Business News Holding

Tag: hardware-and-technology

  • Verbatim Launches Encrypted Products at Infosecurity


    Verbatim has introduced its new range of hardware encrypted USB drives, solid state drives (SSD) portable drives and software encrypted DVD discs at this year’s Infosecurity Show.

    The storage media specialist said its new products will be aimed at anyone carrying sensitive material since the encryption prevents unauthorised accessing of the contents of the storage device.

    Hans Christoph Kaiser, business development manager for Flash Memory, Verbatim EUMEA, said: "There have been many embarrassing instances in recent years of USB drives or other storage products being mislaid or lost, and the confidential data contained within them compromised."

    "It is crucial that confidential information remains confidential, especially if it falls into the wrong hands.

    "Encrypted storage devices have become an essential part of life to huge numbers of people who need to keep their sensitive data private, this includes government officials, hospital staff and lawyers to name just a few.

    "Verbatim offers a comprehensive range that provides a solution to any storage problem requiring confidentiality."

    The new range includes:

    • Executive Secure USB Drive – with a 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) hardware encryption coupled with integrated password protection
    • ExpressCard SSD Secure – Verbatim is launching a range of Secure SSD ExpressCards that guarantee the safety of the stored data if accidentally lost or mislaid
    • Encrypted Hard Disk Drive – Verbatim’s 128-bit hardware encrypted 2.5" hard disk drive offers real-time full disk encrypted storage without performance loss during data transfer
    • SecureSaveDVD – protects files for up to 100 years using AES 256-bit encryption

  • 3PAR Launches Fastest Midrange Single-System Storage Array


    The global utility storage provider 3PAR has announced the launch of its InServ F400 Storage Server, writes Samanatha Sai for storage.biz-news.

    The company says it is the fastest single-system midrange storage array based on the results of the audit and peer review SPC-1 submitted to the Storage Performance Council (SPC) – a vendor neutral standards company.

    The storage array also is reported to provide one of the best price-to-performance ratios that have been submitted to the SPC so far.

    Brian Garrett, technical director of Enterprise Strategy Group Lab, said the latest round of SPC-1 Results proves that the Mesh-Active 3PAR architecture delivers industry-leading levels of performance across both high-end and midrange Fibre Channel arrays.

    "The advanced features of the 3PAR InServ F400 eliminate the performance and scalability compromises that typically accompany midrange storage," he said.

    "This is particularly crucial in this economy, where organizations are pressed to do more with less and are looking for low-cost, high-performance alternatives."

    The array uses a quad controller and is the only midrange array with this architecture in the market today.

    The quad controller is Mesh Active and was designed to overcome the technical limitations that were bothersome facts of traditional midrange arrays.

    The features and benefits associated with mid range arrays are all available at a price that is targeted to the midrange storage market.

    The results show that it has achieved a total of 93,050.06 SPC-1 IOPS, an 8.85-millisecond average response time, a total ASU capacity of 27,046.695 gigabytes, at a cost of USD $5.89/SPC-1 IOPS.

    Significantly there is 96 per cent capacity utilization right out of the box. Complex configuration or performance tuning such as "short stroking" is also not required to achieve these results.

    The F400 scales up to four clustered, Mesh-Active controller nodes powered by the 3PAR Gen3 ASIC with Thin BuiltIn.

    Moreover, each volume can be active on any mesh unlike the traditional midrange controller architectures where only one volume can be active on one Mesh.
    This results in the delivery of a robust, load balanced performance with mixed workloads.

    The Gen3 ASIC is also designed to process data and metadata independently in different processors or memory subsystems within the controller.

    This delivers high performance for mixed workloads. It also avoids the limitation that encourages legacy array sprawl and maintains performance integrity without having to deploy separate midrange array for each workload.

    David Scott, 3PAR CEO

    David Scott, 3PAR president and CEO, said the new F-Class delivers an efficient and simple midrange storage system that scales not only in capacity but also in performance and connectivity.

    "InServ F-Class arrays were designed to eliminate the scalability, efficiency, and management sacrifices typical with traditional midrange systems, and this SPC-1 Result proves that we have been able to do this while delivering performance and price-performance leadership," he said.

  • 802.11n Wi-Fi Will Dominate Wireless HD Video


    802.11n Wi-fi technology will see off competitors in the wireless HD video market, at least for the next several years, according to In-Stat .

    Three other technologies are competing in this space – Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI), WirelessHD, and Ultrawideband (UWB).

    However, Brian O’Rourke, In-Stat analyst, said the ubiquity of Wi-Fi technology is proving unstoppable.

    He said 802.11n is the next generation of the immensely popular Wi-Fi family.

    "It promises data rates above 100Mbps and is backwards compatible," he said.

    "The installed base of Wi-Fi is immense, and effectively includes all mobile PCs, many mobile phones and a wide variety of CE devices.

    O’Rourke said the primary drawback to 802.11n is expense, since it requires codec technology on both ends to transmit HD video.

    Neither of its primary competitors, WHDI and WirelessHD, requires codecs.

    Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

    • UWB will not be a major factor in the consumer electronics market. Many chip companies are leaving the market in late 2008 and 2009.
    • Nearly 24 million digital TVs will ship with some type of Wireless HD video technology in 2013.
    • WHDI and WirelessHD are being promoted by startups, but they are new, expensive, and power-hungry, which is generally not a recipe for quick market success.
    • WHDI and WirelessHD will see a slow start, with fewer than eight million devices with those technologies shipped in 2013.

  • Sony Adds Web Connectivity to Bravia Range


    Sony has extended its BRAVIA HDTV range to include a new model that for the first time lets viewers access online services.

    The Z5500 uses Sony’s AppliCast technology to connect via its Ethernet port to the Internet.

    The HDTV can display RSS feeds and, through its XMB (XrossMediaBar) on-screen interface, provides a choice of widgets that can be simultaneously viewed while watching TV.

    Hiroshi Sakamoto, vice president, TV Marketing EuropeSony, said that alongside a pre-installed analogue clock and calendar, the Z5500 can download other networked widgets.

    The list includes: calculator, alarm, world clock and picture frame online, which allows you to display an image that is stored online when the TV is in Picture Frame Mode.

    The Z5500 also comes equipped with CI Plus interface, enabling broadcasters to offer premium content directly to TVs without the need for a separate set-top box.

    There’s also an integrated MPEG 4 AVC HD tuner for watching HD broadcasts without the need for a set-top box.

    The Z5500 will be available in three screen sizes (40-inch, 46-inch and 52-inch).

  • Palm Preparing Second Pre-like Smartphone For 2009


    With a launch date for Palm’s much anticipated Pre still to be announced along comes news that Palm is preparing a second Pre-like handset for release this year.

    The smaller and slimmer device will be pitched at a different part of the smartphone market, according to Techcrunch.

    Palm is said to be "very far along" on its second Pre-like handset, which will run the new WebOS operating system.

    Spec details – such as whether it will have a touchscreen keyboard – are unknown.

    Equally unclear is what effect a second device, launched so soon after the Pre, will have on the flagship smartphone’s sales.

    Elsewhere, more information has been emerging on the Pre this week, with iSuppli estimating that the Palm smartphone costs around USD $170 to make.

    The calculation is based on the device’s hardware and manufacturing costs using second-quarter component and assembly pricing.

    The breakdown of the USD $170.02 consists of a hardware cost of USD $137.83, manufacturing and basic test costs of USD $9.58, and software and licensing costs of USD $22.61.

    The analysis does not include shipping, logistics, marketing and other channel costs.

    iSuppli expects Palm will try to sell the Pre to wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp for about USD $300.

    But the analysts said the actual cost to consumers will be around USD $200 due to an expected carrier subsidy.

    Just when the Pre will be released is still largely a mystery, although the latest projection is 7th June.

    An interesting choice, if correct, as this is the day before Apple holds its World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC).

    And that is where the next generation iPhone is widely believed to be set for release.

  • MACH Aims To Offset EU Mobile Roaming Charge Cap Losses


    MACH has announced a range of solutions designed to offset the impact on mobile operator roaming revenues of the recent European Union (EU) pricing regulations.

    The company says its EU Compliance Power Pack will immediately counter the forecast reduction in revenues by implementing smart rating and price optimisation.

    It says this allows mobile operators to reprice certain services such as voice and SMS in order to create new revenue streams offsetting the anticipated effects of the EU regulation.

    The measures introduced by European regulators impose wide-ranging pricing restrictions and administrative obligations on mobile operators.

    Voice, SMS and data service prices will be capped with effect from 1st July 2009, with further reductions in caps becoming effective in 2011.

    Operators will also be required to bill on a per second basis under the new regulations.

    The legislation also requires operators to notify subscribers of high usage to avoid so-called "bill shocks", requiring real-time usage reporting and notification processes.

    European officials said they will monitor changes to other operator charging structures to ensure that these are not increased to compensate for the impact of the new legislation.

    Lodewijk Cornelis, CMO at MACH

    Lodewijk Cornelis, CMO at MACH, said its Power Pack includes a solution to the "bill shock" problem, by triggering timely customer notification whenever a usage threshold is reached.

    He said this solution gives mobile operators the ability to provide customers with timely data usage information while roaming.

    "The regulations approved by the European Parliament, combined with increasing competition both from within the mobile industry and from alternative communications technologies, mean that operators have to continuously monitor and reassess retail and wholesale pricing strategies," he said.

    "MACH solutions turn, what seems at first sight to be, a huge obstacle to growth into an opportunity for operators to differentiate their offerings and reduce their operational costs."

    The EU is also preparing legislation to force carriers to allow VoIP to run on their cellular networks.

    Earlier this month, EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said that "action" should be taken against carriers that use their market power to block "innovative services".

    Cornelis said the new solutions allow operators to use sophisticated simulation techniques to optimise retail and wholesale pricing of non-EU roaming traffic, increasing revenues while at the same time maximising customer value.

    He said The Power Pack also handles the complex task of rating usage data in real time by reference to regulatory capping, and its applications process all of the administrative changes to inter-operator tariff structures to ensure accurate and timely settlement before and after the regulations come into effect.

    MACH clears two out of every three roaming calls on GSM and CDMA networks and settles more than 60 per cent of the inter-operator wholesale invoice amounts.

  • IP PBX Call Handling Boosted By Vocalocity Web Dashboard


    Vocalocity has launched a user dashboard that works through a Web browser rather than through separate PC software.

    The development gives users of its hosted IP PBX service click-to-call functionality and on-screen call summaries – functions previously only available to web-based VoIP solutions.

    While many IP PBXs let users click to make calls and view calling activity on their computer screens, hosted services typically haven’t had such capabilities.

    The new Vocalocity service enables managers and staff to see the real time status of all extensions in their organization.

    Called the VocalocityPBX Dashboard, the new features allow phone administrators to create customized views organized by user and status, in an interface similar to instant messaging services.

    The Dashboard provides all users with an at-a-glance view of the people in their organization or on their team, along with the status and availability of the user.

    Vocalocity says other benefits of the Dashboard include:

    • Summary view of all active calls, conferences and queues
    • Real-time view of co-worker status – on a call, away, etc.
    • Click-to-call features, enabling users to dial any external number with a click of the mouse
    • Simple status options to update co-workers, such as "Do Not Disturb"
    • Instant access to a directory of all company extensions

    David Politis, executive vice president and general manager of Vocalocity, said the Dashboard might not seem like a groundbreaking feature.
    But he said it was significant for customers and their ability to work more efficiently.

    "This feature allows our customers to use their hosted VoIP system more effectively, enabling them to see who is on the phone or who is available in real-time, as well as if they want to take a call or route it to someone else in the organization," he said.

    Politis said managers could also use Dashboard to monitor employee phone use, such as how long a team member has been on the phone or who they are on the phone with.

    He said the developments were fuelled by customer demand for more visibility in their call activity.

    Vocalocity is offering the Dashboard as a standard feature for all new and existing customers.

  • VholdR Offers First Wearable HD camcorder


    VholdR has unveiled what it describes as the first wearable HD camcorder.

    Weighing just four ounces, the 5 Megapixel ContourHD can record 1280×720 video at 30fps or SD video at 60fps with H.264 codec.

    Designed to snap onto a helmet or goggles – the company’s owners are extreme sports enthusiasts – the anodized aluminum camcorder has a 135-degree wide-angle lens with rotation and dual laser alignment.

    There’s a 2GB microSD card included and it supports MicroSD cards up to 16GB – giving up to 8 hours of HD and 16 hours of SD on a single card.

    The ContourHD, which comes with a removable Lithium-ion battery, starts shipping on May 15th for USD $280.

  • Sprintcam V3 HD Demos Slow-Motion Capabilities


    I-Movix’s new SprintCam V3 HD produces slow-motion output equivalent to 20 to 40 times slower than normal speed.

    That sounds great – and the showreel below by David Coiffer proves just how great it looks as well.

    Made for NAB 2009 exhibition, the short video is mostly 1000FPS shots, made during a recent rugby competition in the Stade de France, Paris.

    The camera is the first broadcast-integrated, native HD, ultra-slow-motion solution offering frame rates of 500 to 1,000 fps with instant replay.

  • Adaptec Announces Support For VMware vSphere


    Adaptec has announced that its newly launched Series 5 Unified Serial (SATA/SAS) RAID Controller Family will be providing support for VMware vSphere.

    The VMware Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) program member’s controller family is supported natively via an in-box driver, ready for immediate installation.

    VMware vSphere is the industry’s first cloud operating system. It allows datacenters to be transformed into simplified cloud infrastructures.

    Scott Cleland, director of marketing at Adaptec, said that by supporting VMware vSphere, Adaptec can further extend the value of its Series 5 Unified Serial (SATA/SAS) RAID Controller Family into customers’ next-generation datacenters.

    He said this helps customers to manage large collections of infrastructure — including CPUs, storage and networking — as a seamless, flexible and dynamic cloud environment.

    "Virtualization and cloud computing environments are constantly changing and adapting to meet the demands of growing enterprises," he said.

    "VMware vSphere provides the most feature-rich solution available today to meet and exceed these growing needs."