Thermalright's Ultra-120, HR-05, HR-01 CPU Coolers
We're just back from Cebit with some interesting cooling news from Thermalright. Bacata had two tower heatsinks on display with more tightly packed fins and support for 120mm and 92mm fans.
The Ultra-120 has 4 heat pipes and a large area stacked with small fins. The Ultra-90 has 3 heat pipes and is relatively small.
Both use a clip-on system similar for the HR-01 and they are light weight. Unlike the HR-01 however they come with clips so you can install a fan onto them. While the HR-01 was Thermalright's first tower cooler, it didn't support a fan mount, the "Ultra-90" and "Ultra-120" are designed for use with a fan and it will be interesting to see how they will perform.
Their third new product was recently announced to the press, a small chipset heatsink using heat pipe technology with a design similar to the HR-01 CPU cooler.
It can be seen here next to the large "Ultra-120". In our last picture you can see the different coolers and compare them size wise. Ultra-120 -- HR-05 -- HR-01. We have not heard an exact launch date of the new CPU coolers.
VIA Launches Powerful EPIA EN-Series Mini-ITX Motherboard with Onboard C7 Processor
VIA steps up its efforts in the ultra-compact sector
VIA steps up its efforts in the ultra-compact sector
VIA has announced its new EPIA EN-Series Mini-ITX motherboard which features a built-in 1.5GHz VIA C7 or 1.2GHz VIA Eden processor. Both processors are built on 90 nanometer technology and do not require fans. Both also feature average power consumption of less than 1 watt.
As for the VIA EPIA EN motherboard, it features a VIA CN700 IGP chipset which supports full hardware HDTV encoding up to 1080i, 720p output, hardware MPEG-2 acceleration, VIA Vinyl Audio, support for up to 1GB of DDR2 400/533MHz memory, SATA II RAID, an LVDS connector and Gigabit LAN.
“The VIA EPIA EN mainboard presents a tremendous opportunity for our customers to take a powerful yet highly efficient all-in-one platform and create their next generation systems quickly and easily,†said Jerry Yeh, Associate Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. “Easy-to-use small form factors are driving the proliferation and diversity of the x86 platform into new and exciting markets, and our VIA EPIA mainboards continue to be an integral part of this evolution.â€
LG's New USB Stick Pulls Double Duty
LG's new UBNM 1GS01 serves as a USB thumb drive and a cell phone charger
LG's new UBNM 1GS01 serves as a USB thumb drive and a cell phone charger
LG has announced the new UBNM 1GS01 1GB thumb drive which not only serves your storage needs but can also charge a Sony Ericson or Nokia mobile phone. It can also backup data and syncronize information with your mobile phone.
Pricing and availability is not yet available for UBNM 1GS01, nor is there word on compatibility with LG handsets.
MSI's Turion 64 X2 Notebook Spotted
Digit-Life catches a glimpse of the new S271
Last week we told you of Turion 64 X2 engineering samples running on prototype ATI CrossFire and NVIDIA SLI notebook motherboards. Digit-Life was able to get one step further by snagging a photo of MSI's upcoming Turion 64 X2 based notebook at this year's CeBIT show.
The S271 will feature support for DDR2 memory, 12.1" WXGA display, GbE, Bluetooth and 802.11g wireless connectivity.
MSI is also going to produce Turion X2 barebones on the yet undisclosed chipset (bound to be made by NVIDIA.) Such barebones as MEGA mpc51PV will features integrated graphics, 7.1-channel sound, optional Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), multi-format card reader.
They demonstrated the MS-7228 K8NGM-V affordable notebook motherboard:
- NVIDIA GeForce 6100 + nForce 410 MCP
- Supports Socket754 AMD Sempron, Turion
- 2 x PCI, 1 x PCI Express x16, 1 x PCI Express x1
- 800MHz FSB
- 2 x DDR SDRAM sockets for up to 2GB
- 2 x Serial ATA-II channels for 2 devices
- 2 x ATA-133 channels for 4 devices
- Integrated graphics, Shader Model 3.0, 300MHz RAMDAC, up to 1920x1440 at 75Hz, shares up to 128MB of RAM
- RAID (RAID 0, 1)
- Realtek RTL8201CL 10/100Mbps
- 6-channel Realtek ALC655 AC'97 codec
- PS/2 keyboard and mouse, LPT, VGA, 4 x USB 2.0, RJ-45 LAN, audio interfaces (line-out, line-in, mic-in)
- microATX, 244x195mm size
High-Def Without the High Price?
Company plans to launch a cheap optical disc for high-definition video storage
The buzz about high-definition movies on optical discs might be all about HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc, but two companies are demonstrating at the CeBIT trade show a system that delivers HD movies on DVD-like discs for use in cheap players.Company plans to launch a cheap optical disc for high-definition video storage
The system is called Versatile Multilayer Disc (VMD) and it uses the same red-laser technology that is used on current DVDs. In contrast both HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc use blue lasers. The color of the laser is important because it determines the size of the laser dot on the disc's recording layer and that determines the amount of space required to store data. Blue is a shorter wavelength than red so the dot is smaller, data can be stored in a smaller space and so more data can be stored on a disc.
NME is adding more layers to the disc to increase capacity while keeping the same basic technology as DVD. At present it has pushed the technology to 10 layers, or 50GB, in the labs, he said.
On Display
At CeBIT the company was demonstrating VMD discs playing high-definition content on a prototype player and said it plans to launch the format in the third quarter of this year.
He said NME will promote VMD first in China and India and then look to Eastern Europe, Russia, and South America. "It's enough for a small company like us. Those markets are a good chunk of business."
In India the deal is with Eros Group, which has a catalog of around 2600 Bollywood movies. There are planned to be 50 movies available on VMD by the end of 2006.
A New Look for Laptops
Dutch company unveils a notebook designed for the fashion conscious
Dutch company unveils a notebook designed for the fashion conscious
Ego Lifestyle thinks notebook computer design is boring.
Ego Lifestyle set about trying to come up with a new design for a notebook PC and ended up with a machine reminiscent of Apple Computer's clamshell iBook circa 1999, with large rounded edges and a carrying handle built into the area around the computer's hinge. Ego's machine, though, has interchangeable skins so its look can be switched with minimal effort between at least nine different designs already offered.
This design brought with it some problems. The circuit boards used in notebook PCs are square and won't fit easily into the new machine, so Ego Lifestyle designed its own board to make the most of the space available. Fitting four speakers and a subwoofer into the machine for a rich sound meant putting them behind the screen.
Ego has also added a line of 15 dedicated keys along the top of the keyboard to activate certain functions. Included here is a back-up function that stores user data to a dedicated portion of the hard drive so that it's always available should the system need to be re-installed. There's also an e-mail hotkey that provides quick access to Outlook data through an embedded Linux system so Windows doesn't have to be started up.
The computer went on sale last week as the CeBIT show began, said De Punder. The company plans to sell it in top-end PC retailers and places more usually associated with fashion, such as department stores and airport boutiques, he said.
A World of Uses for USB Drives
A memory stick that doubles as a VoIP phone is just one of the devices on display
A USB memory stick that doubles as a portable VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) phone and a 16GB personal storage device the size of a credit card are just two of the devices at CeBIT that combine flash memory and USB in interesting ways.A memory stick that doubles as a VoIP phone is just one of the devices on display
The memory stick can be loaded with Skype Technologies' voice-calling software and comes with an attachable headset, allowing a user who is on vacation or working on the road, for example, to plug it into virtually any Internet-connected PC and use it to make their VoIP phone calls.
Also equipped with an MP3 player and video player functions, it comes in three storage capacities: 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB, according to developer A-Data Technology of Taiwan. Users can load their phone books and other information on the device, and use it anywhere they can plug it in, said Jess Huang, from A-Data's marketing division.
The device is expected to be out in Asia by about April, Huang said. Pricing was not yet available.
Also on Display
It's just one example of the interesting uses companies are finding for USB memory sticks. A wave of devices are coming out that carry people's entire e-mail system, television settings, or Internet bookmarks and passwords, so that a user can plug into any computer and use it almost as if it were their own.
Another example is the SmarThumb software from Malaysia's Intranet Sendirian Berhad. The program includes e-mail, addresses, bookmarked Web sites, and other personal data and runs from a USB memory stick or MMC (multimedia card) flash memory card. The e-mail box works with Gmail and Yahoo and will soon work with Lotus Notes, according to Daniel Teh, product development manager for the company. The company is selling the software directly to USB makers, he said.
Users looking for massive storage capacities in a device that fits in their pocket could look at the 16GB disk developed by Power Quotient International (PQI) of Taipei. The device is shaped like a thick credit card and fits easily into an average wallet. A USB plug pulls out of the back for use with any USB-ready computer.
Flash storage is also increasing for camera buffs. A few companies here showed off 8GB compact flash cards, including Goldenmars Technology and Silicon Power Computer & Communications.
Another type of device doing the rounds at CeBIT is a USB drive with a single slot that reads multiple memory-card types, so users with digital cameras or other devices that use MMC, SD (secure digital), and other cards can carry one USB card reader around.
Candy Technology had several key-chain USB drives that are already shipping, including one that reads Trans Flash cards, SD cards, mini SD cards, MMCs, and RS-MMCs (reduced size MMC cards).
No Mobile VoIP Without High-speed Uplink
Don't look for Internet telephony on your cell before 2007
Don't look for Internet telephony on your cell before 2007
Internet telephony over mobile phones is on the way but don't expect many commercial offerings until operators have made a key network technology enhancement, according to a senior executive with Lucent Technologies.
The problem with providing VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) service over mobile handsets today is the uplink, which is too slow to support quality voice calls, according to Lucent Chief Marketing Officer John Giere.
To increase uplink speeds, operators of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) networks, which dominate Europe and many parts of Asia and Latin America, will need to upgrade their networks with HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) technology, he said.
"HSUPA will give operators the bidirectional capability they need to run real VoIP," Giere said in an interview at the CeBIT technology show.
Not Until 2007
However, the Lucent executive doesn't expect the high-speed technology, which is currently being standardized, to become commercially available until the latter part of 2007 or early 2008. Operators are presently busy rolling out the downlink counterpart HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access).
How that timing fits into VoIP-over-mobile plans of Skype Technologies and the Hutchison 3 Group (Hutchison 3G) is unclear.
Mobile VoIP Worth Considering?
Until now, mobile operators have largely dodged the great VoIP debate, trying to squeeze every possible cent of their largely amortized circuit-switched networks before investing in yet another new technology.
But should they be interested in VoIP? "Absolutely," said Giere. "Efficiency is one reason; operators can significantly increase their bandwidth utilization with VoIP. Applications are another; an IP environment is all about creating a rich set of applications."
Another reason, especially for those operators that are net payers of international roaming services, is the ability to use VoIP to undercut high intra-carrier network usage fees.
USRobotics shows off USB analog phone adapter
USRobotics has introduced a USB phone adapter that looks to breathe new life into older analog phones that may be lying around your house. The USR9620 adapter lets consumers use their analog phones for Skype calls by connecting the phones via the computer's USB port.
The USR9620 is a small box that connects to the USB port. Both corded and cordless analog phones connect to the adapter via the RJ-11 connector. Skype users with the Skype Out service can then dial out using the phone's number pad. Phones that can display caller ID will show Skype names, in addition to any phone numbers on incoming calls.
No pricing or availability has been set for the USR9620 adapter. The product is currently being demoed at the German CeBit trade show.
VoodooPC launches quad-SLI computer
If you are no longer content with using just two high-performance graphics cards in your computer, then performance PC maker Voodoo PC now offers an opportunity to sink your savings in. The new "Omen" PC can be equipped with virtually any high-performance PC component money can buy today.
The device comes either with a single-core Athlon 64 FX-57 or a dual-core Athlon 64 FX-60 CPU (or regular Athlon 64 X2 processors), a liquid cooling system, up to 4 GB of memory, a maximum of 2 TB of hard disk space and optional premium audio enhancements. Prepare to pay about $7500 for an entry-level quad-SLI system and more than $10,500, if you go for the high-end version. A monitor is not included in the price.
Hard-core gamers have used regular SLI for more than a year. By combining the power from two separate graphics cards, frame-rates can be boosted by as much as 70%. Quad SLI takes that one step further by using two Nvidia GeForce 7900 GTX cards with two graphics processors each. Voodoo says that this will let gamers run at 2560x1600 resolutions with 32x antialiasing.
Several other vendors have also announced quad SLI systems recently, most notably Dell and Alienware.
NEC and Benq show "smart LCDs"
It's obvious at this year's CeBit tradeshow that display manufacturers restrain themselves from chasing ever faster refresh rates. And even those speedy displays are not always what users necessarily are looking for, as all LCDs with refresh rates of less than 8 ms typically show ugly video noise with loads of speckles on smoke and shadows in videos. So, what is beneficial to games may not be great in other applications
NEC now came up with a technology that could solve this problem. Several models on the show floor integrated an "overdrive" feature that enables users to adjust the refresh rate. For example the 1990Sxi allows users to decrease latency to as low as 9ms with overdrive, while deactivated overdrive enables smooth video rendering.
Another interesting technology that could improve image quality was demonstrated by Benq: The company's FP241W uses a feature called BFI (Black Frame Insertion) to double the frame rate of LCDs. The FP241 runs at 120 frames per second, which is achieved by inserting a "virtual" black frame between two real frames. Enabled by backlighting cells that can be synchronized with the screen refresh rate, the technology "cleans" the pixel fade-out during pixel color transition. It's impossible judge such displays and their benefit during a trade show, but the solution seems promising at first glance.
Xbox 360 features Anti-Privacy 2.0?
I happened to wander by Samsung this morning, mainly to take a peek at their HDTVs, since I'm on the lookout for something to pair with ye olde Xbox 360, and the actual DVD drive assembly for the 360 was on their stand. With SiS making a big deal out of their southbridge deal in the 360 down at their stand, it's no surprise to see Samsung doing the same with their contribution.
What puzzles me, though, is the adoption of "Anti-Privacy 2.0". Now, I'm hoping they mean Anti-Piracy 2.0 instead, which is fair enough, but if the Xbox 360 is capable of advanced levels of privacy invasion, I might get rid of mine. I can't have it watching me in the shower, or telling my girlfriend the last DVD played was something from Vivid.
Corsair introduces water cooling
DDR 2 1066 MHz memory
CORSAIR made an external water cooling kit. It looks nice and it does the job right. The company wants to continue supplying those kits to its end users.
The firm calls the kit the Nautilus 500 and you connect the external kit from the rear side of your computer. We hope it is quiet, as we could not actually gauge the level when saw the unit at CeBIT, what with the racket the show made going on. Probably Corsair wants to find a Nemo for its Nautilus.
Apart from that, Corsair is also going memory crazy as it just introduced DDR 2 1066 MHz with rather aggressive timings. This memory will work with the current Intel DDR 2 CPUs and chipsets and it will certainly work with the soon-to-come DDR 2 socket AM 2 CPUs.
Corsair also showcased its Twinix 2048 MB modules 4400 PRO for those that want very aggressive DDR one timings. All together they are ecstatic about Microsoft Vista as you need 2GB memory to play games.
Xmultiple's Flashpoint MP3 SharePlayer Does it all
Xmultiple's new MP3 player can transfer data between computers and other MP3 players on the go
Xmultiple Technologies has introduced an MP3 player that breaks the mold in an already crowded market. The Flashpoint MP3 SharePlayer features both a male and female USB connector so that users can not only download and transfer files from a desktop or notebook computer, but also from one MP3 player (or thumb drive) to another.
The 75 gram Flashpoint MP3 Shareplayer is available in white, black and grey in 512MB, 1GB, 2GB and 4GB capacities. Some of the other nifty features of the player include:
- Player to MP3 Player direct connections while your are mobile
- Download photo’s from digital camera’s and cell phone’s enabled with USB connectors
- Copy away from computers with a push of a button
- Combo MP3 Player, MP3 SharePlayer and Flash Drive device
- Small thumb-size
- Works as a plug-and-play removable portable mass storage class drive that stores all sorts of data files
- Easy drag-and-drop of files between PC and player.
- Self-Powered. Re-Charges off a standard USB port.