Verbatim Store 'n' Go Clip-it Flash Drives Hit Store Shelves

Press Release



Verbatim is launching a simple and ingenious solution for combining digital media with paper: the Red dot ‘Best of the Best’ Award-winning Verbatim Store ‘n’ Go Clip-it USB Drive. Available in a range of vibrant colours, Verbatim’s Clip-it USB drive combines flash storage with the simple functionality of a paperclip, making it a wonderfully practical solution for daily business or private users. The Verbatim Clip-it USB Drive is now available with storage capacities of 2GB and 4GB.



Clip-it USB Drive can also be used as a paperclip;Red dot ‘Best of the Best’ award 2010, designed by Arman Emami;Available in a range of vibrant colours: Black, White, Yellow, Green, Pink, Blue, Orange;Storage capacities of 2GB and 4GB.


Designed by Arman Emami, Clip-it has been awarded the accolade of Red Dot ‘Best of the Best’ 2010. The Clip-it USB drive makes it easier for you to keep all your data together in one place, whether it is electronic or not. Now you can send and store documents together with media files without having to use CD’s or email attachments.
Thanks to its lightness, there's no extra cost for post.

Even the delivery of a classic paper document can now include additional multimedia information stored on this tiny Clip-it USB Drive. “This is a huge advantage of this USB Drive, as it weighs literally nothing, so it will not cause extra postal charges. It really combines the best of both worlds!”, says Hans-Christoph Kaiser, Business Development Manager Verbatim.

Sony Ericsson and SingTel introduce PlayNow plus

Sony Ericsson and SingTel todayannounced the exclusive launch of PlayNow plus, an all-you-can-download music service, on the new W705 Walkman phone.

Jack Tan, General Manager of Sony Ericsson Singapore;Lee-Hom Wang, American singer-songwriter and actor; and Shane Da Silva, Vice President, Consumer Sales for SingTel (above picture) were present to officiate the launch.

The PlayNow plus service is currently available only on the new W705 Walkman phone. Users who buy a W705, SingTel is offering an additional free 12-month data bundle as part of their SingTel Mobile voice plan, without having to sign up for a new plan. Customers can also enjoy unlimited downloads for the first month - as many songs as they like. (The free data bundle of 200MB is equivalent to about 200 songs download every month).

The W705 can store up to 3,900 songs (eAAC+ encoded),and there are already 1,000local and international songs preloaded on the phone. You can also download the songs via a PC client software bundled with the phone. But that does not mean you can do a direct transfer to and from the PC to the phone, at least not like that. For transfer, a download link will be sent to the phone instead, which can be a slight hassle.

PricePlan

Monthly Subscription

FREE monthly data bundlewith unlimited data for the 1st month

Price of W705

iOne Plus

SGD25.68

200MB

SGD298

iTwo Value

SGD48.15

200MB

SGD198

iTwo Plus

SGD82.93

200MB

SGD98

^Free data bundle for 12 months

You can check out playnowplus.sg for more information on the PlayNow plus service.

There are some thingsto note about the PlayNow plus though. After the one-year subscription period, users can only keep up to 200 songs on their W705 and these are the ones that are most frequently played on the phone. (No, you simply can'tchoose what you want).On top of that, the songs are DRM-protected.

Rumour AMD 28nm GPUs in December

According to Heise Online, AMD is preparing to release its first next-gen 28nm GPUs om December, with the dates of 6th December to 9th December being rumoured. Little else is known about this GPU - whether it is VLIW-4 or GCN, whether it is desktop or mobile, etc.

Initially announced by AMD for late-2011, reports point to problems at TSMCs 28nm process leading to delays. Even if AMD does manage to release its first 28nm GPUs in December, low supplies are expected.AMD has demonstrated 28nm GPUs running in notebooks several times now. At the recent Fusion 11 conference in Taipei, AMD showed off a mid-sized performance/mainstream die.

NVIDIAs first 28nm chip - GK107 - is set to release in Q1 2012 for notebooks, if all goes well, with desktop and performance GPUs following later in the year. At this time, it does look like general production for 28nm GPUs will only ramp up in 2012. However, AMD may yet be able to sneak in a GPU by the end of the year in limited quantities.

Source: Heise Online

Sapphire X1800 XT Performance Edition

Sapphire just announced a Performance Edition of the top of the range RADEONX1800XT - a pre-overclocked version which will deliver stunning performance withits 512MB DDR3 and raised clock speeds of 700MHz core and 800Mhz memory(=1600MHz data rate!). Not just Sapphire, ASUS too has their EAX1800XT Topversion overclocked to 695MHz core and 800MHz memory and here's a glimpse of theperformance.

NVIDIA G71 Sample Next Week

NVIDIA G71 should start sampling as soon as next week. The chip should workaround 700 MHz frequency and it should feature 32 pixel pipelines. NVIDIAscheduled its launch and world wide availability in stores for February 2006 butif all goes well it might actually launch at the same time as ATI, in the lastweek of January.

Ed's note : NVIDIA will be showing off the G71 performance to theirpartners in within a week and they promised an ATi R580 killer. We shall seeabout it.

Sony claims upcoming PSP2 is more powerful than PS3

Sony has been going around telling game developers that its upcoming second-generation handheld gaming console, the PlayStation Portable 2 (PSP2) will be more powerful than itsbest-selling gaming and entertainment console - the PlayStation 3 (PS3).
This is congruent against Kotaku's report, that the PSP2 may be able to rival consoles in gaming horsepower. Upon hearing of the possibility, EA's CEO John Ricitiello said that "having something as powerful as a PS3 in your pocket is a pretty compelling idea".
While digital downloads make up a large portion of the PSP2's game library, physical media will also be used, so that its games can be sold in retail stores. Good news for those who don't feel secure about buying online.
Justbear in mind though, whilst Sony are making such claims, the PSP2 cannot and won't be actually more powerful than a PS3, without needing to run off a mobile generator, or AC source, and doing away with forced air intake.
On a smaller scale it should actually be like the PS3; just like how the original PSP did perform quite like the PS2, although in the real world, its processing prowess were nowhere near the PS2's.

Source: Kotaku, Gizmodo

Toshiba Launches New Regza Z series in Japan

(Akihabara News) Toshiba launches new Regza Z series in Japan with a slew of features to attract the consumers.

Some of them had some interesting features that might catch your attention:

- ZX8000 Series available in 46 or 44” (Full HD), featuring an Full HDClear Panel with LED Backlight, USB and HDD LAN Video recording,Digital W (120Hz) with InstaPort,

- ZH800 Series available in 47 and 55” (Full HD) No LED Backlight butfeature an internal 300GB HDD, as well as USB and LAN HDD Videorecording, Digital W (120hz)

- Z8000 Series, available in 37, 42, and 47”, Full HD Clean Panel,Digital W (120Hz), InstaPort, USB and LAN HDD Video Recording.

- H8000 Series with 37 and 42” (Full HD) TVs and a HD Ready 32” model,no Digital W Panel, and just 300GB of Internal HDD and USB HDDRecording only.

PlanOn introduces world's first credit card-sized receipt scanner

The PlanOn SlimScan claims to be the world’s first credit card-sized portable full color scanner that lets you scan and organize receipts and business cards wherever you are. Measuring 1.96 x 3.06 x 0.08mm, SlimScan is a full-featured, high resolution color scanner that can easily fit in your wallet or credit card holder. If you are one of those who frequently misplace things including receipts, business cards or handwritten notes, then you probably would want the SlimScan that can capture full-color digital images of the items. Made of durable stainless steel, SlimScan features a convenient preview screen that lets you instantly view, zoom-in and pan scanned images on the fly. It connects directly to Windows PCs through USB and lets you upload and edit scanned items conveniently.

The SlimScan scanner with special software bundle (SS100-RMS) is available immediately from PlanOn and leading retailers, priced at US$139.99 MSRP.

SlimScan Features:

- Receipts: Organizes receipts and business expenses. Creates digital copies of receipts for returns, which you can re-print whenever you need them.

- Business Cards: Captures important contact information from business cards, even handwritten notes.

- Imports: Imports data to Outlook, Word, Excel and compatible databases.

- RMS Software: Includes Receipt Management System (RMS) Software that easily scans, edits, organizes, and imports.

- Warrantee & Insurance Information: Keeps warrantee and insurance info safe.

- Track Expenditures: Tracks expenditures however you want: by purchase type, expense category, month, or year.

- Bargain Hunting While Shopping: Scans the labels of items at the store so you can bargain hunt at other stores or online for the best deal -- or remember favorite products or gifts that you want to buy.

- Promotional Gifts: SlimScan can be given out as promotional gifts imprinted with a company logo.

- Dimensions: 1.96 x 3.06 x 0.08mm

- Resolution: 300 dpi, 24 bit color.

- Memory: Stores 600 images.

RIM launches BlackBerry Torch 9860 and BlackBerry Torch 9810 Smartphones in Singapore

The new BlackBerry 7 operating system has been touted to offer a significantly faster, and more fluid browsing experience. Built on the WebKit browser engine, RIM says its BlackBerry 7 smartphones deliver 40% faster browsing results than BlackBerry 6 smartphones, as well as optimized zooming and panning for smoother web navigation

The BlackBerry Torch 9810 is an evolution of the BlackBerry Torch 9800, which was RIMs first smartphone with a capacitance touch screen and a slide-out keyboard. Equipped with a significantly faster 1.2 GHz processor under its hood for a zippy user experience, the Torch 9810 incorporates the same form factor as older Torch. In addition, the Torch 9810 has a 3.2" display that sports a VGA resolution of 640 x 480, as well as a vastly expanded 768MB of RAM and 8GB of onboard memory.

The BlackBerry Torch 9860, on the other hand, is a touch-only BlackBerry. With a depth of just 11.5mm, the Torch 9860 comes with an even larger 3.7" display with a WVGA resolution of 800 x 480. The Torch 9860 shares the same 1.2GHz processor and has the same amount of RAM and onboard memory as the Torch 9810.

Gregory Wade, Regional Managing Director, East Asia at RIM, said: "This is an exciting period for RIM and we are thrilled to introduce two new BlackBerry 7 powered smartphones in Singapore. Both of these new BlackBerry Torch smartphones offer a full touch display and feature RIMs next generation of hardware and software to deliver the ultimate in communications, multimedia and productivity."

For more information, visit http://sg.blackberry.com/

RIM Intros First Wi-Fi BlackBerry Smartphone in Singapore

Research In Motion (RIM) today introduced the BlackBerry® 8820 in Singapore,the first dualmode BlackBerry smartphone combining EDGE/GPRS/GSM cellular andWi-Fi® connectivity. The BlackBerry 8820 smartphone supports the 802.11 a/b/gWi-Fi standards to enable data access for users in Singapore over Wi-Ficonnections in the enterprise, as well as through public hotspots and wirelesshome networks. In addition, it is a quad-band GSM/GPRS and EDGE-enabledsmartphone that provides global wireless voice and data capabilities withbest-in-class performance.

Featuring RIM's thinnest smartphone design with a full and highly tactileQWERTY keyboard, large and bright display (320 x 240), user-friendly trackballnavigation system and exceptional voice and data functionality, it also comeswith media player enhancements, and a microSD / microSDHC (microSD HighCapacity) expandable memory slot that can support current and future generationsof microSD memory cards up to 32GB.

Through its built-in GPS, the BlackBerry 8820 can pinpoint its location andprovides "out-of-the-box" support for a wide variety of location-basedapplications and services, including BlackBerry® Maps. “With built-in cellular,Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity features, the BlackBerry 8820 smartphone introduces anew level of mobility and productivity to organizations and individuals inSingapore,” said Norm Lo, Vice President of Asia Pacific, Research In Motion.“The BlackBerry 8820 offers all the renowned power and usability of theBlackBerry platform together with the convenience of Wi-Fi access at home andwork, as well as through Singapore’s nation-wide public hotspots.”

The BlackBerry 8820 works in conjunction with both BlackBerry® EnterpriseServer and the BlackBerry® Internet Service and can seamlessly switch betweencellular networks and a Wi-Fi network to allow users to access email, InstantMessaging, organizer, web browsing and other mobile data applications.

To meet various security requirements, the BlackBerry 8820 is compliant withWi-Fi security protocols including WEP (Wireless Equivalency Protocol), WPA (Wi-FiProtected Access) and WPA2, as well as Cisco Compatible Extensions for simple,secure connectivity with Cisco wireless solutions. For enterprises that requireWi-Fi users to access the corporate network through a VPN (Virtual PrivateNetwork), the BlackBerry 8820 includes IPSec-based software that supports themost commonly deployed VPN gateways from vendors including Cisco, Check Pointand others.

The BlackBerry wireless platform gives customers the capability to deploy avariety of applications. Thousands of applications and business solutions fromthird party software providers can further extend the BlackBerry 8820 to supportbusiness needs such as CRM, sales force automation, field services, businessintelligence, supply chain management and continuity of operations, as well as abroad range of industry-specific applications for sectors including health care,law enforcement, government, financial services, insurance, pharmaceutical,professional services, real estate, manufacturing, wholesale and retail.

For product availability, please check with M1, SingTel and StarHub.

TI Unveils Battery Management Chips

Texas Instruments Incorporated (NYSE: TXN - News; TI) today introducedseveral new battery management integrated circuits (ICs), including itsnext-generation Impedance Track(TM) "gas gauge" chipset, to improve batteryperformance and protect multi-cell, lithium-based battery packs used innotebooks and other systems.

Next-Generation Impedance Track Gas Gauge

TI's bq20z90 next-generation Impedance Track battery gas gauge chipset, whichintegrates new state-of-the-art battery authentication technology, is designedto work with TI's newest analog front end (AFE) protection IC. Requiring a thirdfewer components than its predecessor, the 99-percent accurate bq20z90 chipsetwas designed with ease-of-use and smallest real estate in mind. The gas gaugeclosely monitors battery capacity, impedance, cell balance, open-circuit voltageand other critical parameters of a 7.2-V, 10.8-V or 14.4-V battery pack andreports the information to the system host controller over aserial-communication bus. See: http://www.ti.com/sc06160 .

TI's Impedance Track gas gauge technology, launched in 2004 with the bq20z80chipset, precisely measures changes in impedance, or resistance caused bybattery age, temperature and cycle life, to accurately predict run-time ofbattery packs with two, three and four cells in series. An exact "startingposition" is determined for instant state-of-charge, and total capacity iscalculated from the amount of capacity that exists, which eliminates the needfor a full-charge and discharge cycle.

The bq20z90 drives a three-, four- or five-segment LED display for remainingcapacity indication. For those designs that do not require the displayindicator, TI also introduced its bq20z70 gas gauge chipset without the LEDdisplay driver.

Front-End Battery Protection

The bq20z90 is designed to work with TI's new bq29330 AFE protection circuitwith two integrated linear dropout regulators (LDOs) to further maximizefunctionality and reduce external component count. The device utilizes an I2Ccommunications interface to allow the bq20z90 to monitor safety batteryconditions such as voltage, individual cell voltages and cell- balancing data,and report the information to the host system. See: http://www.ti.com/sc06160b .

A designer can program critical safety parameters such as current protectionthresholds and delays into the bq29330 to increase flexibility of the batterymanagement system. The device also provides protection for overloadshort-circuit in charge and discharge conditions, while providing battery cellover-voltage and under-voltage protection.

Integrated SHA-1 Based Authentication

The bq20z90 integrates SHA-1, 128-bit decryption functionality, which easilyidentifies potentially unsafe batteries not approved by original equipmentmanufacturers for use in their devices. If the battery information checks out,the system can allow normal system operation with the battery pack. Amanufacturer can program the system to take action to protect the consumer ifthe battery pack response is not correct, or if the battery pack is not approvedor determined to be defective. In addition, TI introduced a bq26100 protectiondevice for those designers who prefer a discrete implementation of the SHA-1protection feature. See: http://www.ti.com/sc06160c .

Smart Battery Test Board

In addition to the new battery gas gauge chipset, TI has developed a uniquedevelopment platform aimed at battery pack suppliers. TI's new bqMTester smartbattery development board simplifies production of battery modules at a fractionof the cost. bqMTester eliminates the need for an onboard computer and expensivecalibration/traceable power supplies and electronic loads. It calibrates andprograms electronic smart battery modules based on advanced battery fuel gauges,such as the bq20z90, bq20z80 and bq20z70 devices with Impedance Track. Inaddition, bqMTester makes tracking battery modules in production easier byprogramming serial number, date, pack lot code and other defaults. The bqMTesterboard can be ordered at http://www.ti.com/bqmtester .

Pricing and Availability

The bq20z90 and bq20z70 gas gauge chipsets, bq29330 protection AFE and bq26100authentication circuit are available in volume production from TI and itsauthorized distributors. The bq20z90 is packaged in a 30-pin thin shrink smalloutline package (TSSOP), the smaller bq29z70 in a 20-pin TSSOP, the bq29330 in a30-pin TSSOP package and the bq26100 in a tiny, 6-pin SON package. Suggestedresale pricing in 1,000 piece quantities is $ 3.30 for the bq20z90, $ 2.90 for thebq20z70, $ 1.45 for the bq29330, and $ 1.30 for the bq26100.

Evaluation modules for the bq20z90 gas gauge chipset, the bqMTester developmentboard, reference designs, application notes and technical documentation areavailable through http://www.ti.com/impedancetrack .

Solar storm hits Earth today, could damage electrics

A solar storm has rocked the Earth today, with the potential to cause damage and disruption to electrical systems.

Solar flares have been firing from the Sun all week, causing concern for some space weather forecasters, and despite signs of the storm easing down on Thursday, it is back to intense levels today.Despite the threat to technology and the chants of some doomsday groups, scientists believe that these storms pose no threat to people.The effect of the storm on our planets magnetic field caused high frequency radio communications from Africa to Australia to black out for a two-hour period. Scientists have not yet identified any other damage caused by the storm, but there were significant worries about the potential for it to knock out electrical grids, destroy satellite chips, and upset GPS tracking. Some airlines also rerouted flights as a precaution.Last month the UK warned of the threat of rogue nations launching nuclear weapons into space, which would have a similarly disastrous effect upon technology. There were also warnings about the effects of solar flares, prompting calls for replacements of delicate chips on satellites and other essential technology.To get an idea of the potential damage a solar storm can do, there was a significant one in 1989 which knocked out the power grid in Quebec, Canada, resulting in six million people having no power.Another solar flare fired off late on Thursday and scientists are currently analysing when it will hit Earth. It is not yet clear if it will cause any damage to electrical equipment here.Solar flares and storms are a natural part of the Suns 11-year cycle, which is expected to peak next year. We will likely see stronger and more frequent activity from the Sun in the build-up to that.Source: Associated PressImage Credit: NASA

OCZ Ultra-Slim Mini-Kart USB Flash Drives

OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-highperformance and high reliability memory, today announced the second addition totheir reputable flash product line—the OCZ Mini-Kart USB 2.0 Flash Drive series.The ultra-slim design of the Mini-Kart makes data storage and transferringeasier and more portable than ever.

The OCZ Mini-Kart is the ideal solution for anyone seeking ultimate portabilitywith their personal USB flash drive; The lightweight Mini-Kart housing is 2.8mmthick, making this compact unit small enough to store in your wallet, ensuringthat it is always handy to access or transfer documents, music, pictures andvideos from your home or work computer. As a result of the incredibly thinMini-Kart profile you’ll never have to unplug surrounding USB ports to makeroom, a common problem with many oversized competitor drives.

"Miniaturization is the biggest trend in the semiconductor industry," commentedDr. Michael Schuette, VP of Technology Development at OCZ Technology. "Theultra-thin miniature USB 2.0 Mini-Kart drive is designed with ultimateportability and reliability in mind, and is the perfect vehicle for transferringanything from valuable files and multimedia to huge game demos from one rig toanother.”

Users can access files stored on the Mini-Kart from the convenience of any USBport thanks to True “Plug and Play” functionality. Instantaneously play music,view images, or open files as if the Mini-Kart was an onboard hard drive. TheMini-Kart features a glowing blue LED in the base of the drive to signalread/write activity.

The OCZ Mini-Kart Flash Drive series will be available in 512MB, 1GB, and 2GBcapacities so users can choose from a variety of prices and storage preferences.OCZ is committed to providing superior products and service to our customers.The OCZ Mini-Kart is designed to be the most portable USB flash memory drive onthe market and comes backed with a 3 year warranty for the ultimate peace ofmind.

Scythe Unleashes Yasya CPU Cooler

Scythe has unveiled its Yasya CPU cooler (model no: SCYS-1000), targeting over-clocking enthusiasts.









Measuring 130 x 108.5 x 159mm and weighing 848g, it features anickel-plated copper base, six copper heat-pipes, a T.M.L.F. (TridentMulti Layer Fin) structure, V.T.M.S. (Versatile Tool-Free MultiplatformSystem), and is bundled with a Slip Stream 120mm PWM fan that runs atspeeds of up to 1,900 RPM at 37 dBA. The Yasya, fully compatible withall Intel LGA775/ 1156/ 1366 and AMD 754/ 939/ AM2/ AM2+/ AM3/ 940processors, is bundled with a fan speed controller, and can bepurchased from authorized resellers and e-tailers at a MSRP of USD 57come early March 2010.


Features:

Trident Multi Layer Fin StructureUnparallel Six Heatpipe ConstructionSlip Stream 120 mm PWM Adjustable

News via [Scythe]

Shuttle Offers SDXi Bare Bone Kit

Shuttle Inc, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of small formfactor computers and accessories announced the company’s newest offering ofgaming bare bone PCs— the Shuttle SDXi bare bone kit. The package includes thecustom hand painted SD37P2 chassis with custom Thermal Electronic Cooler fromPeliter for the ATI Graphic cards in Crossfire configurations.

Barebone specifications include:
Chipset
- Intel 975X Express Chipset
- 533/800/1066 FSB
- Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Quad
- ICH7-R
Memory
- (4) 240pin DDR2 DIMM Slots
- 2GB per DIMM (Max 8GB)
- DDR2 533/667
Cooling
- Shuttle I.C.E Heat Pipe Technology
- CoolIT MTEC Cooling System

Shuttle SDXi barebones now available only via web athttp://sys.us.shuttle.com/SDXi.aspx at $ 799 MSRP. Limited Quantities. Whilesupplies last.

Nokia acirc;€™s new handsets revealed ahead of announcement

With only hours to go until Nokias big reveal, but sadly for Nokia, the last details of its upcoming handsets have leaked ahead of the launch. We already had a good idea with regards to the specifications, especially as were looking at a pair of Windows Phone 7 handsets here (as well as one Symbian device), so Microsofts standard hardware limitations apply, but what we didnt know was the model names and which devices were going to launch.

The high-end model, previously known as Sea Ray, the Nokia N9 lookalike will be known as the Nokia Lumia 800 and although the leak doesnt confirm all the specifications, weve got a handset that measures 116.5x61.2x12.1mm and weighs in at 142g, not exactly a skinny, lightweight handset. Itll have 512MB of RAM and apparently no micro SD card slot. The processor should be a 1.4GHz single core model from Qualcomm, but as for the rest of the specs, well just have to wait and see.

The more affordable model, codenamed Sabre should be known as the Lumia 710 and it measures 110x62.4x12.5mm, again fairly chubby and it also looks like it has quite a thick screen bezel. The picture is a bit too blurry and low resolution to make out the rest of the specs, but were not expecting anything really exciting here.

Nokia is also rumoured to be launching a QWERTY keypad equipped Symbian handset during Nokia World and its been suggested it might end up being called the Nokia 303. Its tipped to be a Symbian S40 6th Edition handset and it should feature 3G and built in Wi-Fi, so good enough for anyone that doesnt need a more advanced smartphone.

Well have to wait until 16.00 this afternoon local Singapore time (09.00 UK time), as that is when the Nokia World keynote is being held.

Source: Winrumors, Engadget

New Zealand judge rules FBI's seizure of Megaupload's data quot;invalid quot;

A New Zealand judge has publicly stated that the FBI’s seizure of Megaupload data for court uses in the U.S. is “invalid.”

According to High Court judge Justice Helen Winkelmann, the warrants provided by the FBI “did not adequately describe the offenses to which they related.” She insists that the FBI used general warrants to seize Kim Dotcom’s assets, and that the warrants themselves fell short of outlining Dotcom’s allegations.

New Zealand authorities are heeding judge Winkelmann’s verdict and claim that they are in the process of determining “what further action might be required.” Dotcom is currently on bail, and the majority of his $175 million worth of assets are either seized or frozen.

Source: bbc.co.uk

NEC Business and Technology Convention 2009

Vincent Koh, vice president for Multimedia Business Unit, NEC Asia gave the welcome address at the convention and talked about the company's visionandmarket trends.

"For NEC global vision, one of our major importance is innovation.Today, we have launched various products and the technologies could be the same anywhere - same display, same resolution. But between those areas, we also incorporate a lot of other functions that only NEC innvation can achieve such as the stacking function of two projectors to increase the brightness of the projection" says Koh.

The media were treated to a live demonstration of the two stacking projectors which gave a brighter display and that if someone were to walk across the screen, it would not result in a black shadow casted by the projection (as its done by two in the demo, or more depending on the stacking configuration).

NEC Also demonstrated the geometric correction that can be achieved on a curved screen (above pic)as well as a virtual remote control software installed on a laptop to remote control the projector via just a VGA cable connection. According to NEC, the stacking, geometric correction, virtual remote control and othersoftware are free to download from the manufacturer's website. However, the free software applications are only usable on NEC projectors.

NEC announces upgrades for super thin Lifetouch L tablet

With a 10.1 inch 1200x800 pixel screen and a battery life that allows 13 hours of surfing or 10 hours of video playback, this tablet had plenty to offer even before the new upgrades. Its hard to beat in the realm of portability either, weighing only 540g compared to an iPads 652g. Users impressed by the Lifetouch Ls light weight are sure to find its 7.99mm depth, again compared to an iPads 9.4mm, aesthetically appealing as well.

Now the word from NEC is that starting in December new Lifetouch L tablets stream television broadcasts. The tablets come loaded with DiXiM, an app which allows you to wirelessly view movies stored on your home network on the device.

Another bonus will be starting November 8th, users will be able to easily save and access pictures and documents on SkyDrive. So its not all fun and games and the Lifetouch Ls potential as a business tool has certainly not escaped the reader. The tablets have always come in two versions, an individual model with 32GB of storage, and a business model with 16GB of storage and extra security. As of November 2nd the two versions are different colors as well. New business models are now all white, in response to feedback from the womens fashion and cosmetics sales assistants who have adopted it for commercial use in Japan; and the individual model is now known as Streamline Black.

It doesnt come without a warning, however. Word among Japanese early reviewers is that although they were impressed by the battery life and the quality of the screen, they were disappointed to discover they could not play recorded videos from their hard disks on the device.

More X58 Boards To Support 3-way SLI Configs

SANTA CLARA, CA—OCTOBER 21, 2008—NVIDIA Corporation today announced that the world’s preeminent motherboard manufacturers, ASUS, EVGA, MSI, Gigabyte, and DFI, have all licensed NVIDIA® SLI® technology for their new lineup of motherboards designed to work with Intel Bloomfield CPUs and X58 chipsets. The addition of SLI to these motherboards and adoption by major OEMs including Dell and others means consumers will be able to harness the power of award-winning GeForce® GPUs in single, SLI, or 3-way SLI configurations for the fastest visual computing experience on upcoming Intel Bloomfield platforms.

“Dell Gaming is known for industry-leading graphics and unparalleled performance,” said Patrick Cooper, Director of Product Planning for Dell Gaming. “With the marriage of NVIDIA SLI and the latest generation of Intel chipsets, we will continue to offer hardcore gamers the opportunity to push their Alienware systems beyond the limits of today’s hottest titles.”

New motherboards and PCs designed for SLI technology and Bloomfield processors are currently in final production and are being readied for time-to-market introduction based on Intel processor launch schedules. The motherboards and PC systems coming to market will feature a variety of graphics connectivity options, including more advanced bandwidth configurations using the NVIDIA nForce® 200 SLI processor, as well as those designed to run SLI technology natively through a licensing and certification program.

“ASUS is bringing many motherboards into production with support for NVIDIA SLI technology, and a motherboard worthy of mention is the new ASUS Rampage II Extreme which is based on Intel’s upcoming X58 chipset,” said Joe Hsieh, General Manager at ASUS Motherboard Business Unit. “This state-of-the-art motherboard is specifically designed to serve as the nucleus of the most demanding PC configurations available on the market today, and will be a boon to extreme overclockers and hardcore gamers. We are expecting gamers to take full advantage of the graphics capability that 3-way SLI provides to build a screaming-fast gaming machine. I’m sure our customers can hardly wait to start gaming!”

“EVGA is continuing its tradition of bringing true enthusiast platforms to the market following the success with NVIDIA nForce-based SLI motherboards supporting Intel CPUs,” said Joe Darwin, Director of Technical Marketing at EVGA. “By licensing NVIDIA SLI technology, the EVGA X58 motherboard will deliver the ultimate 2-way and 3-way SLI platform to, once again, meet the enthusiast’s demand.”

“We are excited to be offering a variety of different SLI-certified motherboards for our enthusiast customers,” said Jason Lee, Global DPS Marketing Manager of MSI. “Our new Eclipse product lineup, which includes the Eclipse SLI and Eclipse+ motherboards featuring exclusive DrMOS extension, three x16 PCI Express slots, and the nForce 200 processor will prove to be popular with those enthusiasts who want to run 3-way SLI with full bandwidth allocated for graphics performance.”

“When NVIDIA enabled SLI for the Bloomfield CPU, we knew we would have a hit. Our customers have been asking for this since we started talking about X58. The 3-way SLI performance delivered by 3 GeForce GTX 280s will be amazing on Bloomfield,” said Tony Liao, Director of Marketing at GIGABYTE.”

“Our new DFI LanParty UT X58-T3eH8 has many overclocker-friendly features, including server level PWM, Debug LED, and a switchable BIOS, making it a must-have platform for hardcore gamers,” said Max Chang, Sales Director at DFI. “When coupled with NVIDIA GeForce GPUs running in 3-way SLI operation, end users will enjoy the fastest gaming experience.”

X58-based motherboards certified for NVIDIA SLI technology are on display at the Intel Developer Forum being held on October 20, 2008 and October 21, 2008 in Taipei, Taiwan.

NAVTEQ supplies digital map data to Olympus TOUGH TG-810 compact digital camera

NAVTEQ is supplying NAVTEQ map and location data for the Olympus TOUGH TG-810 compact digital camera, currently available in Singapore at a recommended retail price of S$598 (inclusive of 8GB SD card).

The TG-810 features GPS functions and an electronic compass to record the location data of the shot. By simply activating the GPS functionality, the camera can display landmarks on the monitor and identify the country/region of the shot being taken. Integrated within the TG-810 are NAVTEQ maps and points of interest (POI) ranging from tourist destinations to ferry terminals. So users now have the ability to geographically organize their photos effortlessly, allowing them to easily determine the precise location of where the photo was taken and link it with the exact POI on the NAVTEQ map. This added capability allows NAVTEQ and Olympus to deliver an enhanced imaging experience to consumers.

Nike+ Fuelband wristband can track your movement and inspire you to be more active

Nike has announced the NIKE+ FuelBand wristband which is designed to track movement throughout the day, and motivate and inspire users to be more active. The NIKE+ FuelBand captures and displays in four different metrics: time, calories, steps and NikeFuel. NikeFuel is a new metric and proprietary technology that measures activity through the movement of your wrist. It aims to motivate athletes to do more with a NikeFuel score that makes movement fun. The more you move, the more NikeFuel you earn, whether youre playing basketball, or going for a run. The NIKE+ FuelBand also comes with a series of 20 LED lights from red to green which show your progress according to the goal you set and the level of NikeFuel you want to achieve. The data captured syncs with the Nike+ website through a built-in USB, or wirelessly through Bluetooth to a free iPhone app to record activity each day and track progress. The NIKE+ FuelBand will be available for preorder starting 19 January in the U.S. at Nikestore.com for a suggested retail price of US$149.

Source: Nike

More Cedar Trail Atom's on the way

Intel has only just gotten its Cedar Trail-M processors out of the door, but the company is already planning new, slightly faster models in the mobile space, as well as a new desktop part. Intel has kindly leaked all the details of the three upcoming models in a spec sheet that recently got updated and if you were considering getting a new netbook, it might very well be worth holding off a little bit if you can wait.

The three new models are the D2550, N2650 and N2850. The desktop focused D2550 is clocked at the same 1.86GHz as the D2500, but Intel bumped the GPU clock speed from 400 to 640MHz giving the D2550 the same GPU spec as the D2700. The increased GPU clock means that the D2550 will support Blu-ray playback, something the D2500 doesnt. The overall TDP hasnt increased for the D2550, although according to Intels spec sheet, the idle TDP is up, albeit a mere 0.02W.

As for the mobile parts, the N2650 has been given a fairly nominal speed bump of 100MHz, something that increased the TDP by 0.1W compared to the N2600. We should point out that the N26x0 parts only supports 2GB of memory and as such only a single DIMM, a move by Intel that we dont quite understand.

The N2850 got bumped 140MHz, again a very small performance increase and as with the N2650 the TDP increased by 0.1W, although in this case over the N2800. Interestingly Intel is listing the average power draw as 0.11W less than the N2800 despite the higher clock speed. Both of the new N models also supports DDR3L, something were not sure if the first two models do and the spec sheet isnt clear here as it mentions the refreshed SKU which we presume is the N2650 and N2850.

Source: Intel (PDF link), CPU World