Business News Holding

Tag: hardware-and-technology

  • Green-House Launches New Line of SSDs


    The Japanese firm Green-House has announced a new line of 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch SSDs that use PATA IDE interface.

    Both lines are available with capacities ranging from 16GB to 128GB.

    The SLC flash based models have 16GB-64GB capacities and offer 65MB/s read and 55MB/s write speeds. MLC-based models offers 16GB-128GB densities and have 60MB/s and 35MB/s write speeds.

    The Solid State Drives will be released in mid-July.

    1.8-inch Models:

    • 16GB/SLC GH-SSD16GP-1SA / 4511677054372
    • 32GB/SLC GH-SSD32GP-1SA / 4511677054389
    • 64GB/SLC GH-SSD64GP-1SA / 4511677054396
    • 16GB/MLC GH-SSD16GP-1MA / 4511677054402
    • 32GB/MLC GH-SSD32GP-1MA / 4511677054419
    • 64GB/MLC GH-SSD64GP-1MA / 4511677054426
    • 128GB/MLC GH-SSD128GP-1MA / 4511677054433

    2.5-inch Models:

    • 16GB/SLC GH-SSD16GP-2SA / 4511677054099
    • 32GB/SLC GH-SSD32GP-2SA / 4511677054105
    • 64GB/SLC GH-SSD64GP-2SA / 4511677054112
    • 16GB/MLC GH-SSD16GP-2MA / 4511677054051
    • 32GB/MLC GH-SSD32GP-2MA / 4511677054068
    • 64GB/MLC GH-SSD64GP-2MA / 4511677054075
    • 128GB/MLC GH-SSD128GP-2MA / 4511677054082

  • Mvix Launches "Ultimate" 1080p Home Theater Media Player


    Mvix has announces the worldwide launch of the Mvix Ultio, a hard-disk based media center capable of HD digital media playback with video output as high as 1080p.

    The company claims the device supports the largest array of AV formats and codecs of any media player.

    Ultio supports most 1080p HD video codecs, and formats such as H.264, MKV, Dixv HD, MOV, VC-1, FLV, etc.

    It is also capable of playing unique formats such as AVC-HD (normally used in camcorder footage) or FLAC (the popular, uncompressed audio, craved by audiophiles).

    Mvix Ultio is being launched in two flavors: the regular version (without a HDD) is priced at USD $169, whereas the premium version (bundled with 1TB Hard Drive) will be available at USD $259.

    Mike Mallon, business development manager of Mvix, said the Ultio is internet-ready and pre-equipped with a network port and an optional Wireless-N capability.

    He said it sports a samba server and a UPnP implementation, allowing seamless integration with services like PlayOn or Tversity – for streaming video content from Netflix, Hulu, CBS, Youtube, CNN, ESPN and much more.

    "This is our most comprehensive product to-date and we feel very confident about its market traction," he said.

    The Ultio is available now.

  • GENBAND and BroadSoft Offer Legacy Switch Migration Solution


    VoIP applications provider Broadsoft and IP infrastructure solutions developer GENBAND have announced a new set of solutions that enable carriers to upgrade their networks while supporting legacy features.

    The two companies have integrated GENBAND’s gateways with BroadSoft’s suite of hosted telephony and multimedia applications.

    Carrier demand to migrate aging TDM switches and expand broadband voice services is behind the move, according to the two companies.

    They have coupled BroadSoft’s BroadWorks VoIP application platform with GENBAND G9 and G6 gateways and C3 Signaling Controller, as well as the S3 Session Border Controller (SBC).

    David Bukovsky, vice president of products for BroadSoft, said the combined solution offers affordable switch migration that extends beyond legacy functionality, delivering new sources of revenue.

    "Previously, switch replacement meant new expenditures without new services," he said.

    "Unlike other offerings, the GENBAND/BroadSoft solution allows carriers to deliver carrier grade legacy Class 4, Class 5 and voice over broadband services via a single system.

    "Our combined solution enables carriers to reduce operational costs, but more importantly, gain a host of new services for the subscriber base."

    Bukovsky said these new services — such as fixed-mobile integration, hosted unified communications and Web 2.0 integration — improve customer retention and provide new sources of revenue that were previously unavailable.

    When the GENBAND/BroadSoft solution is deployed for TDM switch replacement, carriers can implement a complete next generation voice over broadband network via one integrated platform, including:

    • Residential Broadband — delivering primary-line services to residential consumers and home offices over any broadband or legacy connection, including GR-303, V5.2 and TR-08
    • Business Connectivity — connecting legacy Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), such as IP PBX, PBX or Key Telephone Systems, to the PSTN over any form of IP connectivity
    • Hosted PBX— delivering a complete suite of enhanced PBX functionality over any IP connection
    • IP Peering and Transport — lowering total cost of operation and increasing network efficiency and operational simplicity

  • Innocell Developing Double Capacity Palm Pre Battery


    Battery life is a key issue for smartphones – and it’s an area where the Palm Pre with its removable battery has some definite advantages over Apple’s iPhone.

    Not least that Innocell is developing a new battery for the Pre that has twice the capacity of the handset’s original.

    It currently offers the Innocell 1350mAh Extended Life Battery, which promises longer standby and talk time than the original fits in the existing space (so no replacement door is needed) and costs USD $44.95.

    With its non-replaceable battery this is an option not open to the iPhone.

    Innocell is also developing an extended battery that the company claims will provide up to nearly twice the capacity of the standard battery.

    This will include a rubberized battery door to accommodate the slightly bigger size.

    Price and availability has yet to be announced for this battery.

  • 02 Secures Exclusive UK Rights to Palm Pre


    O2 has beaten rival operator Orange to secure the exclusive rights to the Palm Pre when it is released in the UK.

    Palm and O2 are expected to make the announcement next week almost a month after the launch of the handset in the US.

    The deal strengthens O2’s position in the smartphone market since it is already the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the UK.

    There are no details yet on Pre costings and tariffs for the UK.

    News of O2’s deal with Palm was reported in The Guardian, which described the competition between O2 and Orange as "fierce".

    Apple recently announced that the iPhone 3GS sold over one million units in its first weekend of its availability.

    Sprint, the only wireless carrier to offer the Pre in the US, has not revealed sales numbers – although it appears to be doing reasonably well.

    Estimates of its sales range from 150,000 to 300,000 units.

  • Varisys Boosts Storage Range


    Varisys has added to its range of storage products with two new high performance boards intended for use in harsh environments.

    The VTS2 also provides high-density storage in standard form factors. It is now available in a conduction-cooled assembly that provides VME users the ability to add mass storage into a rugged system.

    Utilizing either single or dual, 1.8 or 2.5" Solid-State or regular Hard Disk Drives, Varisys said the VTS2 is easily customizable to meet exact project requirements in terms of cost memory size and performance.

    Using solid-state disk technology up to 640GByts of storage can be mounted on the VTS2.

    The VMS2 (PMC hard drive carrier) is an IEEE P1386.1 compliant PMC module that allows either a 1.8 or 2.5" hard disk drive to be used to build a compact and robust mass storage solution for embedded systems.

    Ruggedization options include industrial temperature operation, conduction cooling and conformal coating.

    The VMS2 offers various factory options including the ability to use either a standard rotary drive or a solid-state drive in either 1.8" or 2.5" form factor.

    Solid State drive technology permits up to 320GBytes on a single PMC site.

    Varisys said its storage products are ideally suited for RADAR, SONAR, medical imaging and telecommunications applications.

  • Adaptec Introduces Greener More Efficient RAID Controllers


    Adaptec has announced the availability of its Series 5Z Unified Serial (SATA/SAS) RAID controller family.

    The company said these high-performance controllers integrate an industry first – a flash-based Zero-Maintenance Cache Protection module that provides data center managers with a single controller solution for data protection in the event of both power loss and drive failure.

    Designed to replace a current generation of Lithium Ion battery-based cache back-up devices, the Adaptec RAID Series 5Z is an integrated solid state solution designed to "significantly reduce" annual data center operating costs and environmental impact.

    The controllers offer an integrated, maintenance-free design, eliminating the need to monitor battery charge levels or shut down servers for battery replacement.

    Scott Cleland, director of marketing, Adaptec, said that as enterprise storage demands skyrocket, there is an enormous need for feature-rich, maintenance-free data storage I/O solutions that work to lower overall IT costs and provide significant environmental advantages.

    "For both SATA and SAS drives, the Adaptec Series 5Z family not only delivers the performance, scalability and power efficiency that our customers demand, but with Zero-Maintenance Cache Protection, it offers a simple, maintenance-free solution that provides a critical layer of data protection that is often overlooked," he said.

    All three Adaptec Series 5Z controllers are available now priced at the following MSRPs: Adaptec RAID 5405Z (USD $785), Adaptec RAID 5805Z (USD $965), Adaptec RAID 5445Z (USD $1,045).

  • WD Launches Dual-Drive Network Storage System


    WD has unveiled its newly redesigned My Book World Edition II dual- drive network storage system in capacities of up to 4 TB.

    The company said the double protection of two Mirrored (RAID 1) drives and continuous backup software, makes the storage system extra-safe for users to back up and store the data and digital media.

    The new dual-drive system joins the recently introduced My Book World Edition and is compatible with PC and Mac computers.

    According to a July 2008 report by research firm Parks Associates, the number of households worldwide with data networks will grow from around 170 million in 2008 to 240 million by year-end 2012.

    The firm also reports that the average broadband household will see its digital media storage need grow to nearly 900 GB by year-end 2012.

    In addition, consumers indicate that the most important feature for a network-attached storage (NAS) device is the amount of available storage.

    With its massive 4 TB capacity, WD is hoping the My Book World Edition II network storage system will serve this rapidly growing need for home data storage.

    The new network storage systems are available now in 2 TB and 4 TB capacities, MSRP with 4 TB is GBP £599.99 and 2 TB is GBP £369.99.

    The new My Book World Edition II network drive features:

    • Automatic, continuous backup for all the computers on your network;
    • Dual-drive system that mirrors valuable data for extra safe data
    • protection;
    • Centralised storage and sharing for all of your family’s digital
    • content;
    • Streaming to any connected PC, Mac or DLNA certified game console or
    • media player;
    • Easy remote access to all your data from anywhere, anytime;
    • Works seamlessly on networks with both Windows and Mac computers;
    • Ability to centralise and stream music collection to a Mac or Windows
    • PC using iTunes software;
    • USB 2.0 port to turn any USB drive into an instant network drive or
    • extra capacity for the My Book World Edition II;
    • Cooler, quieter, eco-friendly design with drives using WD GreenPower
    • Technology(tm) which run cooler, quieter and consume up to 33 percent less
    • power;
    • User serviceable;
    • Capacity gauge to see at a glance how much space is available on your
    • drive;
    • High-speed data transfer with Gigabit Ethernet; and,
    • 3-year limited warranty.

  • SanDisk 32GB Flash Card Handles HD Video


    SanDisk is offering a new Extreme SDHC card which it claims is the world’s fastest 32GB card – with both the capacity and I/O speed to handle HD video clips.

    With a sustained write speed – up to 30 megabits-per-second – the company said it is fast enough to capture a storehouse of up to 160 minutes of full HD (1920×1080) video at a 24Mb/s data transfer rate.

    According to SanDisk, the card also is compliant to the SD Association’s new Class 10 specification, which exceeds requirements for today’s high-definition (AVCHD) video recording.

    Susan Park, SanDisk director of Retail Product Marketing, said a memory card’s write speed plays a crucial role in the overall system of the camera when taking pictures in rapid succession.

    "If a card cannot process data quickly enough, then the burst-mode shooting may pause unexpectedly as the card catches up to the camera," she said.

    Burst-mode bottlenecks can lead to missing an important shot, especially at sporting or other fast-motion events, according to Park.

    "The market for entry to mid-level DSLR cameras is growing," she said. "This card’s 32GB of storage and fast read/write speeds enable DSLR users to shoot without worrying about storage or speed limitations."

    The SanDisk Extreme SDHC 32GB cards will begin shipping worldwide to major retailers in August.

  • Vuzix First With Wrap-Around Specs for iPhone 3GS


    Vuzix has announced the first wearable display glasses compatible with the new iPhone 3GS.

    The iWear AV310 gives users the virtual equivalent of a 52”, 16:9 widescreen display as if viewed from a distance of nine feet.

    Vuzix says the specs are compatible with both 2D and stereoscopic 3D video.

    David Lock, director of Vuzix’s European operations, recently told smartphone.biz-news that the company’s new Wrap glasses would transform the whole video eyewear from "geek to chic".

    Certainly the AV310 wouldn’t be a problem to wear in most situations.

    Weighing just 4 oz, the specs are worn like regular glasses.

    As well as being compatible with the new Apple handset, Vuzix says they also support all audio/video devices with composite video-out.

    A single removable AA battery gives up to 11 hours of viewing.

    The AV310 retails for USD $249.95.