Corsair Claims The World's Fastest DDR3

Corsair's Dominator GTX1 DDR3 memory module (CMGTX1) has passed Intel's XMP-Ready certification at the speed of 2333MHz.

Corsair Dominator GTX modules are individually hand-screened and tested and are designed specifically for enthusiasts and overclockers.

Intel's engineers awarded the XMP-Ready certification to 2 x 2GB Corsair CMGTX1 modules running at the incredible frequency of 2333MHz using low timings of 9-11-9-27 at a voltage of just 1.65V. The test platform was a Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P motherboard. The successful XMP certification is a testament to the performance capabilities as well as the stability of both the memory and the target platform.

Corsair Dominator GTX1 modules are individually screened and tested on multiple Intel P55 chipset platforms. In addition to the XMP-Ready certification at a frequency of 2333MHz, they are guaranteed by Corsair to operate at up to 2400MHz at timings of 9-11-9-27 at 1.65V.

Corsair Dominator GTX modules are available exclusively from Corsair's Online Store. They utilize Corsair's patented DHX+ heatsink and are supplied with extra-tall cooling fins to maximize heat dissipation. They are sold as a single module, allowing enthusiasts to simply buy the number of modules they require.

Kingston Launches New Secure USB Flash Drive

Kingston Digital, the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology today released the DataTraveler 5000 USB Flash drive.

The DataTraveler 5000 utilizes patented Secured by SPYRUS technology which supports hardware-based 256-bit XTS-AES and Suite B cryptography, including ECC. Suite B algorithms were specifically selected and approved by the U.S. government. XTS-AES mode is a cipher mode for encryption that is much stronger than CBC, ECB and other modes.

FIPS 140-2 certification requires a validation process that meets federal requirements set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This is critical because many governmental agencies in the United States mandate that sensitive "data at rest" (i.e., all information not in the network) must be encrypted with the FIPS 140-2 standard. Level 2 means the DataTraveler 5000 has a tamper-evident construction which acts to notify any users if their drive has been tampered with. It also has a power-on self test that verifies the encryption mechanism is running properly each time the drive is plugged into a USB port. The drive is expected to receive a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certificate soon.

The DataTraveler 5000 is available in 2-, 4-, 8- and 16GB capacities. It will also be available with an onboard Malware scanning application via Kingston's extensive customization program.

DT5000/2GB DataTraveler 5000 2GB $ 111.00
DT5000/4GB DataTraveler 5000 4GB $ 185.00
DT5000/8GB DataTraveler 5000 8GB $ 231.00
DT5000/16GB DataTraveler 5000 16GB $ 400.00

ATI Catalyst 10.1 Driver Now Available

Another new ATI Catalyst driver update is now available

Here are the highlights of what is new in ATI Catalyst 10.1 this month:

* Support for Ubuntu 9.10 OS

Performance Improvements
* Left 4 Dead 2 ? Overall performance improves as much as 3% on ATI Radeon HD 5700 series products and ATI Radeon HD 5800 series products
* Crysis ? Performance improves as much as 3% on ATI Radeon HD 5700 series products and as much as 4% on ATI Radeon HD 5800 series products

For more information on ATI Catalyst 10.1 (for Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Linux versions), including all of the resolved issues in this release, please see the ATI Catalyst 10.1 release notes.

To download, visit
http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx

Google Search Is Getting More Social

Google's Social Search is available to everyone in beta on google.com.

With Social Search, when users search for something on Google, they not only get the usual websites with expert opinions, but they now also find relevant pages from their friends and contacts too.

"For example, if one of my friends has written a blog where he talks about a great baby shop he found in Mountain View, this might appear in my social results. I could probably find other reviews, but my friend's blog is more relevant because I know and trust the author, "said Maureen Heymans, Technical Lead for Social Search at Google.

Google has also added some new features to the search. For example, they've added social to Google Images. Now when you're doing a search on Images, you may start seeing pictures from people in your social circle. These are pictures that your friends and other contacts have published publicly to the web on photo-sharing sites like Picasa Web Albums and Flickr. Just like the other social results, social image results appear under a special heading called "Results from your social circle." Here's what it looks like:
Looking at the screenshot, you may notice two new links for "My social circle" and "My social content." These links will take you to a new interface we've added where you can see the connections and content behind your social results. Clicking on "My social circle" shows your extended network of online contacts and how you're connected.

Clicking on "My social content" lists your public pages that might appear in other people's social results. This new interface should give you a peek under the hood of how Social Search builds your social circle and connects you with web content from your friends and extended network. You can check out your social circle directly by visiting this link. (Note that it may take some time for the connections and content to update.)

The new features are rolling out now on google.com in English for all signed-in users.

Firefox for Maemo RC3 Now Available

Today, Mozilla released the third Firefox for Maemo Release Candidate.

Since RC2, Mozilla said that it had fixed several usability bugs that were found, as well as addressed a number of performance
issues.

"To improve page load times and responsiveness, we tuned a number of preferences and improved several algorithms. We?ve sped up zooming and made our panning even better," Mozilla said.

If you've already got RC2 installed on your N900 or N810, you will be receiving a software update shortly. Otherwise, you can install it from here.
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/m/

Mozilla decided to disable plugin (not to be confused with add-ons, which are supported) support for this release. The Adobe Flash plugin used on many sites degraded the performance of the browser to the point where it didn't meet Mozilla's standards. If you wish to enable our experimental plugin support, you will be able to manually via about: config, but do so at your own risk. Mozilla said that they were working on an add-on that would allow the user to have control of which sites to enable plugins for, as some sites, like YouTube, do work quite well.

Apple officially announce the iPad Tablet Device

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs took the wraps off the "iPad" tablet on Wednesday. The wireless device plays video, games and other media.

The "iPad" is powered by an 1Ghz Apple A4 chip developed by the P.A. Semi team, and will be available in versions with 16GB~64GB flash memory storage on-board. It has a 9.7-inch touchscreen IPS LCD display with awide 178 degree viewing angle, touch keyboard and supports Web browsing. It is half-inch thick, weighs 1.5 pounds comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology. It also comes with a built-in calendar and address book.

Jobs said the iPad will also be better for reading books, playing games and watching video than either a laptop or a smart phone.

"iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price," said Steve Jobs. "iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before."

Connectivity options inlcude just a 30-pin Dock connector, a microphone, a speaker, Bluetooth, and 802.11n WiFi. It also an accelerometer and a compass. The device can also run existing iPhone apps as well as new apps tailored for the iPad's screen size, developed using the updated iPhone SDK 3.2 beta, which is also now available.

With an interface that very reminiscent of the iPhone, the device comes with new versions of iPhoto, iTunes and a Map app auto-locate installed.

Other features:

- The Multi-Touch screen on iPad lets users see web pages one whole page at a time.
- iPad will work with all the popular email providers, including MobileMe, Yahoo! Mail, Gmail, Hotmail, and AOL.
- iPad is also a new way to enjoy and share photos. For example, the new Photos app displays the photos in an album as though they were in a stack. Just tap or pinch to open the stack, and the whole album opens up. Then users can flip through their pictures, zoom in or out, or watch a slideshow. The iPad can also be used as a digital photo frame while it iPad is docked or charging. And there are lots of ways to import photos: users can sync them from their computer, download
them from an email, or import them directly from their camera using the Apple Camera Connection Kit.

- The iBooks app allows users to buy everything from classics to bestsellers from the built-in iBookstore. Once someone has bought a book, it's displayed on his/her Bookshelf.

- The Home Screen gives users one-tap access to everything on iPad. It can be customized by adding favorite apps and websites, or using photos for the background.
- Spotlight Search allows users to search across iPad, and all of its built-in apps.

iPad comes in two versions - one with Wi-Fi and the other with both Wi-Fi and 3G. iPad includes the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi, and the 3G versions support speeds up
to 7.2 Mbps on HSDPA networks. Apple and AT&T announced 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad with on-device activation and management.

Prices start from $499. Wi-Fi models shipping are expected to ship in late March and 3G models will ship in April.


Apple also introduced a new version of iWork for iPad, the first desktop-class productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch. With Pages, Keynote and Numbers users can create beautifully formatted documents, presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store for $9.99 each.


Technical Specifications

Size and weight

Height: 9.56 inches (242.8 mm)
Width: 7.47 inches (189.7 mm)
Depth: 0.5 inch (13.4 mm)

Weight:
1.5 pounds (.68 kg) Wi-Fi model;
1.6 pounds (.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model

Display

* 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
* 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
* Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
* Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Capacity

* 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive

Battery and Power

* Built-in 25Whr rechargeable lithium-polymer battery
* Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music
* Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system

Processor

* 1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip

Sensors

* Accelerometer
* Ambient light sensor

Input and Output

* Dock connector
* 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack
* Built-in speakers
* Microphone
* SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)

Wireless and Cellular

Wi-Fi model
* Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)
* Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

Wi-Fi + 3G model
* UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
* GSM/EDGE (850, 900,1800, 1900 MHz)
* Data only2
* Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)
* Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

Location

* Wi-Fi
* Digital compass
* Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)
* Cellular (Wi-Fi + 3G model)

Audio Playback

* Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
* Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
* User-configurable maximum volume limit

TV and Video

* Support for 1024 x 768 with Dock Connector to VGA adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Composite A/V Cable, 576i and 480i with Apple Composite A/V Cable
* H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

Mail attachment support

* Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)

Mail attachment support

* Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)

Languages

* Language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian
* Keyboard support for English (US) English (UK), French (France, Canada), German, Japanese (QWERTY), Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting and Pinyin), Russian
* Dictionary support for English (US), English (UK), French, French (Canadian), French (Swiss), German, Japanese, Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian, Simplified Chinese (Handwriting, Pinyin), Russian

Accessibility

* Support for playback of closed-captioned content
* VoiceOver screen reader
* Full-screen zoom magnification
* White on black
* Mono audio

Kingston Adds TRIM Support, Boosts Capacity in Faster SSDNow V+ Solid-State Drive

Kingston Digital, the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology, released the second-generation SSDNow V+ solid-state drive.

The SSDNow V+ solid-state drive has Windows 7 TRIM support, is available up to 512GB and provides faster performance than the previous generation.

"The new SSDNow V+ is an ideal solid-state drive for high-level consumers and in corporate environments where efficiency and performance are important as more system resources are in use," said Ariel Perez, SSD business manager, Kingston. "Users will be more productive as the drive now features TRIM support, is available in higher capacities and is speedier overall with improved read/write speeds."

The addition of TRIM support helps keep the SSDNow V+ maintain optimal write speed throughout its lifespan. Using PCMark Vantage 1.0.1 for Windows 7, the 512GB SSDNow V+ drive received a score of 28,264, whereas a 7200RPM hard-disk drive reached 3,29.
PCMark Vantage 1.0.1 for Windows 7 runs a series of tests such as operating system startup, importing photos, adding music to Windows Media Center and application loading. The score is an indicator of how many bytes are moved per second.

The SSDNow V+ is is available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities. The drive is also available with a bundle that includes cloning software, 2.5" USB enclosure, 2.5" to 3.5" mounting brackets and SATA data and power cables.

The Kingston SSDNow V+ solid-state drive is backed by a three-year warranty.

Features and Specifications:

* Sequential Speed: 230MB/sec. read; 180MB/sec. write
* 2.5" form factor; uses MLC NAND Flash memory components
* Shock Resistant: no moving mechanical parts means the SSD handles rougher conditions
* Supports S.M.A.R.T.: Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology
* Three-year Kingston warranty, 24/7 tech support
* Interface: SATA 1.5Gb/sec. and 3.0Gb/sec.
* Capacity: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
* Storage temperatures: -40 C to 85 C
* Operating temperatures: 0 C to 70 C
* Dimensions: 69.85mm x 100mm x 9.5mm
* Weight: 84 grams
* Vibration operating: 2.17G
* Vibration non-operating: 20G
* Operating Shock: 1500G
* Power specs: 2.6W active; 0.15W idle
* Life expectancy: 1,000,000 hours MTBF

Google Chrome 4.0 Browser Features New Extensions, Bookmark Sync and More

Google has introduced a new stable release of Google Chrome for Windows, which includes two of the browser's most frequently requested features: extensions and bookmark sync.

Extensions let users add new features and functions to their browser. Some provide one-click access to some of users' favorite web applications like eBay and digg, or news and information sources such as NPR and Time.com. Others are useful tweaks for performing common online tasks such as browsing photos, getting directions or shopping.

Google previously launched extensions on the beta channel, and many new extensions have since been contributed by developers from all over the world. Now users can browse over 1,500 in Google's extensions gallery and install them on the stable version of Google Chrome.

Bookmark sync is a handy feature for those who use several computers ? say, a laptop at work and a desktop at home. Users can enable bookmark sync to synchronize your bookmarks on all of their computers so that when theyr create a bookmark on one computer, it's automatically added across all their computers.

For web developers and designers, Google integrate a number of new HTML5 APIs in this stable release, including LocalStorage, Database API, WebSockets, and more.

Lastly but certainly not the least, Google claims that it has improved performance (as measured by Mozilla's Dromaeo DOM Core Tests) by 42% over our last stable release and 400% since the first stable release last year.

New version of Google Chrome can be download here
http://www.google.com/chrome?brand=CHMP

Google Adds More New Features to Search Results.

Google has released new search features this week as the company is trying to make searching quicker and easier for everyone.


Here are a few of the feature releases for this week:


Hours and menu information in universal search
Want to know when your favorite museum is open? Interested in ordering in and need to quickly check the menu for that restaurant around the corner?
This week Google launched hours and menu information in local results for universal Google search. Users can add the words "hours" or "menu" to their search to get back the information they want.

Rich Snippets for events
Rich Snippets show brief annotations that webmasters make to summarize what's on the page so users can see it at a glance on their search results page.
So far Google had launched snippets for two formats: reviews and people.Today, Google unveiled a new Rich Snippets format for events.
The new format lists the events as search result snippets, along with dates, locations and links directly to pages about those specific events.

Answer highlighting
Earlier today, Google also released the answer highlighting feature, which helps users get to information more quickly by delivering the likely answer to their question in boldface type right in search results. If the pages returned for these searches contain a simple answer to a factual-based search, the snippet will more often include the relevant text in boldface for easy reference.

ATI Radeon E4690 MXM Delivers Fast Graphics for the Embedded Market

AMD introduced the ATI Radeon E4690 Mobile PCI Express module (MXM) today for the graphics-intensive embedded systems.

The company anounced the new chip at the DIGITIMES Tech Forum (DTF) 2010, held in Taiwan.

The industry-standard MXM 3.0 specification for graphics subsystems calls for reduced power, improved cooling capability and a lower z-height. AMD claims that the new ATI Radeon E4690 MXM features more than triple the 3D graphics performance of previously available solutions with low CPU utilization and high picture quality. With its parallel, programmable architecture, the ATI Radeon E4690 MXM is designed for compute intensive, embedded applications such as digital signage, image recognition, signal processing and surveillance, arcade and casino games, medical imaging, and more.

Working in collaboration with ALT Software, a supplier of 2D and 3D graphics, AMD is offering its customers an alternative to custom programming by developing a standards-based parallel processing API, helping them to improve performance in embedded computing systems by leveraging the power of the graphics processor (GPU). For example, the GPU has become a standard hardware component in many aerospace and defense systems, making it an ideal parallel processing solution.

The ATI Radeon E4690 MXM features 512MB of on-board GDDR3 memory, 320 shader processors, a set of display output options and adjustable system clocks for exacting power and performance requirements.

Supporting both Microsoft DirectX 10.1 and AMD's Unified Video Decoder 2 (UVD 2), the ATI Radeon E4690 MXM provides outstanding graphics support coupled with high quality video playback performance. Incorporating ATI PowerPlay intelligent power management technology, the ATI Radeon E4690 MXM is also designed to optimize power consumption.

Outputs include dual independent display controllers, integrated DisplayPort, integrated single & dual-link LVDS, integrated single & dual-link DVI /TMDS/HDMI and analogue outputs.

Supported by ATI Stream technology, the ATI Radeon E4690 MXM can replace numerous system hardware components (e.g. FPGAs, DSPs etc.), helping to reduce overall system power, size, and cost.

Firefox 3.6 Now Available For Download

Mozilla today released Firefox 3.6, an update to its popular, open source Web browser. The latest version of Firefox introduces new features, supports new Web standards, and access to free add-ons that allow users to customize their browser to their liking.

Firefox 3.6 is more than 20 percent faster than Firefox 3.5 and includes extensive under the hood work to improve performance for everyday Web tasks such as email, uploading photos, social networking, and more, according to Mozilla. It also delivers new features like customizable browser themes called Personas, a Plugin updater, improved JavaScript performance, and enhancements to familiar favorites like the Awesome Bar for a more personal Web experience.

What's new in Firefox 3.6:

* Personas: Personalize the look of your Firefox by selecting new themes called Personas in a single click and without a restart

* Plugin Updater: To keep you safe from potential security vulnerabilities, Firefox will now detect out of date plugins

* Stability improvements: Firefox 3.6 significantly decreased crashes caused by third party software

* Form Complete: When filling out an online form, Firefox suggests information for fields based on your common answers in similar field

* Performance: Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness, and startup time. JavaScript is executed 20% faster compared to Firefox v3.5.

* Open Video and Audio: With implementation of HTML 5 audio and video support, now video can be displayed full screen and supports poster frames

What's New Under the Hood for Developers

* Support for the latest HTML5 specification, including the File API for local file handling
* Font Support: In addition to OpenType and TrueType fonts, 3.6 now supports the new Web Open Font Format (WOFF)
* CSS gradients: Supports linear and radial CSS gradients which allow for a smoother transition between colors - Device orientation: Firefox 3.6 exposes the orientation of the laptop or device to Web pages

Firefox 3.6 is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux in more than 70 languages. It is available for download at http://www.firefox.com/.

CyberLink Launches YouPaint Interactive Painting Software for Touch PCs

CyberLink today released CyberLink YouPaint, a painting software designed for touch-enabled PCs.


The software takes advantage of the latest developments in touch technology to offer interactive, touch-enabled painting. YouPaint includes different painting implements, a palette of 60 colors, plus stamps and other fun art tools.

CyberLink YouPaint offers the following features for interactive painting:

* Fun drawing tools, including pens, pencils, crayons, chalk, an eraser, and 60-color palette, provide a complete tool kit for creative expression.
* Touch-enabled features support the touch functionality of Windows 7 and the latest touch hardware.
* Multi-touch enabled stamps let artists resize and rotate their stamps to enhance their projects using multi-touch gestures. Photos can be imported and converted into stamps too.
* Image Blooms generate image patterns, enabling the speedy creation of borders or the addition of repeated images into a scene.
* Tracing Papers
enable artists to trace the outline of an image before coloring it in. YouPaint includes a library of tracing papers, while photos can be imported and converted into tracing papers too.
* Artist's Library and Templates
* Printing options offer an easy way to show and share designs, with four printing layouts to choose from.

CyberLink YouPaint is now available online, supporting the following languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, and Korean.
Price is $34.95

Internet Addresses Expected to Run Out Soon

The Number Resource Organization (NRO), the official representative of the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) that oversee the allocation of all Internet number resources, announced today that less than 10 percent of available IPv4 addresses remain unallocated.

This small pool of existing IP addresses marks a critical moment in IPv4 address exhaustion, ultimately impacting the future network operations of all businesses and organizations around the globe.

"This is a key milestone in the growth and development of the global Internet," noted Axel Pawlik, Chairman of the NRO. "With less than 10 percent of the entire IPv4 address range still available for allocation to RIRs, it is vital that the Internet community take considered and determined action to ensure the global adoption of IPv6.
The limited IPv4 addresses will not allow us enough resources to achieve the ambitions we all hold for global Internet access. The deployment of IPv6 is a key infrastructure development that will enable the network to support the billions of people and devices that will connect in the coming years," added Pawlik.

Internet Protocol is a set of technical rules that defines how devices communicate over a network. There are currently two versions of IP, IPv4 and IPv6. IPv6 includes a modern numbering system that provides a much larger address pool than IPv4. With so few IPv4 addresses remaining, the NRO is urging all Internet stakeholders to take immediate action by planning for the necessary investments required to deploy IPv6.

The NRO, alongside each individual RIR, has actively promoted IPv6 deployment for several years through grassroots outreach, speaking engagements, conferences and media outreach. To date, their combined efforts have yielded positive results in the call to action for the adoption of IPv6.

Given the less than 10 percent milestone, the NRO is continuing its call for Internet stakeholders, including governments, vendors, enterprises, telecoms operators, and end users, to fulfill their roles in IPv6 adoption, specifically encouraging the following actions:

- The business sector should provide IPv6-capable services and platforms, including web hosting and equipment, ensuring accessibility for IPv6 users.
- Software and hardware vendors should implement IPv6 support in their products to guarantee they are available at production standard when needed.
- Governments should lead the way by making their own content and services available over IPv6 and encouraging IPv6 deployment efforts in their countries. IPv6 requirements in government procurement policies are critical at this time.
- Civil society, including organizations and end users, should request that all services they receive from their ISPs and vendors are IPv6-ready, to build demand and ensure competitive availability of IPv6 services in coming years.

"Many decision makers don't realize how many devices require IP addresses - mobile phones, laptops, servers, routers, the list goes on," said Raul Echeberria, Secretary of the NRO. "The number of available IPv4 addresses is shrinking rapidly, and if the global Internet community fails to recognize this, it will face grave consequences in the very near future. As such, the NRO is working to educate everyone, from network operators to top executives and government representatives, about the importance of IPv6 adoption," added Echeberria.

IP addresses are allocated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), a contract operated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). IANA distributes IP addresses to RIRs, who in turn issue them to users in their respective regions. "This is the time for the Internet community to act," said Rod Beckstrom, ICANN's President and Chief Executive Officer. "For the global Internet to grow and prosper without limitation, we need to encourage the rapid widespread adoption of the IPv6 protocol."

NVIDIA GeForce 196.21 WHQL Drivers Released

NVIDIA today released a new version of its GeForce driver suite.

Version 196.21 WHQL signed offers SLI multi-GPU optimisations for several new and upcoming PC games, updates to the PhysX system software component, and a number of bug fixes as described in the Release Notes documents (for Windows 7 and Vista, and Windows XP).

Basic changes:

- Adds SLI and multi-GPU support for many top new gaming titles including Avatar Demo, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, City Bus Simulator, Dirt 2, Ferrari Virtual Race, GREED: Black Border, Mass Effect 2, Mortal Online, Ninja Blade, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising Demo, Planet 51, RUSE, Serious Sam HD, and Wings of Prey.
- Upgrades PhysX System Software to version 9.09.1112.
- Includes numerous bug fixes.

For downloads, visit http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us/

Hitachi Releases First Media Converter for 40 Gigabit Ethernet

Hitachi Cable, Ltd. has announced the development of an XLGMC-1001 media converter, the world's first product to comply with the 40 Gigabit Ethernet specifications currently under standardization by the IEEE802 committee.

The product is slated for release in June 2010, when the 40 Gigabit Ethernet standard is expected to be officially released.

To handle greater data transfer volumes, companies are now switching interoffice networks from conventional dedicated telecommunication lines such as ATM and SONET to faster, higher-capacity, and less costly wide-area Ethernet networks. In light of this trend and to meet growing traffic volume, the IEEE802 committee is working to standardize next-generation 40 Gigabit/100 Gigabit Ethernet.

Hitachi Cable has developed the XLGMC-1001 media converter that supports the new 40 Gigabit Ethernet interface standard, the first such product anywhere in the world. The XLGMC-1001 adopts a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) transmission system to divide the 40 Gigabit Ethernet signal into four 10 Gigabit signals and encode them for transmission. This system eliminates the effects of Chromatic Dispersion(CD) and Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD)0 that have become obstacles to high-speed transmission, achieving one-fiber bidirectional transmission for a maximum transmission distance of 80 km. This transmission performance is equivalent to that of a conventional 10 Gigabit media converter.

The XLGMC-1001 offers a QSFP transceiver port as a user interface, providing support for 40GBASE-SR4 for connections to multimode optical fiber cable and 40GBASE-CR4 for connections to copper cable. Hitachi Cable also plans to support XL2 small optical transceiver providing support for 40GBASE-LR4 for connection to single-mode optical fiber cable, enabling interconnection to a wide range of 40 Gigabit Ethernet equipments.

In addition, the XLGMC-1001 is packaged in the slim 1U (height: 44 mm) form factor, using miniaturized 10 Gigabit electronic components and high-density packaging technologies.

Google Search Engine Rankings For December

In December 2009, Americans conducted 14.7 billion core searches, with Google Sites accounting for 65.7 percent search market share, virtually unchanged from 65.6 percent in November, according to comScore's monthly comScore qSearch analysis of the U.S. search marketplace.

Microsoft Sites grabbed 10.7 percent market share, up 0.4 percentage points versus November.

Google Sites led the U.S. core search market in December with 65.7 percent of the searches conducted, followed by Yahoo! Sites (17.3 percent), and Microsoft Sites (10.7 percent). Ask Network captured 3.7 percent of the search market, followed by AOL LLC with 2.6 percent.

Americans conducted 14.7 billion searches in December, up 2 percent from November. Google Sites accounted for nearly 9.7 billion searches, followed by Yahoo! Sites (2.5 billion), Microsoft Sites (1.6 billion), Ask Network (545 million) and AOL LLC (383 million).

Also in the December analysis of the top properties where search activity is observed, Google Sites led the search market with more than 14.0 billion search queries, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 2.6 billion queries and Microsoft Sites with 1.6 billion searches. Bing experienced large growth during the month with a 6-percent increase in query volume to nearly 1.4 billion searches. eBay and Amazon Sites experienced gains in December as retail search activity picked up during the holiday season.

TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress Update, Now Available For Editing and Converting Windows Media Center TV Recordings

The latest update availability for the high-performance video conversion software TMPGEnc\ 4.0 XPress was announced by Pegasys.

This update allows users to import Windows Media Center .wtv files, edit out commercials or other unwanted scenes, apply video and audio filters, and convert it to a wide array of video formats. The update is available now and is free for current users. Users new to TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress can purchase the updated software package for $99.95. Returning TMPGEnc software owners can receive a $20.00 discount on the purchase price.

By using TMPGEnc 4.0 XPress software, users can edit and convert their Windows Media Center TV recordings into a variety of formats such as DivX HD, Windows Media Video, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, and more!

The .wtv file format is a new video content format for TV shows recorded by Windows Media Center. The.wtv format replaces the .dvr-ms file format.
The .wtv file format is only found in PCs running Windows 7 or Windows Vista with Media Center TV Pack 2008. Both .wtv and .dvr-ms files can be imported. Note that copy-protected TV recordings cannot be imported.

Also included in this update is input support for AAC 5.1 audio in MPEG-2 TS files. Now when users import MPEG-2 TS files that have AAC audio, they can import up to 5.1 channels of surround sound. A new option in the Clip Audio properties allows users to manually specify the number of audio channels when importing AAC audio.

Users also have the ability to select a specific video and audio stream when the MPEG-1/2 source file contains multiple video and audio streams. The multi-stream selector function is in the MPEG file reader.

Sony Introduces 250GB PS3, Digital Terrestrial Tuner For PS3 in Japan

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ), today announced that PlayStation 3 (PS3) computer entertainment system (CECH-2000B) with a 250GB hard disk drive (HDD) will become available on February 18, 2010 in Japan at a recommended retail price of 34,980 yen ($380.7).


Sony said that the PlayStation Network has over 3.8 million cumulative registered accounts in Japan. The PlayStation Network is offering users movies, TV drama and music videos, in addition to a wide variety of game and anime content with more than 4,800 pieces of downloadable content for PS3. Taking advantage of the extra HDD capacity (250GB), PS3 users will be able to store more entertainment content and services downloadable from PlayStation Store.

The company will also introduce "torne" for PlayStation 3 system, a set of digital terrestrial tuner and application in Blu-ray Disc (BD) for viewing and recording digital terrestrial broadcasting on the PS3 system. "torne" will become available in Japan in March, 2010, at a recommended retail price (RRP) of 9,980 yen ($108.6).

Users will be able to watch digital terrestrial broadcasting and record them on the hard disk drive (HDD) of the PS3 system by simply connecting the digital terrestrial tuner to the PS3 system using the attached USB cable and installing the application from the BD.

To accommodate those users who wish to record TV programs in high-definition on PS3, SCEJ will also introduce a "PlayStation 3 Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting Recorder Pack," that comprises the PS3 system with 250GB HDD, the largest HDD capacity of the existing model, and "torne." The special bundle pack will become available in March, 2010, concurrently with the release of "torne," and will be a limited offer at a RRP of 42,800 yen (including tax).

Sony said that "torne" offers user friendly interface, allowing users to operate the application using DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller. Users will be able to search through the electronic TV program guides or play back recorded content comfortably as if they were playing games.

The colorfully designed 24 hour TV program guide can be zoomed in or out by pressing L1/R1 buttons, allowing users to find and select their favorite TV programs by a simple touch of a button.

TV program search function on "torne" application can sort the TV programs by genre or by keywords and will instantly list up the corresponding TV programs for users to simply select and record out of the list. Additionally, "torne" will automatically start recording pre-programmed content even when the PS3 system is in Stand-by mode or when users are playing games or using the application on the XMB (XrossMediaBar) such as the Blu-ray/DVD player. Users can also connect external HDD via USB cable to record TV programs directly on to the external storage instead of on the HDD of the PS3 system. Additional useful features include quick playback and scene search for viewing recorded TV programs.

Connectivity with PSP (PlayStation Portable) allows users to transfer recorded TV programs to its Memory Stick PRO Duo (Mark2)/Memory Stick Micro for high quality viewing on the go. By using the Remote Play feature of the PS3 system, users at home can connect on to their PS3 system using their PSP and remotely access the application to view or record TV programs.

"torne" also offers online functionalities, such as the Internet browser which can be used simultaneously with the application, and unique "Toru-Miru feature" which can display the number of users who have pre-programmed the TV programs through "torne" as well as the user trend of which program is being most watched.

AMD Introduces The New ATI Radeon HD 5670 - DirectX 11 for the Mainstream

AMD today introduced the ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics card, the latest addition to its line-up of graphics products to fully support Microsoft DirectX 11 gaming and computing, as well as new technologies such as ATI Eyefinity technology.

Priced at less than USD $100, the ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics card enables a HD gaming in the latest DirectX 11 titles, employs ATI Stream technology to boost performance in video playback and productivity applications, and supports Microsoft Windows 7.

The ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics card delivers up to 620 GigaFLOPS of compute power and GDDR5 memory, delivering high gaming performance for under USD $100 in the latest DirectX 11 titles such as Codemaster's Colin McRae: DiRT 2, EA Phenomic's BattleForge , GSC Game World's S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 as well as DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL titles.

In some of today's most popular games, the ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics processor showed a more than 20 percent performance improvement over the closest competing product in its class (Nvidia GeForce GT 240), according to AMD data.

The latest in ATI Eyefinity technology enables up to three displays to be used with a single ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics card.

ATI Stream technology speeds up video transcoding and improves video playback performance with applications such as Adobe Flash, and helps to deliver video enhancements that produce better visual quality with sharper images.

Speeds:

* Engine clock speed: 775 MHz
* Processing power (single precision): 620 GigaFLOPS
* Polygon throughput: 775M polygons/sec
* Data fetch rate (32-bit): 62 billion fetches/sec
* Texel fill rate (bilinear filtered): 15.5 Gigatexels/sec
* Pixel fill rate: 6.2 Gigapixels/sec
* Anti-aliased pixel fill rate: 24.8 Gigasamples/sec
* Memory clock speed: 1.0 GHz
* Memory data rate: 4.0 Gbps
* Memory bandwidth: 64 GB/sec
* Maximum board power: 64 Watts
* Idle board power: 15 Watts

* 627 million 40nm transistors
* TeraScale 2 Unified Processing Architecture
- 400 Stream Processing Units
- 20 Texture Units
- 32 Z/Stencil ROP Units
- 8 Color ROP Units

* GDDR5 memory interface
* PCI Express 2.1 x16 bus interface
* DirectX 11 support
* OpenGL 3.2 support
* ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology
* ATI Stream acceleration technology
* ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU technology
* ATI Avivo HD Video & Display technology
* Integrated dual-link DVI output with HDCP
* Integrated DisplayPort output
* Integrated HDMI 1.3 output with Deep Color, xvYCC wide gamut support, and high bit-rate audio
* Integrated VGA output

Samsung Announces 30nm-class, High-density NAND Flash for Mobile Devices.

Samsung today announced two high-density memory solutions for mobile devices - a 64-gigabyte (GB) moviNAND memory device and a 32GB micro secure digital (microSD) memory card.

The memory solutions are based on Samsung's 32 gigabit (Gb) NAND flash. The 64GB moviNAND, which measures 1.4mm in height, consists of 16 30nm-class 32Gb MLC NAND chips and a controller. The 17-die stack was achieved by using 30-micron thick chips and advanced package technology. With the new 64GB solution, Samsung's proprietary embedded memory, moviNAND, is now available in 64GB, 32GB, 16GB, 8GB and 4GB densities.

The 32GB microSD card, developed this month, stacks eight 32Gb NAND components and a card controller. The production-ready microSD card is enabled by the use of Samsung's 30-nm class 32Gb NAND flash memory technology. Previously, the highest density microSD card in production had a 16GB capacity and was based on 40nm-class 16Gb NAND. The new 32GB card is 1mm-thick. The portion of the card that is inserted into a handset measures just 0.7 mm in height.

According to market research firm iSuppli, the global NAND flash memory market for 32GB and higher memory cards is forecast to be 530 million units in 2010 and reach 9.5 billion units by 2013 (in 16Gb equivalent units).

Samsung's new 64GB moviNAND has been in mass production from December 2009, while the 32GB microSD is now being sampled, with mass production expected next month.

Firefox 3.6 Release Candidate is Available For Download

The Mozilla community announced the availability of a release candidate of Firefox 3.6, with a final version expected to be ready by the end of the month.

This preview software is available for free download and has been issued as an automatic update to all Firefox 3.6 beta users. Over 75% of the thousands of Firefox Add-ons have now been upgraded by their authors to be compatible with Firefox 3.6, Mozilla said.

This release candidate may update itself periodically, and will eventually be exactly the same as the final Firefox 3.6 release itself.

Firefox 3.6 (built on the Gecko 1.9.2 platform) introduces several new features for users and developers:

- Users can change the browser?s appearance with a single click using Personas.
- Firefox 3.6 alerts users about out of date plugins to keep them safe.
- Changes to how third-party software integrates with Firefox to increase stability.
- Improved automatic form fill provides better options from your form history.
- Open, native video can now be displayed full screen, and supports poster frames.
- Support for the WOFF font format.
- Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness and startup time.
- The ability to run scripts asynchronously to speed up page load
- Support for the HTML5 File API.
- Support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5 web technologies.

Web developers and Add-on developers may read more detail about the many new features in Firefox 3.6 for developers on the Mozilla Developer Center.

The Firefox 3.6 RC can be downloaded here.
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-rc.html

PowerDVD to Support 7.1-Channel Lossless HD Audio Playback with Blu-ray Content Protection

CyberLink announced today its partnership with PC Audio Solution Provider Realtek to support Realtek's new high-performance audio codecs ALC669 , ALC670 and ALC892 with PowerDVD.

PowerDVD is now able to deliver 192kHz/24bit lossless audio through the embedded Realtek audio codecs with content protection while allowing full-rate audio enjoyment of Blu-ray Discs.

Key features in PowerDVD include:

- Playback of high-definition AVCHD standards and Blu-ray Discs.
- High-definition audio for purity through high-definition, 7.1-channel home-entertainment systems, and on notebook PCs.
- Support for next-generation disc features, like Picture-in-Picture movie mode, networking, interactive BD-J, bookmarks, and advanced disc navigation.
- Optimized performance for playing high-definition video content using graphics cards featuring NVIDIA PureVideo, ATI Avivo, and Intel Clear Video technologies.
- TrueTheater HD optimized for NVIDIA CUDA hardware acceleration technology for smoother performance when upscaling DVD movies to HD-like quality by shifting the graphics processing from the CPU to the NVIDIA graphics card.

CyberLink also demontrated interactive multimedia applications (utilizing, featuring, or enabled) with PrimeSense natural interaction sensing and recognition technologies at CES 2010.

CyberLink PowerCinema is featuring advanced virtual touch (or "touch") and gesturing technologies for more natural interaction with CE devices and digital content. CyberLink takes advantage of the PrimeSense advanced sensor technologies to deliver a more natural interaction with consumer?s digital media without the limitations of remote control devices.

PrimeSense's PrimeSensor can "see", track and react to user movements outside the computer, all without change of environment or wearable equipment for the end user.

"We are pleased to collaborate with PrimeSense to offer consumers a new and exciting way to interact with their digital media," said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. "Utilizing PrimeSense innovative 3D optical sensing and recognition technologies, we are ushering in a new era in digital home entertainment where consumers can use their arms and hands as gesturing devices to access controls in PowerCinema 7.1."

CyberLink Demonstrates 3D Blu-ray On PC With PowerDVD Ultra at CES

This week CyberLink is demonstrating the future of home entertainment at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

As recent movie releases have shown, 3D brings an exciting new dimension to both animated and live action movies. CyberLink?s 3D Blu-ray solution will enable modern PCs to be able to take advantage of powerful graphics processors, decoding the new Multi-View Codec (MVC) for full-quality Blu-ray enjoyment with any compatible display. Upgrading to CyberLink?s forthcoming version of PowerDVD Ultra will make 3D Blu-ray accessible on desktop and notebook PCs.

"CyberLink is committed to offering the best 3D Blu-ray experience on the widest range of hardware platforms," said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. "Our engineering team has been working very closely with the Blu-ray Disc Association, and with all of the leading hardware vendors, including NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel. We?re excited to be able to give partners and press at CES a first-hand look at the incredible entertainment experience that 3D Blu-ray will bring to PCs in 2010."

The 3D Blu-ray capable version of PowerDVD Ultra is expected in mid 2010, prior to the release of 3D Blu-ray movie titles.

MSI and Gigabyte Showcase New Series Of Motherboards

Gigabyte announced their latest generation H55/H57 series motherboards.
&
MSI announced the new "Big Bang branded mainboard" as well as BIOS upgrade for its Intel X58 motherboards that adds support for the chipset are available for simple next-generation Intel 32nm CPUs.

Gigabyte H55 & H57 Series Motherboards with USB 3.0 and DisplayPort Interface

Gigabyte announced its latest generation H55/H57 series motherboards, based on the Intel H55 and Intel H57 chipset. Based on a 2x copper PCB, the motherboards are featuring Smart6 PC management tools, Dynamic Energy Saver 2 power saving utilities, DualBIOS and support for Energy Using Products Directive (EuP).

Supporting the latest Intel Core i3 and Corei5 LGA 1156 socket processors featuring the first on-die integrated graphics and DDR3 memory controller (codename Clarkdale), the GIGABYTE H55/H57 series motherboards provide high definition content playback unmatched by previous integrated graphic solutions. The GIGABYTE H55/H57 series support a wide range of display interfaces including VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort. For those wanting to push their graphics performance to even higher levels, the GIGABYTE H55/H57 series support overclocking of the GPU core frequency for a performance gain of up to 13%.

The GIGABYTE GA-H55M-USB3 and GA-H57M-USB3 motherboards support the latest generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology made possible through an onboard NEC uPD720200 host controller. A 3x USB power boost delivers greater compatibility and extra power for USB devices. GIGABYTE?s USB power design is also able to regulate output over the full voltage range, which enhances USB device compatibility. In addition, dedicated lower resistance fuses ensure lower voltage drops, and provide more stable power delivery.

DualBIOS is a GIGABYTE patented technology that automatically recovers BIOS data when main BIOS has crashed or failed. Featuring 2 physical BIOS ROMs integrated onboard, GIGABYTE DualBIOS allows quick recovery from BIOS damage or failure due to viruses or improper BIOS updating.

GIGABYTE Smart 6 is offering a combination of 6 software utilities that provides an easier way for managing the system. Smart 6 allows users to speed up their system performance, boot-up time, managing a secured platform or recovers the system easily with a click of mouse button.

Gigabyte's GA-H55M-USB3, GA-H55M-UD2H, GA-H55M-S2H and GA-H55-UD3H are currently available based on Intel's H55 chipset. The GA-H57M-USB3 model is based on the H57 chipset.

MSI Big Bang Fuzion Mainboard

Another Taiwanese mainboard company, MSI, today unveiled the 2nd Big Bang branded mainboard, the Big Bang-Fuzion. Featuring the Hydra technology the motherboard allows users/gamers to install cross-vender GPU in a single system. The technology can perform scalable rendering by load-balancing graphics processing tasks. Besides, it can deliver near-linear gaming performance upgrade to break through the performance barrier with two or more graphics cards.

In addition, the motherboard uses a 100% Hi-c Cap and Super Ferrite Choke which offers higher heat resistance, lower ESR and double life-span than normal solid capacitors.

With the Creative EAX Advanced HD 5.0 and THX TruStudio PC audio tech, Big Bang-Fuzion can deliver clear audio.

As the newest member of MSI?s premier gaming brand, Big Bang-Fuzion also comes equipped with external OC Dashboard, V-Kit, built-in chip-driven OC Genie auto overclocking technology for overclocking enthusiasts.

The availability date of Big Bang-Fuzion is mid Jan 2010.

MSI also announced that all MSI mainboards using Intel X58 chipset are available for simple BIOS upgrade without reconfiguring any hardware settings to support the next-generation Intel 32nm CPUs.

These motherboards include the Eclipse Plus (Ver.A7566IMS.100), the Eclipse SLI (Ver.A7520IMS.1A0), the X58 Platinum SLI (Ver.A7522IMS.360), the X58 Platinum (Ver.A7522IMS.360), the X58 Pro (Ver.A7522IMS.870) the X58 Pro-E (Ver.A7522IMS.870) and the X58M (Ver. A7593IMS.320).

Microsoft Unveils New HP Tablet, Project Natal Release Date.

Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer yesterday unveiled a new HP tablet computer, beating Apple's hotly anticipated move into the market.

Apple is expected to announce a new device (dubbed the iSlate) on January 27, though the company has not said anything about it publicly.

Ballmer showed off the new HP device at the end of his keynote speech at the CES technology show in Las Vegas. Ballmer said that the device would be available later this year, without detailing pricing or when the device would hit stores.

After Ballmer, Microsoft's entertainment and game chief Robbie Bach announced that a new installment of the hugely successful Halo game will be out this year, and its controller-less game system Project Natal will be in stores by the holiday season. Project Natal is a controller-free gaming experience that tracks movement of the body and facial expressions, and even responds to a gamer's voice.

Microsoft also announced Mediaroom 2.0, the next version of the company's Internet
Protocol Television solution for service providers.

Mediaroom 2.0 gives service providers the ability to offer their subscribers features such as these:

* The ability to stream live and on-demand content to the TV but also devices such as PCs and phones

* The same on-demand experience on the PC with Windows Media Center in Windows 7

OCZ Showcases at CES 2010 New Solid State Drives and other New Products

OCZ Technology unveiled an array of next-generation solid state drives (SSDs) along with other premium hardware at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show.

"For this year's Consumer Electronics Show, OCZ continues to build on its lineup of SSD solutions designed for enterprise-class applications," commented Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology Group. "We are uniquely positioned as the leading developer of SSDs, which we believe will ultimately replace traditional hard drives. In addition to our robust lineup of 2.5-inch solid state drives, we will be launching new drives at CES with interfaces that include SAS and PCI-E. These interfaces make it easier than ever for enterprise clients to replace expensive-to-maintain, traditional storage media with a higher-performing and more reliable solution."

OCZ products unveiled at CES include:

* SATA II 2.5" SSDs: As OCZ's next SSD generation, the Vertex 2 Series is an MLC-based enterprise storage option. The Vertex 2 line features a higher-performing architecture.

* USB 3.0 SSD: In addition to internal storage solutions, OCZ is demonstrating the high performance of the USB 3.0 interface with an ultra-slim portable SSD. Geared toward the early-adopting enthusiast, the OCZ USB 3.0 SSD sets the bar early for high-performance storage devices.

* SAS and PCI-E SSDs: OCZ has a proven track record in the design and manufacture of 2.5-inch solid state drives and is in a unique position to lead with PCI-Express and serial-attached SCSI (SAS) SSDs in the enterprise space. The company is offering lower-cost, MLC-based SSDs for intensive data processing with a second-generation PCI-Express design and first-generation SAS SSD to gain increased bandwidth
while scaling down necessary rack space.

* Gaming and Enthusiast Hardware: OCZ's latest DDR3 memory solutions provide top speeds at low voltages, while the new Fatal1ty 750W and PC Power Silencer mkII power supplies offer stability to support any power-hungry components.

Blu-ray 3D Logo Unveiled at CES

The Blu-ray Disc Association has unveiled the logo for "Blu-ray 3D" at CES.

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) announced the finalization and release of the "Blu-ray 3D" specification last December. Blu-ray 3D is expected to reach consumers in 2010. Here is the logo as it was unveiled by the BDA at the CES show:


The "Blu-ray 3D" specification allows every Blu-ray 3D player and movie to deliver Full HD 1080p resolution to each eye, thereby maintaining the industry leading image quality to which Blu-ray Disc viewers are accustomed. Moreover, the specification is display agnostic, meaning that Blu-ray 3D products will deliver the 3D image to any compatible 3D display, regardless of whether that display uses LCD, Plasma or other technology and regardless of what 3D technology the display uses to deliver the image to the viewer's eyes.

The Blu-ray 3D specification is also designed to allow PS3 game consoles to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3D. Additionally, the specification supports playback of 2D discs in forthcoming 3D players and can enable 2D playback of Blu-ray 3D discs on the large installed base of Blu-ray Disc players currently in homes around the world. The Blu-ray 3D specification calls for encoding 3D video using the Multiview Video Coding (MVC) codec, an extension to the ITU-T H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec currently supported by all Blu-ray Disc players. MPEG4-MVC compresses both left and right eye views with a typical 50% overhead compared to equivalent 2D content, and can provide full 1080p resolution backward compatibility with current 2D Blu-ray Disc players. The specification also incorporates enhanced graphic features for 3D. These features provide a new experience for users, enabling navigation using 3D graphic menus and displaying 3D subtitles positioned in 3D video.

Seagate Super Speeds Transfer Rates With USB 3.0 External Portable Hard Drive

Today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Seagate unveiled the BlackArmor PS110 USB 3.0 portable external hard drive performance kit for notebook computers.

This all-in-one USB 3.0 toolkit packages a 500GB 7200RPM 2.5-inch portable hard drive, a power cable and PC express card. USB 3.0 speed has been specified at 4.8 Gbs per second or a ten times improvement over USB 2.0, however this is theoretical performance, and the new Seagate BlackArmor USB 3.0 portable drive achieves 3X performance over USB 2.0 in real world testing.

This new super speed USB 3.0 interface allows easy transfer of large files to and from the external drive at sustained transfer rates of 100MB/s. With the BlackArmor PS 110 USB 3.0 drive, a 25GB HD movie can be transferred in just four minutes versus the 14 minutes it would take using a traditional USB 2.0 drive. Simply plug the PC Adapter card into a notebook, connect one end of the included adapter cord to the PC card, the other end to the BlackArmor PS110 drive, and it is set.

Seagate's USB 3.0 portable hard drive performance kit couples all the safety and security of the existing BlackArmor PS 110 portable hard drive with the increased performance of USB 3.0 in an exceptionally slim, 12.5mm form factor. Each drive ships with the Acronis business-grade backup suite, automated full-system backup and SafetyDrill+ software , a bare metal recovery feature, is Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 compatible and covered by the a 5 year limited warranty.

The new BlackArmor PS 110 USB 3.0 Performance kit is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and can be purchased immediately from Seagate.com for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $179.99.

WD Introduces New My Book External Drive

WD today introduced its fastest My Book external hard drive ever -- the new My Book 3.0 desktop external drives are among the first devices certified with the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface.

With an interface that's up to 10 times faster than the previous-generation USB 2.0 interface, the high-performance My Book 3.0 drive significantly reduces the time it takes to open and save large files.

Offered standalone, or in a kit that includes a USB 3.0 PCIe (gen2) adapter card, the 1 TB My Book 3.0 drive is available now at select retailers and shopwd.com. The 2 TB model is expected later this week.

The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface on My Book 3.0 drives provides transfer rates1 of up to 5 gigabits-per-second, allowing users to open and save files up to 4.7 times faster than USB 2.0. The new My Book 3.0 drive is compliant with the USB-IF SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard to provide compatibility with other USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 products. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1.

The new My Book 3.0 drives have 1 TB capacity and a 2-year limited warranty. My Book 3.0 drives are available now at select retailers and online at shopwd.com. MSRP for the My Book 3.0 drive 1 TB is $179.99 USD. MSRP for the My Book 3.0 drive in a kit that includes a USB 3.0 PCIe (gen2) adapter card is $199.99 USD. The 2 TB My Book 3.0 drive is expected later this week.

Zotac Unveils Energy Efficient Platforms

The new ZOTAC NM10 series delivers energy-efficiency from a new Intel Atom D510 dual-core processor and NM10 Express chipset with Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 integrated graphics.

Paired with DDR2 memory, the ZOTAC NM10 series platforms have plenty of memory bandwidth and fast access latency for that extra performance punch for computing demands.

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150 integrated graphics on the ZOTAC NM10 series deliver compatibility with Microsoft DirectX 9 with Shader Model 3.0 and OpenGL 1.5. Intel Clear Video technology enhances standard-definition content while HDMI and VGA outputs enable connectivity with the latest LCD monitors and televisions.

Exclusive to the ZOTAC NM10 series platform is a HDMI output capable of resolutions up to 1366x768 (720p), a feature no other Intel Atom with NM10 Express chipset platform will deliver. A VGA output compliments the HDMI output, for those still using analog display connections.

Expansion capabilities are plentiful on the ZOTAC NM10 series platforms with the mini-DTX form factor ZOTAC NM10-DTX WiFi packing PCI Express x16 (single lane) and PCI Express x1 slots, 2 SATA 3.0Gb/s, ZOTAC exclusive 4 SATA 3.0Gb/s with RAID 0, 1, 0+1 & 5, 1 eSATA 3.0Gb/s, 10 USB 2.0 ports, 5.1-channel high-definition audio, Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11n WiFi.

The ZOTAC NM10-ITX WiFi delivers the same performance and energy-efficiency in a smaller mini-ITX form factor with one PCI Express x1 slot, two SATA 3.0Gb/s ports, 8 USB 2.0 ports, 5.1-channel high-definition audio, Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11n WiFi.

G.Skill Released DDR3 Memory Modules

G.Skill has today released its ultimate DDR3 for Intel's latest CPUs.

At 2,400MHz CL9 and 2,000MHz CL6, the memory modules are available in standard 4GB (2GBx2) memory kits and are specifically tailored for Intel's P55 chipset and LGA1156 CPUs.

The 2,400MHz CL9 memory modules are among the fastest commercially available memory product in the world, allowing overclocking enthusiasts to reach higher levels of performance.

In addition, G.Skill has also announced a series of ultra low latency DDR3 2,000MHz memory kits, including an extreme CL6, followed by CL7, CL8 and CL9, which match current Intel Core i5 750 and Core i7 860, 870 CPUs.

All new G.Skill memory modules require the latest mainboard BIOS version for best results, and the compatible mainboard list is shown on product section in G.Skill's official website.

Opera Software and GooMe Interactive To Deliver IPTV Solution

At the Consumer Electronics Show, Opera and GooMe will show a modular and portable OTT media solution for IPTV and/or hybrid IP/Broadcast delivery.

Opera Software and GooMe Interactive, an Over-The-Top (OTT) media solutions provider, today announced a technology partnership to deliver modular Web-based solutions for experiencing TV, Web and home media for the Set-Top Box (STB) and DTV industry via IPTV and/or hybrid IP/Broadcast delivery.

By combining Opera?s Devices SDK with GooMe?s OTT media solution, the result is a seamless and interactive user experience with the simplicity of single remote control access. This solution gives operators, broadcasters and TV/set-top-box OEMs access to an entire range of Internet and media services, from traditional TV to home media streaming and On-Demand services such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

ASUS Unveils New Motherboards Based on The New Intel H57/H55 Chipsets

ASUS announced the launch of a new motherboard series based on the Intel H57 and H55 chipsets.

The ASUS P7H57D/P7H55 Series supports the new Intel Core i7, Core? i5, Core i3, and Pentium processors with feature laden ATX and micro-ATX models. Featuring exclusive GPU Boost technology, the series delivers a rich visual experience and smooth video performance with Intel's latest HD capable integrated graphics capable processors. Built with Xtreme Design features, the P7H57D/P7H55 Series delivers optimized performance while remain energy-efficient. The ATX based P7H57D-V EVO also supports next-generation USB 3.0 and SATA 6G technology.

The P7H57D/P7H55 Series features GPU Boost technology which enables users to adjust the GPU frequency and enhance system performance quickly and easily. GPU Boost overclocking options are accessed through a user interface in Asus' Exclusive Turbo V EVO utility. Additionally, GPU Boost helps lower energy consumption through the use of the ASUS Energy Processing Unit (EPU) engine. The EPU detects the onboard HD graphics processor load and moderates power output in response to varying requirements.

A PCIe X4 Bridge Chip delivers SATA 6G and USB 3.0 performance that maximizes the transfer rates of SATA 6Gb/s hard drives and delivers data transfer speeds up to ten times that of current USB 2.0 standards. Such significant improvements enable users to transfer a 25GB HD movie file in 70 seconds or save a 4MB song in less than a second. ASUS' expansion chip also affords the ability to ensure SLI or CrossFireX configurations without affecting SATA 6G or USB 3.0 performance on selected models.

With Xtreme Design innovations such as Hybrid Processors, the P7H57D-V EVO/P7H55-M Series delivers real-time overclocking as well as automatic performance tuning. Users can access Asus' Turbo Profile option via the bios for quick overclocks. For even higher levels or performance users can access the Turbo V EVO application and use the Auto Tuning feature to quickly overclock the system based on three presets. Users can also employ the Auto Tuning process that will automatically maximize the platform overclock while retaining full stability in applications and games.

The ASUS P7H57D-V EVO, P7H55D-M EVO, and P7H55-M PRO motherboards will be available at leading online retailers
starting on January 7th 2010.

WirelessHD Now Supports 3DTV, HDCP 2.0, Data Applications and Data Rates in Excess of 10 Gbps

The second generation of the first 60 GHz wireless standard specification broadens support to include portable and personal computing devices.

The WirelessHD Consortium today announced an enhancement to the WirelessHD 1.0 specification. The next generation of the WirelessHD specification will enable HDTVs, Blu-ray disc players, PCs and portable devices to transmit, share and display content in billions of colors as well as instantaneously transfer large multi-gigabyte media files among a variety of devices. The WirelessHD standards group also announced its new authorized self test house (ASTH), extending the WirelessHD Compliance Test Program capabilities.

Panasonic has developed a WirelessHD Authorized Self Test House. They now have an internal facility where they will be able to test WirelessHD products for protocol compliance and interoperability in early 2010.

The WirelessHD specification is currently supported by almost 50 global technology industry leaders. Products with the updated technology, which is the only 60 GHz specification that is included in the Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEEE) 802.15.3c global standard, will be backward compatible to those products using WirelessHD 1.0 that have been shipping since early 2009.

New WirelessHD specification capabilities include:

- Highest data rates: The next generation spec increases the data rate to 10 ? 28 Gbps. This will support the demands of future high definition display devices, such as higher resolutions, Deep Color and high frame rates, as well as high speed data applications.
- 3D over WirelessHD: The new specification will define common 3D formats and resolutions for WirelessHD-enabled devices.
- 4K resolution support enables devices to support HD resolution four times beyond the resolution of 1080p. This feature allows the WirelessHD interface to transmit content at the same resolution as many digital theaters.
- Data support: Connected devices that include this feature supports sync?n go file transfers at 1Gbps for portable and fixed devices. This new specification also provides for IP connectivity for Internet access and networking of WirelessHD devices.

- Portable device support: The scalability of WirelessHD technology has been extended to support lossless video streaming plus 1Gbps data connectivity in low-power portable devices such as portable media players, netbooks and smartphones.
- HDCP 2.0 content protection over WirelessHD: In addition to DTCP, both the current and future versions of WirelessHD will include support for HDCP 2.0 content protection. WirelessHD is the only standard to support both streaming and copying of multimedia content.

GIGABYTE Showcases USB 3.0 Motherboards at CES 2010

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY will focus on new USB 3.0 SuperSpeed products at CES this year with compatible 3rd party device demos and the introduction of the GA-H57M-USB3 and GA-H55M-USB3 motherboards.

These new motherboards are based on yet to be announced chipsets from Intel and increase GIGABYTE?s range of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 motherboards to 13 models. GIGABYTE plans to introduce a further 11 motherboard models before the end of January 2010. A list of available and 'coming soon' GIGABYTE USB 3.0 products is available here.

GIGABYTE is working with other USB 3.0 device vendors to ensure cross-compatibility between products. With this in mind, GIGABYTE recently launched the USB 3.0 motherboard microsite that lists compatible 3rd party USB 3.0 devices that include an ultra slim USB 3.0 SSD from OCZ, external hard disk drive (HDD) enclosures from Inxtron and DoTop, an HDD docking station from Sharkoon and other USB 3.0 accessories from DoTop.

GIGABYTE is also working with USB 3.0 integrated circuitry (IC) vendors on product compatibility such as Genesyslogic (USB 3.0 to SATA 3Gb/s Bridge Controller).

GIGABYTE will demonstrate their USB 3.0 motherboards and compatible 3rd party SuperSpeed devices at a party at the Palms Place Hotel and Spa.

VIA Launches First USB 3.0 Hub Controller at CES

VIA Technologies, Inc. today unveiled the VIA VL810 SuperSpeed Hub Controller, the industry?s first integrated single chip solution that supports the higher transfer rates of the new USB 3.0 specification.

USB 3.0 (also known as SuperSpeed USB) allows for a maximum data transfer rate of up to 5Gbps, or ten times the throughput available to USB 2.0 based devices. Other enhancements provide for improved interaction between device and host controller, including advancements in power management.

Developed by wholly owned subsidiary company VIA Labs, the VIA VL810 expands a PC's USB capability by allowing more than one device to be connected to each host port. One upstream port and four downstream ports support not just SuperSpeed transfer, but are also backwards compatible with previous USB specifications and offer support for Hi-Speed (480Mbps), Full-Speed (12Mbps), and Low-Speed (1.5Mbps) traffic.

Along with power management features that include the ability for devices to communicate latency tolerance to the host and for links to enter progressively lower power states when link partners are idle, the VIA VL810 is unique in that it is the first USB hub controller to use 80nm CMOS technology, further lowering the chip's power usage.

Attendees at the annual Lunch@Piero's media event, to be held during CES in Las Vegas on January 7th and 8th can view a demo of the new VIA VL810 SuperSpeed Hub Controller.

Skype Supports 720p HD Video Calls on PCs and Internet-connected Panasonic and LG TVs

Skype today announced support for Skype video calls on PCs in 720p high definition (HD), as well as Skype software embedded into Internet-connected widescreen televisions from its consumer electronics manufacturer partners.

The latest version of Skype for Windows can deliver up to 720p HD-quality video calling at 1280 x 720 resolution, at up to 30 frames per second. To make an HD video call, users will need a high-speed broadband connection, a new HD webcam, a PC with a 1.8 GHz dual-core processor and Skype 4.2 Beta for Windows.

New HD webcams are due to arrive in early 2010. At CES, faceVsion and In Store Solutions introduced new HD webcams that are optimized to work with Skype. In order to make HD video calling available to as many people as possible, the new Skype Certified HD webcams handle the video encoding and processing onboard, removing the need for a high-performance computer to encode the HD video.

faceVsion developed the FV TouchCam N1, an HD encoding webcam optimized for Skype video calling. Two versions of the faceVsion webcam will ship, beginning in February 2010: one with a microphone ($99) and one without ($69). In Store Solutions introduced two new HD encoding webcams, the FREETALK HD PRO ($120) and FREETALK HD PRO PLUS ($140), which will be available in March 2010. Both the faceVsion and FREETALK webcams will be available for purchase online via the Skype Shop.

At CES, Skype announced partnerships with LG and Panasonic to offer Skype-enabled HDTVs. Skype software will be embedded into Panasonic's line of 2010 VIERA CAST-enabled HDTVs and LG's 26 new LCD and plasma HDTVs with NetCast Entertainment Access. Both lines are expected to be available in mid-2010. Both LG and Panasonic will offer specially-designed HD webcams that are optimized for Skype video calls as separate accessories that can be plugged into the televisions. These webcams support 720p HD and include special microphones and optics that can pick up sound and video from a couch-distance.


The new HDTVs will deliver familiar Skype features including:

- Free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls- Calls to landline or mobile phones at Skype?s low rates- The option to receive inbound calls via a user?s online Skype number- Skype voicemail, if it is set up- Being invited to participate in voice conference calls with up to 24 other partiesSupport for up to 720p HD video calls, depending on the availability of high-speed broadband and a HD webcam

Skype recommends uninterrupted high-speed broadband of at least 1 Mbps symmetrical bandwidth to achieve 720p HD-quality video calls on either a PC or television.
New Full HD System Video Conferencing System
In related news, Panasonic introduced a new HD Visual Communications System at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

In addition to transmitting high definition video and audio, the system employs H.264 video compression technology and requires roughly half the bandwidth of competitive systems. It allows for Full HD images to be displayed on a wide range of HD monitors, from small-scale desktop LCDs all the way up to a 150" HD Plasma, or even projected with an HD projector on a large screen at a conference presentation or an educational institution. It also allows for multiple HD cameras to be utilized, so a second camera can be used to zoom in and share detailed images of things. A third option allows full-motion, high-resolution video to be transmitted over the system from laptops connected to the system.

The HD Visual Communications system is comprised of a Panasonic 50-inch Full HD VIERA Plasma TV, the codec, or main system unit, two HD Video Cameras, 360? HD Audio microphone, VPN Router and a Remote Control, along with standard cables and accessories. It includes on-screen guidance and one-touch memory keysfor frequent meetings, and also includes both on-site and remote technical supportfrom Panasonic.

The Panasonic KX-VC500 HD Visual Communications Solution will be available in the spring of 2010.

Samsung Announces New Netbooks

Samsung today launched the latest additions to its range of netbooks, the Samsung N210, N220, N150 and NB30.

The N210 and N220 deliver up to 12 hours of secure connected mobility, while the N150 and NB30 keep on going for up to 8.5 hours and 11 hours respectively. This impressive battery-powered performance is possible because overall power consumption is reduced by their energy efficient LED display, optimized processing performance and Samsung's proprietary Enhanced Battery Life solution.

The N210, N220, N150 and NB30 also have several display features that enhance the visual experience. The new netbooks? 10.1" LED anti-reflective display fine-tunes movies and images with the sharpest details and boldest colors, with no mirror effect under bright lights or in sunny weather. Using the integrated Easy Resolution Manager tool, screen resolutioncan easily be changed if a program or game needs to be viewed in 1024x768. For added visual enhancements, the N210, N220, N150 and NB30 offer an integrated Digital LiveCam for video-conferencing or live messaging.

The N210 and N220 feature Samsung's new crystal pattern design, while the N150 sports an integrated hinge with smooth movement and high quality connection, so everything blends effortlessly together even when the netbook is open.

Add in a mark and scratch-resistant Samsung durable casing to reduce the risk of damage, and it all adds up to a great long-term value. Especially as the ultra-durable NB30 features a disk drive (HDD) freefall sensor, which protects data by automatically parking the HDD if it senses the netbook dropping. The NB30 also incorporates a water-tight seal around the system to prevent potential damage from contact with up to 50 cc of spilled water if removed within 10 seconds, based on testing by Samsung.

The new netbooks come with a range of tools for greater ease of use and safety. Firstly, the "Instant On" capability of the Phoenix HyperSpace tool, featured on the N210 and N220, allows the devices to turn on and immediately go online without waiting for Windows to boot, while their "Smart Power Management" conserves more battery power without user intervention. The AnyPC remote PC access application enables a secure One-Click connection to a home or office PC, making it safe and easy to transfer and view files while on the go. Phoenix FailSafe software provides a useful tool for tracking your PC when it?s stolen.This powerful theft deterrence service lets you track the location of a lost or stolen netbook and encrypt, manage, retrieve or erase your vital data.

The Samsung N210, N220, N150 and NB30 incorporate Intel's latest processor, the Intel Atom N450.

The Samsung N210, N220, N150 and NB30 will be available early in January in most of EMEA, the Americas and Asian countries.