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by Shawn Oliver
It was only a matter of time. We knew as early as CES 2010 that slate/tablet PCs were back on track for a second wind after dying out years ago, but it seems that an unlikely contender has boosted everyone else into overdrive. Apple's iPad is the first real tablet to launch this market into the next gear, and with companies like NVIDIA, Asus and Dell also looking to get involved, we figured that Sony would be close behind.
In a conference held in Tokyo, Sony's CEO Nobuyuki Oneda exclaimed that his company was eager to get in on this space, though he confessed that Sony was lagging behind the others in terms of time to market. In reality, we highly doubt that Sony was considering doing a tablet PC before all these other rivals began to do so, but either way, we'll take the competition. To quote Mr. Oneda:
"That is a market we are also very interested in. We are confident we have the skills to create a product. Time-wise we are a little behind the iPad but it's a space we would like to be an active player in."
Sony isn't a total stranger to this world. The company has competed in the e-reader market already, and in a way, the tablet space is just an extension of that. It also just introduced the Dash Internet Viewer (shown) at CES. The company's Sony Reader Daily Edition has reportedly sold well, and if they can mimic that kind of success in the tablet sector, we could be seeing the beginning of a real boom. Sony is a huge name; a name that's big enough to convince even the skeptics that tablets are back and in business. Of course, the software is the real unknown. Windows 7 supports touch, but nothing about it works exceptionally well with touch. Will Sony choose to modify Windows in order to make for a more touch-friendly experience? Only time will tell, and unfortunately Sony isn't saying when its first tablet/slate will be out (if one makes it to market at all).Sony isn't a total stranger to this world. The company has competed in the e-reader market already, and in a way, the tablet space is just an extension of that. It also just introduced the Dash Internet Viewer (shown) at CES. The company's Sony Reader Daily Edition has reportedly sold well, and if they can mimic that kind of success in the tablet sector, we could be seeing the beginning of a real boom. Sony is a huge name; a name that's big enough to convince even the skeptics that tablets are back and in business. Of course, the software is the real unknown. Windows 7 supports touch, but nothing about it works exceptionally well with touch. Will Sony choose to modify Windows in order to make for a more touch-friendly experience? Only time will tell, and unfortunately Sony isn't saying when its first tablet/slate will be out (if one makes it to market at all).).
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by Shawn Oliver
Here's one thing we can all agree on: SSDs are awesome, and far superior to HDDs in almost every scenario imaginable. Here's another we can agree on: SSDs are still priced far too high for most to give them a second glance. For years now, solid state storage has been breaking benchmarks left and right, but SSDs are still considered a niche product because of the prohibitive pricing surrounding them.
In order to bring SSD-like performance to your next computer without you having to actually pony up and pay for an SSD, Walton Chaintech has launched a unique new solution that combines the speed of CompactFlash storage with the form factor of an SSD. The SSD Converter works as such: you simply pop up to two CompactFlash (CF) cards into the device, which is in the shape of a 2.5" SSD, and then slap the entire thing into your next notebook. The device supports SATA II transfers and can be arranged in RAID 0/1 scenarios, both of which enable your notebook to take advantage of Flash storage without you having to buy an SSD.
This kind of device is great for those with spare CF cards that are just laying around, and considering that 128GB CF cards are now widely available, you could theoretically create a 256GB SSD for yourself using this device as the converter. Reportedly, this adapter will reach speeds of up to 55MB/sec (read), and if you want to keep it all in the family, the company has its own Apogee CF 606x card (16GB/32GB) that boasts write and read speeds of 91MB/sec and 93MB/sec. No pricing details have been published on either just yet.
The unbeatable choice for performance and scalability – Walton Chaintech launches its SSD Convertor and CF 606X high speed memory card
To cater to consumer demand for data transfer efficiency, renowned RAM and memory card manufacturer Walton Chaintech is officially launching its new CF card convertor – the Apogee SSD Convertor. Consumers may use the high speed, high capacity CF cards as SSD hard disks, using the Apogee SSD Convertor, to expand the capacity of hard disk while achieving blazingly fast data transfer speed of conventional SSD. The Apogee SSD Convertor offers both performance and upgrade versatility. When paired with Walton Chaintech’s latest CF 606X high speed memory card, users will achieve a perfect match in terms of product compatibility and performance and enjoy velvety-smooth storage and processing experience on their PCs.
The all-new Walton Chaintech Apogee SSD Convertor is built to a standard 2.5” hard disk form factor. It features the high speed SATA II transfer interface and can simultaneously support up to two CF cards on top of Raid 0 and Raid 1 disk array functions. Users can choose to combine the capacity of two CF cards or use them as mirror disks to achieve higher data security based on their own needs. The Apogee SSD Convertor is superior in function to the traditional SSD. The Apogee SSD Convertor is capable of reaching 55MB/sec in actual data read test, which is significantly faster than the 46MB/sec performance of current mainstream 5400-rpm hard disks in terms of transfer efficiency. By choosing high capacity CF cards, users will substantially increase storage capacity without having to replace the convertor, and this greatly boosts the product’s scalability.
In addition, in an effort to satisfy consumer needs for high resolution photography and video recording on DSLR cameras, Walton Chaintech has also revealed its latest high speed, high capacity memory card – the Apogee CF 606X. The memory card boasts write and read speeds of 91MB/sec and 93MB/sec. Available in 16GB and 32GB, the incredible capacity of the product will allow users to perform uninterrupted recording of high image video with DSLR cameras without missing any bits and pieces of the fascinating moments in life worth capturing. Using the Apogee CF 606X in conjunction with the Apogee SSD Convertor will enable users to expand the memory card’s functions to general storage applications while achieving ultra high speed transfer performance that surpasses conventional hard disks. The golden combination of Walton Chaintech’s Apogee SSD Convertor and its CF 606X memory card offers incredible performance and scalability and it is a product package you should not miss.
About Walton Chaintech
Walton Chaintech Corporation, the world famous graphics cards manufacturer, has always been considering to provide more and better services through high technology. In the year of 2006, Walton Chaintech is proud to present the APOGEE® memory module series. Walton Chaintech is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan and has sales offices throughout China, Japan and the Americas. For more information, please visit www.chaintech.com.tw
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by Amy Vernon
Michael Jackson fans in Europe who find their online film collections are taking up a bit too much space on their hard drives are in luck.
Samsung Electronics Co. announced today that the new Samsung S2 Portable, a transportable external hard drive, will come pre-loaded with Jackson's swan song, the movie "Michael Jackson's This Is It."
The King of Pop isn't the only extra the S2 will have. It has an increased capacity of 500 GB of storage and its data recording technology has been improved, Samsung officials say. The pre-loaded movie is to show how the drive is just perfect for people who are building digital movie collections. The drive will be available Feb. 22 in Europe. Other locations will be announced later.
Of course, the hard drive isn't only for your movie collections. It has Samsung Auto Backup, which can be scheduled or done while you wait, and a "SecretZone" that encrypts and stores data on a virtual drive. There's also "SafetyKey," which offers password protection.
"We are excited to present this movie starring Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer of all time, pre-loaded on the Samsung S2 Portable," said H.S. Lee, Samsung Electronics' vice president for storage marketing.
The drive's release is timed to coincide with the DVD and Blu-Ray release of Jackson's film.
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by Shawn Oliver
Microsoft's hardware division has really been on a roll lately, and the SideWinder X4 proves that the rolling won't be stopping anytime soon. Designed with hardcore gamers in mind (and probably in response to some of those other boards being released by Logitech and Razer), this unit's stand-out feature is the anti-ghosting technology that's built in. Developed by the Applied Sciences Group, this new technology ensures gamers’ most complex key combinations will be recognized by the computer to keep the game in action.
You'll also get macro recording, mode and profile switching, and adjustable backlighting, not to mention a rather sleek looking design. If you're curious how this will also help your performance, take a listen at this: the anti-ghosting tech allows gamers to press up to 26 keys at once; because each key is scanned independently by the keyboard hardware, each key press is correctly detected regardless of how many other keys are being pressed at the same time. Basically, this helps you to execute combos with an incredible amount of precision.
It'll be available next month for $59.95, and Amazon should list it for pre-order later this week.
The Applied Sciences Group, an interdisciplinary research and development team that works across the Microsoft Entertainment & Devices Division doing applied research for Microsoft Hardware, Microsoft Surface and Xbox 360, developed the anti-ghosting technology with gamers in mind. The advanced technology takes anti-ghosting to the next level by allowing gamers to press up to 26 keys at once. Because each key is scanned independently by the keyboard hardware, each key press is correctly detected regardless of how many other keys are being pressed at the same time. The SideWinder X4 Keyboard excels where other keyboards fail, letting users execute key combinations and taking full advantage of their skill and speed.
“We’re always looking for new and novel ways to enhance people’s interactions with their PCs,” said Steven Bathiche, research manager of the Applied Sciences Group at Microsoft. “We know that ghosting can be a problem for gamers, so we wanted to develop a way to eliminate this issue and improve the overall gaming experience, and we’ve succeeded with the new anti-ghosting technology in the SideWinder X4 Keyboard.”
Precise Gaming Keyboard With Advanced Features
The SideWinder X4 Keyboard also offers more of the features gamers need to stay at the top of their game. Macro recording lets them string together multiple moves into one press of a button, and the new automatic macro repetition feature lets them repeat the macro over and over as needed with one key. Mode and profile switching also provides easy ways to customize the keyboard for different games and users while adjustable backlighting lets gamers select the lighting level that meets their needs.
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by Shawn Oliver
The 2TB desktop hard drive sector just got another player. Samsung has introduced its newest performance drive today, taking it 500GB further than the 1.5TB F2EG that was announced in March. This new 2TB drive (F3EG) still maintains the EcoGreen label, with this model being capable of storing up to 880 hours of DVD video or 500,000 or more songs in MP3 format.
The EcoGreen label involves the use of the EcoTriangle: eco-friendly components, low-power and low-noise operation technology. At the end of the day, though, we're just glad to see another 2TB option on the market, with this one available in the US and EU soon starting at $179.99 (for the also-available 1.5TB edition).
Samsung Announces Massive 2TB Eco-friendly Drives for High-performance Desktop Systems
SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology today announced the F3EG, its new high-performance environmentally-friendly HDD (hard disk drive) for the desktop market. The EcoGreen™ F3EG, a higher capacity model from its predecessor the F2EG, features 2TB capacity with 500GB per disk that is capable of storing up to 880 hours of DVD video or 500,000 or more songs in MP3 format. With increased recording density, the EcoGreen F3 drive is more power efficient by supporting a capacity up to 2TB with four disks.
“Storage-hungry multimedia professionals, gamers and home PC users continue to increase the amount of video, music, photo and other personal data they store and back-up”
“Storage-hungry multimedia professionals, gamers and home PC users continue to increase the amount of video, music, photo and other personal data they store and back-up,” said In Cheol Park, vice president, Storage Sales, Samsung Electronics. “The F3EG delivers all the benefits of a low-power drive yet features high performance and is environmentally friendly.”
The F3EG utilizes Samsung’s EcoTriangleTM technology to provide eco-friendly components, low-power and low-noise operation technology to its ‘EcoGreen’ hard drives.
Eliminating halogen compound and brominated flame retardant from the PCBA, the new model is produced with eco-friendly materials and meets all the environmental regulations including RoHS (Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) which is being applied worldwide as well as the European Union.
Samsung’s new hard drive utilizes its low noise operation technology SilentSeek™ and NoiseGuard™ to achieve a quiet operation system.
In addition, with its advanced design and fewer components, the F3EG drive is 40 percent lower in power consumption in idle mode and 10 percent lower in reading/writing mode than competitive drives. The drive received a zero percent failure rate in the unstable voltage environment test.
The EcoGreen™ Series has been selected as the best-in-class in the area of power consumption for two straight years by IDEMA Japan (International Disk Drive Equipment and Materials Association) in the performance comparison test of HDDs.
The F3EG incorporates a 3.0Gbps SATA interface, Native Command Queuing features and a 16MB/32MB buffer memory. The 3.5” F3EG drive is available in 1.5TB and 2TB capacities in the United States and EU markets with a MSRP of $179.99.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US $96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of seven independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com. .
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