnee and Doug Sax at its Technical Audio Devices (TAD) suite in the Venetian Sands during the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), January 8 ' 11, 2009. Longtime collaborators, Schnee and Sax are showcasing their new high resolution recordings to be issued on a music-only format utilizing Blu-ray Disc technology, giving consumers an unprecedented opportunity to experience digital music that rivals 2-channel analog sound. With this unique partnership, Pioneer demonstrates its commitment to consistently offer consumers high performance entertainment that replicates the true intentions of creative professionals.

Cooler Master has a new flagship CPU air-cooler in the making: the V10. This V8 successor with its peculiar design and size is sure to catch some attention. With the way in which the V8 was designed, it became clear than Cooler Master has a new direction with its product design, and that they looked to give their CPU coolers a somewhat industrial look. Measuring 236.5 x 129 x 161.3mm, this definitely is a large cooler and could have problems fitting in all cases.

Its peculiarity lies in its aluminum fin arrays, three in number. While two of them propagate vertically, the third one propagates horizontally, along the plane of the motherboard. A 120mm fan pushes air through two of those arrays, while a second 120mm fan blows air onto the third array. Ideally, this third array should hang above the memory modules to provide active cooling, that is, if the modules aren't tall enough. A total of four heat-pipes convey heat to the fins. The two PWM-controlled fans spin at speeds between 800 and 2400 rpm, while the noise levels are maintained around 17 dBA. The V10 will be announced during the ongoing CES event, and will be priced around 100~150€ according to French website Case&Cooling.


Source: Case&Cooling.fr

Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking, storage and memory solutions today announced the new, fully redesigned LinkStation Pro. As the answer to all your storage and sharing needs, this high performance NAS device allows iPhone owners to access their photos, videos, files, etc., via Buffalo's unique Web Access 2.0 feature. Web Access allows users to access data via a web browser from any computer.

As the latest addition to the award-winning LinkStation line of consumer NAS devices, the new LinkStation Pro comes equipped with a new, stylish chassis and faster processor for quick and easy file transfers and backups. With Web Access 2.0, iPhone users can conveniently download content stored on their home or office LinkStation Pro right to their iPhone, anytime, anywhere.

Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking, storage and memory solutions today unveiled a chic new design for the MiniStation Cobalt. Offering a feature-rich storage solution in a stylish, lightweight package, the MiniStation Cobalt is designed for mobility. With a simple, easy-to-use user interface, storing, protecting and transporting digital images, music and other files becomes a snap! Offered in three distinct colors, Blue Onyx, Pearl White and Ruby Red, the MiniStation Cobalt safeguards your digital assets and provides the peace of mind that only Buffalo's years of engineering excellence can provide.

Designed for the active professional, Buffalo's new portable storage solutions for PC and Macs includes easy-to-use backup and sync software, a robust shock resistant design as well as Buffalo's SecureLockMobile software to prevent unauthorized access in the event the drive is lost or stolen.

DisplayLink unviled today that Samsung's new 22-inch Samsung SyncMaster 2243QW monitor is the third model to feature the company's proprietary technology. The new monitor makes it possible for busy office workers and business professionals to use a simple USB cable to extend their desktop and visual workspace, boosting usability and flexibility. Up to six displays can be easily connected and powered off of one PC. There’s no need for additional graphics cards or complex software installation. The Samsung 2243QW has a 1680x1050 16:10 resolution, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, and 5-millisecond response time. In addition to the built-in USB hub used for DisplayLink-enabled connections, the 2243QW features traditional VGA (15-pin D-sub) and DVI-D inputs. The monitor is compatible with both Mac and Windows systems, and comes with a pivot function that allows it to operate in either portrait or landscape mode. The Samsung SyncMaster 2243QW is available now through Samsung's official resellers and distribution channels for $399.99 USD.


Source: DisplayLink, Engadget

AMD added two new low-power Athlons introduced primarily to gain leverage with the nettop segment Intel has been dominating in. The two models, Athlon 2650e and dual-core Athlon 3250e are derived from the K8 micro-architecture which still holds certain technological advantages over competitive platforms from Intel in that segment.

The Athlon 2650e is comes with a clock-speed of 1.60 GHz, 512KB of cache and a rated TDP of 15W, while the dual-core Athlon 3250e ends up with better power efficincy being clocked at 1.50 GHz, with a TDP of 22W. Both processors use the AM2 socket and support DDR2 memory. They are expected to be priced under $50.

Source: TechConnect Magazine

Today LaCie unveils the 2big Quadra, a new two-bay RAID solution with up to 3TB of capacity for high speed-demanding applications, as well as for backup and storage use. With four RAID modes including RAID 0 and RAID 1, and a convenient hot-swap feature, it offers optimal performance and data protection. Developed for maximum speed, the 2big’s native RAID controller preserves computer resources and provides professional workstations with lightning-fast data transfers, which reach up to 165MB/s through eSATA 3Gbits/s in RAID 0. It also integrates perfectly with most applications that demand high speed, such as photo and pre-press processing or audio/video projects, including HDV post-production.

ASUS is preparing the industry's first notebook with a 512 GB solid-state drive (SSD). The ASUS S121 comes in an ultrathin form-factor while carrying hardware that puts it in the grey-area between netbooks and UMPCs.

The S121 comes with a 12-inch LCD screen with a compact yet rugged chassis. It is powered by an Intel Atom processor running at 1.33 GHz and 512 MB of RAM. Its storage is care of a rather massive 512 GB SSD. Its availability and price isn't known at this point, though we suspect that with the exclusiveness built around this product coupled with ASUS categorizing it outside its ULPC/netbook lineup, it will carry a rather high price tag.


Source: TechConnect Magazine

The Foundry Company (TFC), AMD's manufacturing division spun-off along with investment from the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) had to go through a series of negotiations to acquire clearence from the investors and the governments under whom AMD operates, to get the new company operational. It is a complicated process since it involes a lot of foreign investment.

A major milestone for TFC is the clearence it got from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a US Government body that studies the possible implications of foreign investment on national security. TFC will control all of AMD's manufacturing assets including upcoming facilities in the US. AMD officially becomes fab-less though TFC will have commitments towards serving AMD as its foundry partner. AMD will hold a 34.2% stake in TFC while 65.8% of it will be held by ATIC.

Source: TFC New Global Foundry

MSI today unveiled the EX625 performance notebook. MSI EX625 features Cinema Pro Technology, which offers consumers the finest movie viewing experience. With a simple touch of the exclusive Cinema Pro button; you may immediately switch to Movie Mode. The quality on screen will be more detailed, the richness in sound and the subwoofer as well as Dolby sound will be activated, providing the finest sensory of the theaters. Furthermore, the embedded high performance subwoofer design can create shocking effects.

Combing Color Film Print Technology with ocean wave patterns in design, the EX625 has been injected with a brand new texture to personal notebook computers. The most advanced ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 graphics card with GDDR3 512MB VRAM, for a more fluid, more detailed, more realistic 3D high-definition viewing experience. In the other hand, EX625 selects the brand new ECO Engine Technology, the outstanding and unique power saving function by MSI Notebook, as the power management function to extend the battery running time while performing different tasks.

Even though the EeePC is selling like hot cakes, nothing is stopping ASUS from developing more and more Eee-branded products. Their latest creation is called Eee Keyboard - a full-sized keyboard with built-in computer that includes wireless and Ethernet network, single speaker, built-in mic, and a 5-inch touchscreen display. The whole system weighs in less than 2 pounds and can connect to an external display. ASUS Eee Keyboard is still only a prototype, but who knows.


Source: Engadget

Samsung Electronics announced today at the Storage Visions 2009 Conference that it has developed a 100GB single-level cell (SLC) solid state drive for use in servers for applications such as video on demand, streaming media content delivery, internet data centers, virtualization and on-line transaction processing. As an alternative to traditional 15K rpm hard disk drives (HDDs), the new performance-optimized 100GB Enterprise SSD can process IOPS (input/output per second) more than 10 times faster than the fastest 15K rpm SAS HDD available. Designed to remove the system performance bottleneck in enterprise storage applications, the high-performance 2.5-inch enterprise drive reads data sequentially at 230 megabytes per second and writes sequentially at 180 MB/s. The 100GB SSD’s advanced performance is attributed to a sophisticated 8-channel controller, improved NAND flash and special drive firmware, all developed by Samsung. The drive also consumes only 1.9 watts of power in seek mode and 0.6 watts in idle mode, reducing power and heat loads to minimum. Samsung intends to start mass producing the 100GB SS805 drive in the first quarter of 2009.

Source: Network World

BFG Technologies, known as a leading supplier of premium power supplies and 3D graphics cards, is excited to announce its first line of complete gaming and multimedia PCs, called Phobos. These sleek hand-built, high performance machines were designed with the "Graduated Gamer" in mind. This audience is looking for all the performance associated with a high-end gaming system, but none of the hassle related to building and servicing such a system. As a result, Phobos is sold with complementary Concierge Service which includes expert in-home installation and a six month follow up maintenance visit.

Apple today unveiled iLife ’09, which includes major upgrades to iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand and an updated version of iWeb. iPhoto ’09 introduces Faces and Places, breakthrough ways to easily organize and manage photos based on who appears in them and where they were taken. In iMovie ’09, you’ll find powerful, yet easy-to-use new features that let you create a movie quickly or add refinements and special effects if you have more time. And GarageBand ’09 now offers a fun new way to learn to play piano and guitar with Basic Lessons, which teach fundamentals, and Artist Lessons (sold separately), in which original artists teach you how to play the songs they made famous. At last, iWeb ’09 lets you design a website to share your photos, movies, and music just by dragging and dropping. Add new dynamic widgets and publish and share with a single click. Find out more about iLife '09 here.

Source: Apple

The first shape that comes to your mind when you think of a system case probarbly is a cuboidal tower with a little decoration thrown in, with essentially the same internal locations for installing your parts to build a PC. Lian-Li sought to break the mould with the introduction of the PC-888 at the 2009 CES event. The PC-888 sports a whacky design, that is inspired quite seriously by the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, just that the pearl white decked with glass makes way for ocean-blue. Bit-Tech published the first pictures of this rather interesting looking "case".

Given its shape, the interiors have been compartmentalised accordingly to distinct areas holding the system board, hard drives, power supply and space for even a water cooling system to creep in. There is a generous amount of ventilation and cable management features provided. For more pictures, head over to Bit-Tech here.

Joining the string of product launches that coincide with the 2009 CES event, is Imation's solid state drive (SSD) offerings under two distinct product classes: M-Class and S-Class. Both these product lines are available in the 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch form factors and use the standard SATA interfaces. While the M-Class SSDs use SATA-150, the S-Class use SATA-300 interface. They come in unformatted capacities of 32, 64 and 128 GB.

These drives have company-rated data transfer speeds of around 150 MB/s (read) and 90 MB/s (write) for the M-Class, and 130 MB/s (read) and 120 MB/s (write) for the S-Class. Apart from these drives, Imation also announced "upgrade kits" that include necessary tools to migrate an image of the older hard drive to these newer ones, saving the task of reinstalling software. The M-Class SSDs hit the stores in February with prices of $179.99 and above, while the S-Class series are slated for March.


Source: TechConnect Magazine

Imation Corp. today announced the availability of two new products in its Apollo family of external hard drives (EHD). For laptop users, the 2.5-inch Apollo Expert UX is a pocket-sized, portable hard drive sheathed in a protective skin with up to 500GB of capacity, and for desktop users, the Apollo Pro UX is a 3.5-inch hard drive that will offer up to 1.5 TB of capacity. Each stylish drive features an integrated patent-pending stand and unique benefits for backup and storage of data, video, music and photos.

"We designed the Apollo external hard drives to be functional and sleek, with distinctive features and benefits for both discerning mobile and desktop users," said Subodh Kulkarni, vice president, Global Commercial Business, Imation. "These drives push the envelope with capacities that are among the highest available while still embodying great design. Our Apollo Expert UX drive delivers iconic portability with the pure data storage performance that on-the-go users need, while the Apollo Pro UX drive is a perfect match for heavy data users, as well as digital pack rats and video junkies."

Not long after the start of Macworld 2009, Apple officially unveiled the new MacBook Pro, that was confirmed by AppleInsider on Monday. During the demonstration Apple uncovered that the 17-inch display of the unibody MacBook Pro will feature LED backlight, 1920x1200 fullHD resolution, 700:1 contrast ratio and will come with gloss or mate surface (the mate option will cost additional $50). The remaining specs pretty much match the specs of the older 15-inch MacBook Pro model. Apple also said that the addition of non-removable battery will lead to bigger battery installed and longer battery life, which is now claimed to be up to 8 hours.



Source: Engadget

DisplayLink Corp. and Acer have collaborated to introduce the 22-inch DisplayLink enabled Acer P224 monitor. What this means is that you can add Acer P224 as an external monitor to any USB-equipped desktop PC or laptop, using only a single USB 2.0 port without the need to install discrete graphics cards.
“Acer’s integrated monitor-and-dock design is a smart solution for laptop owners who want a cool, all-in-one upgrade,” said Dennis Crespo, executive vice president of marketing and business development for DisplayLink. “And DisplayLink technology ensures that video and graphics applications will play smoothly on any additional monitors linked up to the PC via USB.”
The Acer P224W widescreen display features a contrast ratio of up to 10,000:1, a resolution of 1680x1050 pixels, and a response time of 5 milliseconds. The Acer P224W is also equipped with an analog VGA input. The Acer P224W is currently shipping in the United States and Europe. More information can be found on the Acer's website here.


Source: Acer

After more than one year of development time the Japanese cooling specialist Scythe Co., Ltd. releases the new Scythe Mugen 2 CPU cooler. The name Mugen comes from the Japanese for "infiniteness" and stands already for the highest cooling capacity at low noise level. To fulfill this image, a great value was laid on improving the already established features of the former Scythe Mugen Cooler.

The successful concept of Mugen CPU cooler was further developed for Scythe Mugen 2 in a very consistent way. For this, the experience of Scythe engineers was a great influence as well as improvement suggestions from users of the former Scythe Mugen. Compared with the old Mugen, the number of cooling fins has been increased and at the same time, the weight was decreased by 50 g. To ensure optimal fitting of the cooler on the mainboard, Scythe Mugen 2 uses a novel Back Plate/Screws solution with the name Flip Mount Super Back-Plate (F.M.S.B.). This mounting system is compatible with all current sockets including the new Intel LGA1366.

RTS giant Blizzard let loose a few new teaser screens of its much anticipated title, Starcraft II, sourced by SK Gaming. The screens include stills of ongoing campaigns demonstrating the visuals and graphic design of the game. One of those hype building measures from a company that has so far stood and delivered to all its hype. Starcraft II is on course for launch later this year. Enjoy the screens. A larger archive of Starcraft II images sourced from Blizzard so far can be found here.


Source: SK Gaming

Broadening its storage solutions for Mac, WD today introduced two new external hard drives - the My Passport for Mac portable drive and the My Book Mac Edition external hard drive. Pre-formatted for Mac and offering a simple USB interface, these drives offer the ever-growing Mac community reliable, easy-to-use storage. WD's latest Mac-ready drives work seamlessly with Apple Time Machine or other popular Mac backup software to provide protection for consumers' valuable digital photos and media.

D-Link, the end-to-end network solutions provider for consumers and business, today unveiled an all-in-one home network router with all the features of a fast, far-reaching 802.11n Wi-Fi router combined with network attached storage (NAS), SharePort technology for sharing printers and scanners, along with a bright 3.2-inch LCD monitor on the face for displaying photos, desktop applications and network performance.

G.Skill has also expanded its solid-state offerings, by introducing the new Titan SSDs. Available in 128GB and 256GB models, the 2.5-inch Titan drives make use of MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash chips, have a second generation SATA 3.0 interface and a MTBF (mean time between failure) of 1.5 million hours. The drives also have built-in EDC/ECC data protection. The manufacturer claims sequential read and write speeds of up to 218MB/s and 162MB/s respectively. The G.Skill SSDs are covered in a strong metal alloy housing and ship with a 2 year warranty.


Source: VR-Zone

NEC Display Solutions of America today introduced LCD3090W-BK-SV - the big brother of the freshly released 26-inch MultiSync LCD2690WUXi² that we covered yesterday here. The 30-inch MultiSync LCD3090W-BK-SV is a wide-gamut display designed for users in the graphic design, digital animation, photography, print production, image analysis and CAD/CAM industries, as well as soft-copy clinical viewing in the medical field. It benefits from the company's ColorComp technology, which reduces LCD uniformity errors, in-plane switching (IPS) matrix and advanced backlight technology that enable the monitor to cover 107% of AdobeRGB color gamut. In addition, this display comes with a SpectraViewII color calibration sensor and software for precise calibration. The 30-inch MultiSync 3090 has a native resolution of 2560x1600 pixels, a G-T-G response time of 6ms (12ms typical), a brightness of 350 cd/m2, and 1000:1 contrast ratio. Input connection include single DVI-D (HDCP), and a DVI-I (digital/analog). The LCD3090W-BK-SV, which is backed by a 4-year parts and labor warranty, will be available this month with estimated street prices of $2,449. The new display can also be seen at the 2009 Macworld Conference and Expo that started today. For more detailed information, please click here.


Source: NEC

SanDisk Corporation today unveiled its next-generation of flash memory-based solid-state drives for adoption in various netbooks. Dubbed SanDisk pSSD-P2 and SanDisk pSSD-S2, the new flash drives feature SATA interface and come in capacities of 8, 16, 32 and 64-gigabytes. They are made using SanDisk's reliable 43-nanometer Multi-Level Cell (MLC) flash memory. SanDisk also claims that its new pSSDs are going to be very cheap when released, but unfortunately there's no exact information to confirm their words.
“Netbooks represent the fastest growing PC segment in 2009 and 2010 yet widespread adoption of SSDs in netbooks has been limited by speed, capacity and cost constraints,” said Rich Heye, senior vice president and general manager, Solid-State Drives (SSD), SanDisk. “With the significant improvements in performance, capacity and low pricing, these SSDs are a perfect fit for the exploding netbook market.”
SanDisk's second generation pSSD drives are slated to be available in February 2009.


Source: SanDisk

Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the immediate availability of Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR3-1333 (PC3-10600) memory modules in three vibrant new colors - green, blue and red. Performance memory enthusiasts and system modders can choose from a variety of Crucial Ballistix Tracer module colors to match their case color scheme or to suit their individual style. The new color modules are available in 3GB and 6GB kits through select resellers worldwide and directly from Crucial's website here.