Business News Holding

Tag: hardware-and-technology

  • Micron First To Deliver Native SATA 6Gb/s SSD

    Micron claims it has raised the performance bar for SSDs with the launch of its RealSSD C300 SSD, the industry’s fastest for notebook and desktop PCs.

    While benchmark tests have shown that the C300 SSD is the fastest PC SSD leveraging the industry standard SATA 3Gb/s interface, the SSD performance is further boosted by natively supporting the next generation high-speed interface – SATA 6Gb/s, according to Micron.

    “While some drive architectures require a trade-off between throughput-sensitive and IOPS-sensitive data streams, Micron’s core design and higher speed interface provides advantages for both,” the company says.

    The C300 SSD leverages the SATA 6Gb/s interface to achieve a read throughput speed of up to 355MB/s and a write throughput speed of up to 215MB/s. Using the common PC Mark Vantage scoring system, the C300 SSD turns in a score of 45,000 from the HDD Suite.

    “Hard drives gain little performance advantage when using SATA 6Gb/s because of mechanical limitations,” said Dean Klein, vice president of memory system development at Micron.

    “As a developer of leading-edge NAND technology, along with our sophisticated controller and firmware innovations, Micron is well positioned to tune our drives to take full advantage of the faster speeds achieved using the SATA 6Gb/s interface. The combination of these technology advancements has enabled the RealSSD C300 drive to far outshine the competition,” he added.

    The RealSSD C300 drive was designed using micron’s established 34nm MLC NAND flash memory. Bringing another first to SSDs, Micron’s 34nm MLC NAND supports the high-speed ONFI 2.1 standard and it’s expected to ensure the NAND performance keeps pace with the faster SATA 6Gb/s interface.

    The drives will be available in 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch form factors, with both drives supporting 128GB and 256GB capacities. The company informed they are currently sampling the C300 SSD in limited quantities and expects to enter production in the first quarter of 2010.

  • LG Rolls Out 3D LCDs with Full HD Resolution

    LG announced the world’s first commercial launch of 3D LCD panel boasting full HD resolution.

    Although full HD 3D images have been developed for contents such as video games, movies and animations, 3D display products with full HD resolution were unavailable in the market.

    According to LG, the commercial launch of its full HD 3D LCD panel is expected to “help to boost development of high resolution 3D contents while allowing users to view true-to-life 3D images.”

    The new product is a 23-inch 3D monitor LCD panel for use with shutter glasses that delivers full HD resolution. LG syas it offers picture quality that is almost twice as crisp as HD 3D displays currently available in the market.

    The panel adopts the company’s proprietary technologies such as “high performance 3D exclusive controller” capable of processing more than twice as much image data as other HD 3D LCDs and “copper bus line” to improve on the resolution and picture quality, as LG claims.

    In addition, the panel is able to reproduce both 2D and 3D images, meaning that users can switch back and forth from 2D and 3D modes.

    The 3D display market is expected to grow at rapid pace as the industry players are shifting their focus from two-dimensional to three-dimensional technologies.

    The Korea Communications Commission recently announced plans to start a trial service for the world’s first full HD 3D terrestrial broadcasting from the second half of 2010. A launch of trial services for 3D satellite broadcasts had been also announced earlier in Japan and the UK.

  • Samsung Begins Volume Production of 30-nm-class, 3-bit MLC NAND Flash Chips

    Samsung announced that it commenced the industry’s first volume production of 3-bit, multi-level-cell NAND flash chips using 30-nm-class process technology at the end of November.

    The chips will be used in NAND flash modules accompanied by Samsung 3-bit NAND controllers to initially produce 8 GB microSD cards.

    According to Samsung, three-bit MLC NAND increases the efficiency of NAND data storage by 50 percent over today’s pervasive 2-bit MLC NAND chips and provides consumers with effective NAND-based storage that can be applied to USB flash drives in addition to a range of micro SD cards.

    The company claims mass production of 30nm 3-bit NAND will significantly raise the portion of NAND flash memory production devoted to high densities (32Gb and above), designed to accommodate increased video usage.

    Samsung also announced other NAND advancements – the industry’s first mass production of its 30-nm-class, 32 Gb, MLC NAND memory with an asynchronous DDR interface.

    The company said it began shipping initial production of its DDR NAND to major OEMs at the end of November.

    DDR NAND is expected to raise the read performance of mobile devices requiring high-speeds and large amounts of storage space. Samsung’s new DDR MLC NAND chip, which reads at 133 Mbps would replace single data rate MLC NAND, which has an overall read performance of 40Mbps.

    Use of 30nm-class DDR NAND enables premium memory cards to register 60Mbps read speeds, at least a 300 percent performance gain compared to SDR NAND-based memory cards with an average 17Mbps read speed.

    According to market research firm Gartner Dataquest, the global NAND flash memory market is forecast to be worth US$13.8 billion in 2009 and reach US$23.6 billion by 2012.

  • XO Unveils New Enterprise SIP

    BroadSoft and XO Communications announced a new enterprise-class, multi-site SIP trunking solution offered by XO.

    XO Enterprise SIP is an enhanced SIP trunking service offering for large enterprises, that enables them to transform their distributed PBX/PSTN interconnection to a “more centralized and cost-effective” VoIP solution.

    According to the companies, enterprises can deploy a centralized IP-PBX in one or several primary locations and deliver VoIP services to other sites across their network. Businesses can also configure trunk capacity across their network, providing each site with on-demand access to unused call capacity.

    “This will greatly reduce capital expenses and operating costs of managing voice services and equipment at each location,” says BroadSoft.

    Based on the latest release of BroadWorks, XO Enterprise SIP uses Enterprise Trunking feature set of the BroadWorks VoIP application platform to “simplify management of VoIP services” and ensure business continuity across an enterprise’s network.

    It provides support for multiple, redundant SIP trunk groups per PBX/IP PBX, enterprise-level call capacity and "bursting" in support of multi-site enterprise environments, new caller ID screening features for enterprise least-cost-routing and improved interoperability with non-SIPconnect compliant IP PBXs.

    XO Communications currently uses BroadWorks to support its flagship XO IP Flex and XO SIP integrated access service offerings targeted at the small and mid-sized business market.

    The companies say large enterprises with multi-site locations such as banks, international financial institutions, retail stores and professional services firms, have unique requirements when it comes to SIP trunking deployments.

    “It is often the case where a single, large IP PBX provides for an entire 50,000 person organization; therefore, loss of PSTN connectivity can have a major impact on business operations,” they claim.

    "SIP trunking is a strategic decision for large enterprises today. Supporting more than half of the Fortune 500, XO Communications required a solution that could not only meet the stringent reliability and diverse topology requirements of their large enterprise customers, but also provide cost certainty and dynamic, on-demand scalability," said David Bukovsky, vice president of products at BroadSoft

    Vince Margiotta, vice president of product marketing at XO Communications assures that XO Enterprise SIP eliminates the inefficiencies of legacy voice services in a managed IP network environment.

  • Boeing Ships HD Broadcasting Satellite DIRECTV 12 to Launch Site

    Boeing, who has provided advanced satellite systems to DIRECTV for more than 16 years, announced that DIRECTV 12 was shipped Nov. 25 from Boeing’s satellite manufacturing facility in El Segundo to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch facility in Kazakhstan.

    Upon arrival, the satellite will undergo final preparations for a December launch aboard an International Launch Services Proton/Breeze M rocket.

    DIRECTV 12 is the 11th satellite Boeing has built for DIRECTV. According to the company, the new satellite will increase DIRECTV’s high-definition capacity by 50 percent, and when combined with the DIRECTV 10 and 11 satellites that launched in 2007 and 2008, will enable DIRECTV to deliver 200 national and 1,500 local HDTV channels to “millions of U.S. households”.

    DIRECTV 12’s national and spot-beam Ka-band payloads are designed to receive and transmit programming throughout the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii.

    "The successful launch and deployment of DIRECTV 12 will bring the best in digital television programming to DIRECTV’s more than 18.4 million customers across the United States," assured Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems.

    Forbes.com has recently named the DIRECTV iPhone app one of the Best Branded Mobile Applications of 2009.

    A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest manufacturer of military aircraft.

  • fring Brings World’s First Video Calls to the iPhone

    Just a week after fring brought world’s first video calls over IP to mobile, the company announced “the first ever” mobile video calls over internet for the iPhone.

    fring video enables users to conduct video calls with other users as well as with Skype contacts over their device’s Wi-Fi or 3G internet connection, with support for mobile-to-mobile and mobile-to-desktop calls.

    The company says this is the first video over internet service on the iPhone or iPod touch.

    The new fring version with video calls support is currently available to users with iPhone/ iPod touch OS 3.0 and selected Nokia Symbian S60 devices (Nokia X6, N97 mini, N97, 5800, N95 8G and N95).

    For the iPhone only incoming video-stream is available (due to the location of the camera). 2-way video streaming is available for Symbian devices.

    “We were the first to bring mobile voice over internet to mobile devices, the first to bring iPhone/ iPod touch users the choice to make free Internet calls, the first to enable cost-saving mobile twitter over internet, and now we’re proud to continue leading the field of rich mobile-internet communication by bringing users the world’s first fring video calls over internet for the iPhone and iPod touch,” said Avi Shechter, Co-Founder & CEO of fring.

    “As the mobile VoIP trail-blazers since this industry’s inception, we have a responsibility to continue breaking the mobile-internet barriers, and bringing users all the choices, richness and always-on connectivity that internet communications on mobile can deliver,” he added.

    The new video feature is embedded within the popular fring application that enables free voice calls to other fring, Skype and GTalk users as well as friends on regular phone lines via Skype-Out and SIP services.

  • OKI Develops Industry’s First 1.1 Inch QVGA High Brightness LED

    OKI Digital Imaging, a subsidiary of OKI Data Corporation (a subsidiary that develops, manufactures, and markets LEDs), announced it has succeeded in developing a 1.1 inch QVGA (Quarter Video Graphics Array) LED display while reducing power consumption to one-tenth that of conventional LCDs.

    According to OKI, this achievement is the direct result of a new company technology that enhances luminance efficiency, based on refinements of its proprietary Epi Film Bonding technology that permit two-dimensional deployment.

    This new technology applies the Epi Film Bonding technology to mount thin-film LEDs onto a metal board in a manner permitting high reflection and radiation.

    “Featuring the world’s first 65-micrometer pitch between LED chips, this LED display also realizes high density to deliver high-definition images while maintaining diminutive dimensions,” the company says.

    OKI claims that since it is self-illuminating, the new display features faster response, more compact dimensions, and lower power consumption than LCD displays that require a separate light source. It also features high contrast (over 5000:1) for high visibility even in bright daylight.

    “The new technology has made it possible for us to develop a groundbreaking LED display that provides high definition images while maintaining compact dimensions,” said Hiroshi Kikuchi, President of OKI Digital Imaging.

    Ha added that the firm plans to leverage the expertise and technical knowledge accumulated over 20 years of experience with LED printing to develop new technologies in other areas and to expand its LED-related businesses.

    OKI informed they will manufacture the LED display at the newly-acquired LED manufacturing facility in Gunma prefecture, Japan. Shipments of samples are expected to begin by the end of fiscal year 2010.

  • Paessler AG Introduces PRTG Network Monitor to Safeguard VoIP Transmission Quality

    Admitting that VoIP technology has revolutionized corporate communications to become one of the most efficient, flexible and affordable solutions for day-to-day business communication, Paessler AG released the PRTG Network Monitor that allows corporate network administrators and VoIP service providers to keep a watchful eye on the quality of these services to ensure “continuous and reliable delivery of VoIP service.”

    Employing specially-developed quality of service (QoS) sensors and probes to collect and analyze network performance data, PRTG Monitor provides continuous monitoring of VoIP infrastructure to safeguard transmission quality.

    The company says an uninterrupted flow of data is essential to the reliable performance of VoIP and video streaming; even minimal changes to QoS parameters can have significant effects on these user datagram protocol (UDP) services. If UDP packet transmission quality suffers, so do the sound and image quality of the individual applications too.

    “The new QoS sensor introduced with PRTG Monitoring Tools version 7.2 keeps tabs on the performance of VoIP connections to measure various QoS parameters such as jitter, package delays or losses etc.,” said Dirk Paessler, CEO of Paessler AG.

    According to him, by analyzing performance against these parameters, as well as recording a log of packages that are lost, requested again or duplicated, PRTG can “dramatically reduce the risk of failures in connectivity or quality of service.”

    Performance measurements are made by sending UDP packages between two installed remote probes to monitor the transmission quality of VoIP and video applications at each ‘end’ of the connection.

    By analyzing the performance data, network administrators can troubleshoot the network to determine potential sources of error responsible for poor quality of service interruptions. And, when major problems occur, PRTG delivers an instant alert to the administrator immediately, via e-mail or SMS for example.

    PRTG Network Monitor 7.2 also includes a sensor that captures IP SLA data, the preferred method for checking the quality of VoIP applications. IP SLA is based on active network traffic monitoring technology, and therefore provides a reliable method for measuring performance.

    With PRTG at their disposal, administrators who work with appropriate routers and switches have the ability to analyze IP service levels for different IP applications.

  • First Else Unveiled – Is The Revolution Coming?

    Previewed in October at ACCESS Day in Japan, the First Else, the first mobile device deploying the ELSE INTUITION platform, was unveiled yesterday in London.

    ELSE INTUITION is a new and, as the companies claim “groundbreaking” mobile platform jointly developed by ACCESS, Tokyo-based provider of software technologies to the mobile and beyond-PC markets, and Emblaze Mobile – Israeli technology design house for mobile devices.

    ELSE INTUITION combines ACCESS Linux Platform v3.0, ACCESS’ flagship mobile Linux platform, with innovative user interface and a suite of services provided by Emblaze.

    Thanks to the combination of ACCESS Linux Platform v3.0 and an advanced user interface engine, the platform delivers “a highly compelling and differentiated user experience, coupled with state-of-the-art hardware, accelerated 2D/3D graphics and elegant transition effects,” as the companies say.

    They also assure that all data and content, including contacts, appointments, videos and photos can be rendered anywhere, not just within a single dedicated application. That gives users “faster, easier and more consistent access to their information.”

    Coming in Q2 next year, the First Else is a first device that deploys the new platform.

    The companies say “the device actually becomes the application”, which means that First Else would focus on applications rather than standard mobile phone functions, according to Amir Kupervas’, CEO of Emblaze explanation.

    The device provides functionality that for the first time is able to match that of standalone off-the-shelf dedicated devices, such as digital cameras, top-ranked MP3 players, best-in-class GPS devices, and more, “while maintaining an exceptional ease and simplicity of use.”

    First Else comes with TI OMAP 3430 processor, 3.5" FWVGA 480×854 capacitive touch screen, microSD slot that will allow for a 32GB storage capacity, 5 MP camera with auto-focus and advanced stabilization technology, Bluetooth, HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, standalone GPS and A-GPS, tilt, proximity and light sensors with adaptive handling and 1450mA battery.

    "Our vision is to create a revolutionary mobile solution that will change users’ experience in the mobile arena. Imagine a device that is not a phone surrounded by gimmicks you will not use; where the camera literally replaces your digital camera; you get real-time push email wherever you are on the globe; almost every song and film in the world is one click away; and any one of its multitude of features is reached with no more than one light gesture of your finger and not buried deep inside folders within folders. If you imagine this, you imagine the first ELSE and the capabilities created with ELSE INTUITION. And yes – it is definitely something ELSE," Kupervas said.

    According to Tomihisa Kamada, president of ACCESS, Emblaze came to them with a “thought-provoking” concept to “shake up” the mobile industry. “I am delighted that ACCESS has been able to provide the software to make it happen," he said.

    The ACCESS Linux Platform v3.0 is compliant with LiMo Foundation specifications and employs ACCESS’ NetFront Browser. The company says its Advanced UI Engine enables development of state-of-the-art user interfaces with advanced graphical effects, and allows complete modification of applications’ "look and feel" without requiring changes to the applications’ code. It also supports full hardware graphics acceleration via OpenGL ES 2.0.

  • DroboElite Brings BeyondRAID Technology to SMBs

    Data Robotics announced DroboElite, the first iSCSI SAN storage that manages itself.

    DroboElite is a business class data storage solution that brings the company’s BeyondRAID technology to small and medium businesses.

    According to Data Robotics, DroboElite, the fastest Drobo to date, features a new hardware architecture that includes an enhanced processing engine and dual high-speed iSCSI interfaces for 150 percent of the performance of previous Drobo models.

    “True multi-host support with LUN affinity allows small and medium businesses with limited IT resources to simplify management and reduce costs by consolidating storage across multiple servers,” the company says.

    DroboElite delivers automated capacity expansion and one-click single- or dual-drive redundancy for data protection for Windows, Mac and Linux machines.

    The new system extends the number of Smart Volumes – Data Robotics’ unique thin provisioning that pulls storage from a common pool of drives – so that users can now create up to 255 virtual storage volumes.

    “Smart Volumes allow companies to create new volumes in seconds and manage them over time by pulling storage from a common pool rather than a specific physical drive allocation. Smart Volumes are also file system aware which allows deleted data blocks to be immediately returned to the pool for future use,” the firm says.

    The new Drobo features multi-host support that enables the companies with multiple servers to add or consolidate storage by connecting the DroboElite into their existing TCP/IP network and utilizing the industry-standard iSCSI protocol.

    The Elite also comes with VMware-ready features: with dual iSCSI ports and the ability to create up to 255 Smart Volumes, it can support VMware environments and advanced functionality including VMotion, Storage VMotion, snapshots, and high availability.

    DroboElite features multiple stream optimization, dual Gigabit Ethernet interfaces for high-speed iSCSI and 8-drive capacity with instant capacity expansion to 16TB and beyond.

    With simplified dual-drive redundancy companies are protected against the simultaneous failure of up to two hard drives without losing access to their data.

    “Our products are exceedingly simple and straightforward to use while providing all of the features that SMBs need to keep their data safe and accessible,” said Dr. Geoff Barrall, CEO and founder of Data Robotics.

    He claims Data Robotics can deliver cost savings up to 90 percent compared to other iSCSI solutions by combining cost-effective hardware with robust iSCSI features.

    DroboElite is currently available starting at a price of $3,499 MSRP, with multiple configurations to $5,899 for a 16TB (8x 2TB) solution.

    The company also introduced Drobo S, a professional-class storage solution.

    “With the introduction of eSATA and a fifth drive bay, as well as enhancements to FireWire 800 throughput, the Drobo S offers 150 percent of the performance of the current four-bay Drobo, making it an ideal storage solution for creative professionals, small offices, and home office users,” according to press release.