Latest Computer Hardware

Enermax Extends MaxRevo and NAXN Series

2012-02-11T01:15:00.000-08:00

Enermax offers a wide range of power supplies for various applications and target groups, starting with the entry-level series NAXN right through to the flagship series MaxRevo and Platimax. Following the demands of partners and end users, the premium manufacturer now adds two new models to its offer:
While the MaxRevo 1200W (EMR1200EWT) is designed to meet highest performance and efficiency standards of hardware enthusiasts, the 80 PLUS Bronze certified NAXN 650W (ENM650AWT-B) will strengthen Enermax’ position in the competitive segment of budget power supplies for gamers.

Both models are now available at a MSRP of 309.90 Euro incl. VAT (MaxRevo 1200W) and 89.90 Euro incl. VAT (NAXN 650W).

Facebook to IPO Next Week?

2012-02-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

Facebook may file for an initial public offering (IPO) as early as next week, the Wall Street Journal is reporting.Although the exact figure is far from certain, if Facebook went through with an IPO it could be worth somewhere between $75-$100 billion dollars. Should the social networking giant have a $100 billion valuation, it would be worth approximatley the same as McDonald’s Corporation.

According to CNET, another sign that a Facebook IPO may be near comes from the ordered halt to all trading of Facebook’s shares on SecondMarket — a market for trading shares of private companies.

Mobile Development Chief Jon Rubinstein Leaves HP

2012-02-03T06:25:00.000-08:00

Jon Rubinstein, who helped quarterback the launch of Apple’s iPod, and was once the CEO of now defunct Palm, has left Hewlett Packard after spending two years with the company.

In an interview with technology blog The Verge, Mr. Rubinstein said he was “going to take some well-deserved time off after four and a half years developing webOS.”

Mr. Rubinstein joined HP when it acquired Palm in 2010, and promised to make the company a mobile player to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, HP’s mobile dominance never materialized and former CEO Leo Apotheker cancelled the TouchPad project after six weeks.

HP further demonstrated its lack of interest in webOS by announcing in the last weeks of 2011 it intended to make the platform open source, removing the last of the company’s resources and commitment from it.

When asked for comment on Mr. Rubinstein’s departure, a company spokesperson replied “Jon has fulfilled his commitment to HP.”

Matrox Mura MPX Now HDCP Compliant

2012-02-03T06:16:00.000-08:00

Matrox Graphics Inc. today announced that the Matrox Mura MPX video wall controller boards are HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) compliant, simplifying the work for AV Integrators seeking to enable copy protected content across Mura-driven video walls. Mura input/output boards facilitate HDCP interoperability by capturing high definition video signals from up to four HDCP sources and displaying the content on up to four HDCP-enabled displays. A video wall controller with up to six boards can support up to twenty-four inputs that are scaled, positioned and manipulated across twenty-four outputs. Designed for high-performance video walls, Mura MPX Series is suitable for a wide range of applications including corporate boardrooms, auditoriums, large venue events, digital signage, and mission-critical environments.
HDCP is an encrypted protocol used between video sources and video receivers to prevent unauthorized access to protected content. The world’s first HDCP-compliant input/output video wall controller board, Mura MPX Series captures protected video content coming from digital cable or satellite set-top boxes, video streamers and Blu-ray Disc players, and then transmits it to HDCP-compliant monitors, projectors, cubes or other capture devices.

Built on PCI Express x16 Gen2 technology, each Mura board leverages 64 Gbit/sec duplex data transfer to ensure Full HD performance of multiple copy protected content sources across a video wall that is controlled and managed either using a third party, Mura-compatible wall management software, or Matrox software like the easy-to-use, free-to-download Matrox MuraControl app for iPad for intuitive manipulation of input sources.
“Guaranteeing interoperability when integrating and installing a high definition multimedia system is a challenging task for AV professionals. Adding HDCP support enables AV integrators with more options and flexibility when bringing HDCP content to video walls,” said Helgi Sigurdsson, Product Manager, Matrox Graphics Inc. “With an HDCP compliant card that uniquely integrates four HD graphics outputs and four HD video capture channels, building a video wall processor has never been easier.”

Security Researcher Warns of Hyperlink based DDoS attack

2012-01-26T11:37:00.000-08:00

A security consultant with Sophos systems is warning that users may be inadvertently participating in the DDoS assault against various .gov websites by clicking on a link being circulated by the hacker collective.
In a blog post on Sophos’ “Naked Security” blog, Sophos’ Graham Cluley says that members of Anonymous distributed links via social media websites that when clicked launch a Web version of the Low Impact Ion Cannon tool — Anonymous’ favoured vehicle to coordinate DDoS attacks — coded in JavaScript.
“Anonymous might be hoping that participants could argue that they did not knowingly assist in the DDoS attack, and clicked on the link in innocence without realizing what it would do,” wrote Mr. Cluley.
Anonymous has been actively recruiting participants to its campaign — some willing and some unwilling.
By mid-day Friday, these links were being shared at a rate of 10 to 18 times per minute.
As of Friday afternoon, justice.gov and FBI.gov still appeared to be operating normally.

Microsoft Shows Off Windows 8 Mobile Broadband Improvements

2012-01-26T10:46:00.000-08:00

Windows 8 will contain built in support for mobile broadband devices, and will use metered internet devices in a smarter fashion, according to a blog post published Friday on Microsoft’s “Building Windows 8” blog.
“We looked at the fundamentals of wireless connectivity and re-engineered Windows 8 for a mobile and wireless future, going beyond incremental improvements,” wrote Billy Anders, a Microsoft group program manager and the post’s author.
“We knew that if we were to give you true mobility, that Wi-Fi alone would not be enough. Therefore, for Windows 8, we fully developed and integrated mobile broadband (MB) as a first-class connectivity experience within Windows — right alongside Wi-Fi,” Mr. Anders wrote.
Windows 8 will include a mobile-broadband driver that is common to all devices and operators. Microsoft claims that this will work with plug and play like compatibility.

When a Windows 8 tablet users inserts a SIM card into their device, Windows will automatically detect the carrier and download the relevant mobile broadband application from the Windows app store.
Windows 8’s network settings console will allow users to assign connection priorities so their machine will automatically connect to a WiFi network if available, and then opt for a 3G connection if no network can be found.
Windows 8 will allow applications to treat connections that are metered, such as 3G, differently from unmetered ones. A web browser, for instance, would only fetch low resolution images and video while using a metered connection.

Mr. Anders claims that Windows 8 will “learn” about the user’s connection priorities based on their previous actions.

“You do not have to do anything special for this — Windows just learns which networks you prefer and manages everything for you. This work was a major part of the architectural work we did in the networking stack and with our hardware partners,” Mr. Anders wrote.
For more details, check out the “Engineering Windows 8 for mobile networks” post on Microsoft’s Building Windows 8 blog.
A Windows 8 beta is expected in February, with the final release of the OS before the end of 2012.

MegaUpload: We Want Our Site Back

2012-01-22T10:29:00.000-08:00

MegaUpload, which was shutdown Thursday over allegations of copyright infringement, is attempting to get its servers back and get the website back online according to the company’s lawyer.
“The company is looking at its legal options for getting back its servers and its domain and getting its servers back up online,” Megaupload’s lawyer Ira Rothken told Reuters. “Megaupload will vigorously defend itself.”
MegaUpload and seven of its executives were charged on Thursday, and are currently being held by American authorities.
“It is really offensive to say that just because people can upload bad things, therefore Megaupload is automatically responsible,” Mr. Rothken said to Reuters.
Mr. Rothken was adamant that the company only offered online storage.

Microsoft Posts Record Revenue but Windows Continues to Decline

2012-01-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

Despite quickly declining Windows sales, Microsoft’s latest earnings report show the company has posted record revenue.
The company posted $20.89 billion in revenue (a 5 percent overall increase) during the second quarter of their fiscal year. Of that revenue $4.74 billion came from the Windows division, $4.24 billion came from the Entertainment & Devices division (a 15% increase), and $6.28 billion came from the Business division (which is responsible for Office).
The Windows division accounted for 6 percent less of Microsoft’s than it did a year ago, accounting for 22.7% of the company’s total sales. This is the lowest it has been since Q3 2009 — a half-year interregnum between the end of Vista’s reign and weeks before the launch of Windows 7 — when it was 20.3%.
“We delivered solid financial results, even as we prepare for a launch year that will accelerate many of our key products and services,” said Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO. “Coming out of the Consumer Electronics Show, we’re seeing very positive reviews for our new phones and PCs, and a strong response to our new Metro style design that will unify consumer experiences across our phones, PCs, tablets, and television in 2012.”
“Microsoft’s Windows division continued to slide,” said Allan Krans, an analyst with Technology Business Research, to Computerworld.” This marked the fifth consecutive quarter of incremental or negative revenue growth for the division.”

In an earnings call to investors Microsoft says that shifting consumer buying behaviors, from PCs to “competing form factors” (read: tablet-culture), is responsible for the decline in Windows revenues.

Intel Restructures Management Team

2012-01-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

Intel has restructured their management team, appointing long time executive Brian Krzanich to the position of Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Krzanich, 51, will continue to oversee worldwide manufacturing for the world’s top chip manufacturer, while handling internal operations as well.
Previous to his appointment as Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Krzanich had been the senior vice president in charge of worldwide manufacturing. As Intel has a long standing tradition of hiring CEOs from within the company, Mr. Krzanich is largely seen as being the heir to the throne; current chief executive Paul Otellini served as COO before being appointed to the top job.

Under Intel bylaws, Mr. Otellini, 61, can continue to serve as CEO until May 2016, when he’ll reach the company’s mandatory retirement age, an Intel spokeswoman told Bloomberg.
This executive reshuffle comes a day after the chipmaker beat Wall Street’s moderate quarterly expectations. In an earnings call to investors, Intel says the reshuffling reflects plans reflect efforts to dramatically increase capital spending in order to catch up to competitors in the tablet and smartphone market.
Intel’s shares gained 1.6 percent to $26.04 in midday trade as investors welcomed its stable quarterly results.

Spire Announces the BlackDragon Series Power Supplies

2012-01-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

The BlackDragon are the new and evolved ATX power supply series aimed at the PC enthusiast and PC gamer. Equipped with selected all new high-quality components, supplying optimal power under the most demanding circumstances.
New highlights of the BlackDragon series are: Version 2.3 specification compliant, advanced circuit design with better Japanese grade A components supporting the newest Intel & AMD dual core .64 & .45 process multi-core micro-processors and supporting 4-way SLI / Crossfire GPUs.
Auto-thermal fan control, maximizing the BlackDragon’s cooling performance whilst maintaining reduced sound levels. Energy sufficient, BlackDragon series power supplies are compliant with the Energy Star & Blue Angel standards. Housed in cool black powdered coated enclosures with embossed Spire logo, the BlackDragon series are backed by the award winning service program and 2 years warranty. Spire – Powered by Innovation.

Main Features:
- ATX Ver.2.3 Specification Compliant
- Black Sleeved cables and black EZ-Connectors
- EMI Shielded VGA/HDD Power Connectors
- Supports the newest Intel & AMD based systems
- Cool-Blue LED 120 mm Auto PMW silent DC fan
- Completely silent 10.0 dBA under 250 W up to 45C / 113F
- High Efficiency (86%) up to 30% less power consumption
- Compliant with ErP Lot 6 2010: 5Vsb AC input < 1W maximum draw at standby & off mode
- I/O/OVP/OLP and SCP Short Circuit- Overload- Over Power- & current-Protection

Compatibility:
The BlackDragon power supply series are compatible with Intel Version 2.03 ATX, SSI EPS 12V 2.91 standards and Micro ATX standards.
MSRP:
€61.50 / $79.99 (400 W), €73.50 / $95.99 (500 W), €109.95 / $139.99 (600 W)

Kingston Ships the SSDNow V+200 Solid State Drives

2012-01-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the latest addition to its SSDNow family, the SSDNow V+200. The new Kingston SSDNow V+200 solid-state drives are the ideal high-performance upgrade solution for the performance minded yet cost-conscious business or home user.
The SSDNow V+200 features the second-generation high-speed SATA 3.0 (6 Gb/s) SandForce SF-2281 Processor and outstanding sequential read and write speeds of up to 535 MB/s and 480 MB/s. The SSDNow V+200 enables fast system start-up, rapid data access and speedy copying of large files such as videos, presentations and graphics illustrations.
“Kingston constantly strives to offer the perfect upgrade solution to cover each market segment. The SSDNow V+200 drive has been specifically designed to meet the needs of both business and home users looking for an inexpensive yet powerful upgrade,” said Ariel Perez, SSD business manager, Kingston. “The SSDNow V+200 is equipped with all essential tools needed to extend the lifecycle and boost a system’s performance to the maximum. The balance between performance and price makes this SSD deliver the best ROI as an upgrade for a fleet of corporate notebooks or desktops or the home PC.”
The SSDNow V+200 is available in 60 GB, 90 GB, 120 GB, 240 GB and 480 GB capacities as either a stand-alone drive or as an upgrade kit to make installation easy and quick. Upgrade kits include cables, brackets, cloning software and HDD enclosure – everything the business or home user needs to get started.

Kingston SSDNow V+200 Features & Specifications:
- Dramatic performance for any system upgrade
- Multiple Capacities: the right capacity to meet your storage standards
- Endurance: Data Integrity Protection featuring DuraClass Technology
- Dependable: RAISE for advanced data reliability
- Secure: Self-encrypting drive technology
- Durable: DuraWrite optimizes writes to extend endurance
- Form Factor: 2.5″
- Interface: SATA Rev. 3.0 (6 Gb/s), SATA Rev. 2.0 (3 Gb/s), SATA Rev. 1.0 (1.5 Gb/s)
- Capacities: 60 GB, 90 GB, 120 GB, 240 GB, 480 GB
- Sequential reads:
SATA Rev. 3.0: 535 MB/s
SATA Rev. 2.0: 280 MB/s
- Sequential writes:
SATA Rev. 3.0: 60 GB – 460 MB/s; All Others 480 MB/s
SATA Rev. 2.0: 260 MB/s
- Sustained Random 4k Read/Write
60 GB – 12,000/47,000 IOPS
90 GB – 20,000/47,000 IOPS
120 GB – 20,000/44,000 IOPS
240 GB – 36,000/43,000 IOPS
480 GB – 43,000/30,000 IOPS
- Max Random 4k Read/Write
60 GB – 85,000/60,000 IOPS
90 GB – 85,000/57,000 IOPS
120 GB – 85,000/55,000 IOPS
240 GB – 85,000/43,000 IOPS
480 GB – 75,000/34,000 IOPS
- Power Consumption: 0.565 W (TYP) Idle / 1.795 W (TYP) Read / 2.065 W (TYP) Write
- Storage Temperatures: -40° C to 85° C
- Operating Temperatures: 0° C to 70° C
- Weight: 115g
- Vibration Operating: 2.17G
- Vibration Non-operating: 20G
- MTBF: 1,000,000 Hrs
- Warranty/Support: three-year warranty with 24/7 support

MegaUpload Shutdown on Copyright Infringement Grounds, Anonymous Responds

2012-01-20T05:44:00.000-08:00

Less than twenty four hours after a number of websites turned off their lights to protest the American Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), the FBI has shutdown digital storage locker MegaUpload and arrested its owner Kim “Kim DotCom” Schmitz on charges of piracy and conspiracy.
Mr. Schmitz and three others were arrested earlier today in Auckland by New Zealand federal police, “who executed provisional arrest warrants requested by the United States,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), sponsor of the Protect IP Act (the brother of SOPA), applauded the crackdown but said new tools are needed to go after foreign sites. “Today’s action by the Department of Justice against the leaders of MegaUpload.com shows what law enforcement can do to protect American intellectual property that is stolen through domestic websites. Unfortunately, there are no tools in the arsenal to protect that same American intellectual property from theft by websites hosted and operated overseas,” Senator Leahy said in a statement.
According to a statement released by the FBI, seven people have be arrested and charged for, “engaging in a racketeering conspiracy, conspiring to commit copyright infringement, conspiring to commit money laundering, and two substantive counts of criminal copyright infringement.”
The grand jury indictment claims Megaupload generated $175 million in income for its through subscription fees and advertising whilst causing $500 million in damages to copyright holders.
“This action is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States,” the FBI’s statement claims. “[It] directly targets the misuse of a public content storage and distribution site to commit and facilitate intellectual property crime.”
Some of the services Mr. Schmitz apparently operates are MegaPorn, MegaVideo, MegaLive, and MegaPix.

Ira P. Rothken, a lawyer for MegaUpload, told the New York Times in a phone interview Thursday afternoon that he had not yet seen the indictment, but he added: “Clearly we have due process concerns. This was done without a hearing.”
Online hacktavist collective Anonymous was quick to take action after MegaUpload was shut down and the arrests were made. Using Twitter, the group announced the beginning of “Operation MegaUpload”, or #OPMegaUpload in Twitter parlance, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) assaults on Universal Music, the Motion Picture Association of America, as well as a variety of .gov websites.
One hour later, the @anonops Twitter account — the closest thing the collective has to an official voice — broadcasted a victory message: “Tango down! http://universalmusic.com & http://www.justice.gov// #Megaupload”
Anonymous also claimed to have targeted the FBI’s website, though as of early Thursday evening it was still accessible from Hardware Canucks’ Vancouver office.

Samsung Begins Embedded Multi-Chip Memory Production Run

2012-01-20T05:40:00.000-08:00

Korean electronics giant Samsung has begun the production of embedded multi-chip package (eMCP) memory for use in entry and midlevel smartphones.
“As the need is growing for more advanced software and increased data storage in smartphones and tablets, mobile device makers are expected to introduce embedded memory solutions throughout 2012 that offer higher performance and density,” said Myungho Kim, Samsung’s vice president of memory marketing in a press release. “Samsung will further accelerate growth in the mobile device market as it extends the advanced memory segment by providing a more expansive line-up of eMCP solutions in 2012.”
The eMCP solutions are fabricated in packages that include 4GB e-MMC (Embedded MultiMediaCard) based on 20nm class NAND flash memory, and a choice of 256MB, 512MB, or 768MB of 30nm class LPDDR2 DRAM.

The 30 nm-class LPDDR2 DRAM chip in the new eMCPs performs a key role in enhancing the performance of entry- to mid-level smartphones with a data transmission speed of 1,066 megabits per second (Mbps), which doubles the performance of the industry’s previous mobile DRAM (MDDR)m, according to Samsung.

Cooler Master Announces Vapor Chamber Technology

2012-01-20T05:38:00.000-08:00

After releasing the world’s first heatpipe heatsink in 2000, Cooler Master announces that it will begin to phase in Vertical Vapor Chamber technology into its upcoming retail CPU heatsinks; a technology initially developed by Cooler Master’s OEM and industrial cooling division.
Vertical Vapor Chambers feature less than half the air resistance by reducing airflow vortexes and noise generated by air streaming through a heatsink. At the same time vertical vapor chambers exhibit 3 times the fin contact area, enabling faster and more efficient transfer of heat from the vapor chambers to the fins, and overall more efficient use of the available fin surface area.

As a result, Vertical Vapor Chambers allow Cooler Master to develop cooling solutions with greatly reduced noise footprints or increased cooling performance in excess of 200W at the same or lower noise level as without vertical vapor chambers.
The high-end tower heatsink Cooler Master TPC-812, the first product based on this latest technology and Cooler Masters leading product development process will be officially released to the market in a few weeks during CeBIT 2012.

Would Ottawa Allow a RIM Takeover?

2012-01-20T05:35:00.000-08:00

The collapse of RIM’s stock price during the last year has made it the subject of takeover talks from a variety of market players — though some such as Samsung deny the charges – during the past few months. While rumours hold that the company’s CEOs are aggressivley pursuing potential suitors, and rejecting some, for a takeover deal there is another angle that needs to be considered: would Ottawa allow such a deal to go through?
Foreign takeovers of a Canadian firm are regulated by the Investment Canada Act. Under the Investment Canada Act, there are a number of thresholds that trigger a mandatory review by the Industry Minister
When the buyer is from the 153-member countries of the World Trade Organization the value of the target company’s assets must be over $600 million (this will rise to $1 billion in 2014). In cases where the potention buyer is from outside the WTO, the threshold is lowered to $5 million for a direct acquisition and $50 million for an indirect acquisition.
In addition, the act states that foreign takeovers of Canadian firms must have a “net benefit” to Canada. This “net benefit” is not clearly defined though it is widely understood to fall into these categories: the effect of the takeover on employment, technology development, productivity, competition, and the effect on national policies.

Though the Harper government will quickly claim that Canada is “open for business”, this act has been used twice in the last five years to nix potential deals: in 2008 when an American firm attempted to purchase business units of Vancouver based military contractor MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates; in November 2010 to block the takeover of PotashCorp by Australian firm BHP Billiton.
While Prime Minister Harper said recently, “We all know [RIM] is an important Canadian company,” there isn’t a complete consensus on whether Ottawa would block a potential RIM takeover deal.
Terry Beech, an Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Business, and CEO of HiretheWorld.com, believes that there is no way RIM could be considered a strategic asset to Canada in the same fashion as PotashCorp.
“The value of RIM is highly intellectual, which means you’re only really as good as the quality of your patents and the quality of your people,” Mr. Beech told Hardware Canucks. “RIM stock is falling for a reason, and there isn’t much the government will be able to do about it.”
“Unlike Potash, Oil or Gold, the Government of Canada has no mechanisms to control the underlying value of RIM.”
“This kind of government interference in the market could actually hurt Canada’s tech sector overall given the uncertainty it would raise in the international business community,” concluded Mr. Beech.

BitFenix Introduces the Shinobi XL Full Tower Case

2012-01-20T05:33:00.000-08:00

Since its release in April 2011, the BitFenix Shinobi has proven to be our most popular chassis design yet. Today, BitFenix is proud to introduce a bigger and badder follow up to this classic design – Shinobi XL. Packing XL-ATX compatibility, superior flexibility, and an all-new SuperCharge™ port, Shinobi XL is a deadly new entry in the full tower segment.
“Since the introduction of our original Shinobi, fans have been writing in and posting in forums asking for a larger version,” says BitFenix Product Manager David Jarlestedt. “Boasting all new features and nearly limitless flexibility for modders and water cooling enthusiasts alike, Shinobi XL is a lot more than just a size update – it’s a complete revamp.”
On the outside, Shinobi XL borrows the same battle-proven design that has made Shinobi a classic. Everything from the meshed fan vents and brushed aluminum logo to the signature BitFenix SofTouch surface treatment is faithfully reproduced. But one step closer reveals an entirely different warrior. Like its name suggests, Shinobi XL can accommodate XL-ATX motherboards with nine PCI slots for even the most extreme setups. On top, users are treated to four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, as well as a new innovation – the BitFenix SuperCharge port. This port is specifically designed for charging mobile devices, offering up to 2.5A of current for fast charging.

The stealthiest warriors need to have ice running through their veins, which is why Shinobi XL is designed with water cooling in mind. Inside, users will find the BitFenix FlexCage hard disk rack which can be either rotated or removed entirely for optimum flexibility. Once removed, Shinobi XL can accommodate a host of water cooling equipment, including a 360 mm radiator on top, a 360 mm radiator in front, or a 240 mm radiator on the bottom right out of the box. If air cooling is more your speed, Shinobi XL has you covered with two 230 mm and one 120 mm BitFenix Spectre fan included. Multiple fan locations are also built in, allowing users to outfit Shinobi XL with up to three 230 mm, one 140 mm, or nine 120 mm fans for keeping your components cool in any situation.

Working with your system should be a no-nonsense affair, so Shinobi XL comes with an assortment of friendly features to get you off the workbench and into battle as quickly as possible. Tool-free drive locking mechanisms make it easy to secure your drives, while a large CPU cooler cutout allows users to swap out CPU coolers without removing the motherboard. Shinobi XL offers a bevy of cable management features including over 3 cm of space behind the motherboard tray, and rubber grommets to protect your cables and reduce air turbulence inside the chassis. Removable dust filters on all air intakes make cleanup a breeze and anti-vibration pads help absorb vibrations from the power supply. To top things off, the included 5.25″ drive bay adapter allows you to install additional hard disks, SSDs, or card readers, making Shinobi XL a dream to work with.
BitFenix Shinobi XL will be available on store shelves beginning March 2012 with an estimated MSRP of €139 (incl. 19% VAT) in the EU and $149 in North America.

Enermax Extends Staray Case Series

2012-01-20T05:28:00.000-08:00

After its launch two years ago, the good-quality, pure and simple Staray case with its intensive Apollish light effects has successfully established itself on the market. Due to its excellent price-performance ratio, the midi tower is still very popular amongst end users as well as professional system builders. To open up new target groups, Enermax decided to extend the case series with two new models.
ECA3175-L – The First-Choice Entry-Level Case
The new Staray model ECA3175-L is a low-budget midi tower with basic equipment. Compared to the first version ECA3170-BL/-BR, the exterior design remains mainly unchanged: The clear shapes and the stable, air-permeable mesh front meets the public taste and does not follow short-term market trends. ECA3175-L is delivered with a powerful 12cm front fan and can accommodate up to three additional fans at the rear and at the side. Thanks to the USB 3.0 front interface, the new Staray model also supports the latest high-speed standard. The port can be connected directly with an internal 19-pin connector, so that the inconvenient cable routing through the back of the case can be avoided.

ECA3175-S – The Best Choice for Silent PC
The second newcomer is directed to users of silent PC systems. The ECA3175-S is equipped with the extremely popular T.B.Silence fans. They offer a perfect balance between cooling performance and noise generation. Enermax delivers the midi tower with two 12cm T.B.Silence fans – one in the front and one at the back of the case. Furthermore, the manufacturer has modified the case interior: It is coated completely in black and comes with a cut-out behind the mainboard tray to simplify the CPU cooler installation. USB 3.0 belongs to the standard equipment of the new Staray version. ECA3175-S provides two high-speed USB 3.0 interfaces with internal 19-pin connector.

Prices and Availability
Staray ECA3175-L is now available, the second new model ECA3175-S with two pre-installed T.B.Silence fans will be launched in March:

ECA3175-L: 49.90 Euro
ECA3175-S: 64.90 Euro

Intel to Offer Warranty Plan for Overclockers

2012-01-20T05:25:00.000-08:00

Earlier today Intel unveiled its Performance Tuning Protection Plan, which offers certain out-of-warranty service offerings in the event of damage caused by over-clocking or over-voltaging by the user on “K”, “X”, and LGA2011-socketed boxed processors.
Users who purchase this plan and meet the plan’s criteria, can receive a one-time replacement processor if the user’s over-voltaging or overclocking causes the original processor to fail.
This pilot plan will be launched on January 18, 2012, at 12:01AM PST and last for six months. The first phase of the Plan will include 4 resellers: CyberPower, Canada Computers and Electronics, Scan Computers, and Altech Computers.

On February 13, 2012, Intel plans to add additional resellers to the Plan.
Intel will also be providing the Plan directly to customers at the following website: http://www.intel.com/go/tuningplan for the duration of the Plan.
Intel will evaluate the Plan throughout the six months and decide whether or not to proceed past the pilot phase.

Former Microsoft Exec Named as HP’s new Chief Strategy Officer

2012-01-20T05:22:00.000-08:00

Hewlett Packard announced today that it is naming former Microsoft executive, and current vice-president of software, Bill Veghte, to the position of strategy officer.
Mr. Veghte joined HP in 2010 after spending 19 years at Microsoft, having been repeatedly passed-over as a candidate for the presidency of the Windows division.
“Every 10 to 15 years, fundamental shifts occur in the IT industry that redefine how technology is delivered,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer in a press release. “From mainframes to client/server to the internet, companies that identified the opportunity first and developed the right strategy came out on top. As we move forward, HP intends to stay on top, and I believe Bill has the knowledge and vision to keep us there.”
Mr. Veghte will remain in his posistion as executive vice president of HP software but will also define strategy at the company, HP said in a statement. In addition, Mr. Veghte will spearhead HP’s cloud and webOS open-source efforts.

Mr. Vegthe joined HP shortly before Mark Hurd resigned as CEO over accusations of sexual harassment. Mr. Hurd’s departure was followed by the ill-fated Apotheker regime, where the company’s stock lost 45% of its value.

ASRock Slides into 3rd Place in Channel Motherboard Market Share

2012-01-20T05:20:00.000-08:00

Digitimes [Link Paywalled] is reporting that Taiwan based motherboard manufacturer ASRock is now the 3^rd largest channel motherboard manufacturer, having set target shipments of 10 million motherboards for 2012.
Though ASRock missed its goal of shipping 9 million motherboards in 2011 by 13.3% (7.8 million units shipped), the company is nipping at the heels of market leaders Asustek Computer and Gigabyte Technology.
According to Digitimes sources, “ASRock has recently launched Fatal1ty x79 Professional, a high-end gaming motherboard based on Intel X79 chipset and equipped with four DDR3-2400 DIMM sockets and 10 SATA ports to support 4-way SLI setups or CrossFireX, the sources indicated. In addition, ASRock has launched three Mini-ITX motherboard models, that is, AD2700-ITX/AD2700B-ITX and AD2500B-ITX equipped with Intel Cedar Trail Atom D2700 and D2500 processors respectively.”
Motherboards account for 90% o ASRock’s revenue.

Genius Announces DX-ECO: World’s First Battery Free Wireless Mouse [PR]

2012-01-20T05:17:00.000-08:00

Genius, a leading maker of computer peripherals, announces the world’s first battery-free wireless mouse that is recharged within minutes – DX-ECO BlueEye Mouse.
Ready for a full day’s use after only a three-minute charge, the Genius DX-ECO uses a built-in gold capacitor with a long life of 100,000 recharges instead of outdated, environmentally unfriendly disposable batteries. Consumers no longer need to waste time and money whether on a PC or Mac when using DX-ECO. It’s ideal for government and corporations to provide a wireless mouse option that is not only cost-cutting but also hassle-free from controlling and resupplying batteries.

The DX-ECO BlueEye sensor technology allows for smooth, uninterrupted pointing and clicking on virtually any surface including dusted glass, marble, or thick carpet. Working wirelessly from a distance of up to 15 meters due to the 2.4GHz USB pico receiver, this innovative battery-free mouse can be used anywhere and everywhere. Even when on-the-go the tiny USB pico receiver can be stored inside the DX-ECO for safe keeping.

Featuring 4-way scrolling, adjustable dpi (800/1600 dpi), as well as next/previous page hot keys for more efficient web-surfing, the DX-ECO battery free blue-eye mouse also includes plug and play design and comfortable ergonomic construction.
Package Contents:

DX-ECO wireless mouse
USB pico receiver
CD driver
Micro USB rechargeable cable
Multi-language user’s manual

Highlights and Price:

Battery free wireless mouse
Fully recharged within three minutes while using
Works on virtually every surface including dusted glass and marble
Fully Plug and Play
Comfortable ergonomic design
Adjustable dpi – 800/1600 dpi
Travel friendly with storable 2.4GHz USB Pico receiver
MSRP: US$39.99

Gigabyte Introduces the P2532 Series Gaming and Multimedia Notebooks

2012-01-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

Gigabyte today announced that three extraordinary new Blu-ray gaming and multimedia notebooks in the P2532 series are now on sale in international markets. The P2532 series features three new configurations that are designed to meet the needs of a variety of users interested in mobile gaming and multimedia.
“Gigabyte has long been a leader in the gaming motherboard market and we have taken our expertise to design high-end notebooks,” said Richard Ma, Senior Executive Vice President of Gigabyte. “With the P2532 series, we have developed a line of premium products that feature exceptional performance, but at an affordable price to achieve the best value for users.”
The P2532 series is powered by a blazing fast Intel Core i7 quad-core processor and deliver extraordinary graphics with a NVIDIA GT 555M/GT 550M GPU with 2 GB VRAM. The notebooks also have a spectacular Full HD (1920×1080) display and a superior sound system that features THX TruStudio Pro audio technology. The P2532 series also features a sleek and innovative dual air vent design. Other impressive features include a Blu-ray drive (P2532F/H), a 7200 rpm hard drive with a SATA 3.0 SSD and USB 3.0. The powerful features and fantastic design make the P2532 series an exceptional choice for mobile gaming and multimedia enjoyment.
P2532F Extraordinary Gaming Notebook
The P2532F sports an Intel Core i7-2670QM quad-core processor and a NVIDIA GT 555M GPU with 2 GB of VRAM. The powerful combination provides a slick and smooth visual experience without any lag that is great for firing up the latest games and crushing the competition. The P2532F comes with a Blu-ray Combo DVD drive that provides spectacular high resolution video enjoyment and the 1080p Full HD display provide stunning images so real that you feel like you are really in the game itself.
The P2532F features an extraordinary audio system, including four stereo speakers and one woofer speaker along with THX TruStudio Pro audio technology. The crisp and clear audio makes it easy to hear every important sound – like when an opponent is sneaking up behind you, or when a teammate is outmatched and needs your help.

The P2532F packs all of its impressive features into a sleek dual air vent/dual heat sink design that provides a powerful cooling effect even during long periods of use. Keeping the notebook cool during intense gaming sessions not only makes the notebook more enjoyable to use, but also protects and extends the life of key parts.

P2532H and P2532S Thrilling Multimedia Notebooks

The P2532H and P2532S are designed to deliver a stunning multimedia experience. The NVIDIA GT 555M/GT 550M GPU with 2 GB VRAM provides an incredible graphics experience and the full HD (1920×1080) display produces bright and crisp images in incredible detail. The P2532H also comes with a Blu-ray Combo DVD drive that provides spectacular high resolution video enjoyment. The notebooks also support 3D image output with HDMI 1.4 so that you can create a stunning home entertainment center and enjoy lifelike 3D content.
The P2532H/S also feature an immersive audio experience where sound comes to life. The notebooks have four high-quality dual-channel stereo speakers and a woofer speaker that that provides excellent bass and powerful beats so that you can experience audio as it was intended. The P2532H/S also come with THX TruStudio Pro audio technology that fine-tunes the audio system to eliminate distortion, enhance the volume, and reinforce even the smallest sound details. With THX TruStudio Pro enabled, the sound curve reaches a more accurate representation of the original sound so that you can experience the same great audio quality found in live performances, films, and recording studios.

NZXT Launches the Switch 810 Full Tower PC Chassis

2012-01-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce the Switch 810 hybrid chassis. Built for the hardcore PC enthusiast, Switch 810 is the most versatile and highly adaptable full tower chassis to date. It enables you to easily modify cooling performance from extreme liquid cooling, to superb airflow, or whisper-quiet silence.
Switch 810 aggressively eliminates heat, boasting support for 280 mm radiators, up to ten 140/120 mm fans. One of the most noteworthy features is an industry-first, unique hybrid fins that you can close to minimize noise and dust accumulation or open to expose passageways for maximum airflow.
NZXT ensures maximum expandability with two removable HDD cages with a potential of up to 7 HDDs equipped with two pivoting 120/140 mm fans that direct airflow at 15⁰ to the VGA and CPU. There are 9 expansion slots for installing EATX motherboards with Quad SLI, or Triple crossfire. Multimedia access is optimized with high speed dual USB 3.0, a hard drive dock, and an SD card reader.

Switch 810 offers stress-free installation with immaculate wire management and tool-less 5.25″ and 3.5″/2.5″ SSD hard drive installation for easy accessibility. Additional features that solidify Switch 810 as the PC enthusiast’s dream chassis include a rear white LED light added visibility in dark environments and an acrylic window lets you peer in at your masterful build.

“Switch 810 is truly the pinnacle of high performance computing” said Johnny Hou, Founder of NZXT. “It offers enthusiasts an array of advanced features intuitively implemented into one of the most unique designs we’ve ever created.”
The Switch 810 is available for $169.99.

Microsoft Reveals Details on New File System

2012-01-18T10:39:00.000-08:00

Microsft has revealed details on the sucsessor to NTFS — Resilient File System (ReFS) — which is scheduled to make its first debut on Windows 8 Server Edition.
Surendra Verma, a development manager on Microsoft’s storage and file system team, said ReFS will maintain “a high degree of compatibility with a subset of NTFS features that are widely adopted while deprecating others”.
Mr. Verma went on to state that ReFS will incorporate some of the codebase from NTFS, albeit with a newly architected engine that implements on-disk structures like the Master File Table to represent files and directories.
This new file system will compete directly against Sun/Oracle’s ZFS, which promises similar resilience through use of storage pools.
In an MSDN blog post announcing the new file system, Steven Sinofsky, the President of Microsoft’s Windows Division, explained that ReFS was developed with some key goals in mind: maintain a high degree of compatibility with NTFS; verification and auto correction of all data; optimization of extreme-scale systems; end to end resiliency architecture with the storage spaces feature; data striping for performance and redundancy for fault tolerance.

ReFS has largely been billed as the ‘killer app’ of the server iteration of the operating system as file system’s promised resilience should be able to fend off ‘bit-rot’ — an ever-present fear of enterprise users.
Microsoft’s last attempt at a file system, the ill-fated WinFS, was ditched during Windows Vista’s protracted development cycle. With the WinFS project cancelled, end-users have been stuck using FAT32, and its sucsessor NTFS, for nearly two decades.
Mr. Verma, however, outlined a possible roadmap where end-users might have a refresh of their file system saying, “We will implement ReFS in a staged evolution of the feature: first as a storage system for Windows Server, then as storage for clients, and then ultimately as a boot volume.”

Is a Samsung – RIM Deal in the Works?

2012-01-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

During RIM’s decline of the last year, the company has had a war of attrition with Samsung on two fronts: in unit sales as well as in loss of top staff and executives. Now rumours from reliable sources are circulating that Samsung may by the company outright.
This news comes weeks after RIM rejected a joint takeover offer by Microsoft and Nokia.
News of the possible sale, which first broke on The Boy Genius Report early this morning, have sent RIM’s shares climbing on the TSX.By 11AM eastern time, the share price had risen 6.17%.
The Boy Genius Report also claims that RIM is interested in licensing its software if an amicable sales deal cannot be reached.
Technology analyst Jeff Kagan believes a Samsung acquisition of RIM would give the company what it needs to compete head to head with Apple and Google.

“This could give Samsung what they need to compete on a more head to head basis with Apple and Google,” Mr. Kagan told Hardware Canucks. “Of course they would need to update the RIM technology which RIM itself has been unable to do. So this is not a guaranteed success strategy, but it is in the right direction.”
“RIM still has lot’s of value with all their patents and technologies. They still have a valuable brand name even though it needs updating desperately. They can resuscitate it, but they have to do it quickly,” claims Mr. Kagan.
Hardware Canucks will continue monitoring the story and provide updates as they become available.