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Tag: pc

  • Toshiba Launches First PC With 512GB SSD


    Toshiba has launched what it claims is the first PC integrating 512GB SSD (Solid State Drive).

    The top-of-the-range Portege R600-ST4203 (known as dynabook SS RX2/WAJ in Japan) is a notebook PC employing a 2-bit-per-cell multi-level NAND flash memory.

    The company says this is the largest capacity SSD, with four times the density of SSD integrated into currently available products.

    A new controller allows high-speed parallel processing with the multi-level NAND flash memory, boosting data access speeds by approximately 230 per cent for read (max. 230MB per sec) and 450 per cent for write (max.180MB per sec), compared with SSD integrated into current PCs.

    The Portege also boosts data access speed by approximately 300 per cent for read and 250 per cent for write, compared to a hard disk drive (HDD).

    The Portege R600-ST4203 is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo ULV SU9400 processor, 3GB RAM, and integrated GMA 4500MHD graphics.

    It comes with a 12.1-inch 1280×800 LCD display with LED-backlit, a DVD SuperMulti burner, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

    Obviously all this comes at a price – the Portege R600-ST4203 is now available for pre-order for USD $2,999.00.

    Other features of the Portege include:

    • weight approx.1,095g
    • thickness 19.5mm to 25.5mm
    • long-time battery operation (12 hours) helped by ultra-low voltage CPU, a transreflective LCD that uses natural sunlight to make screen images more visible even without switching on the backlight

  • Panasonic's Dash-mountable Devices Offer In-car Blu-ray


    Blu-Ray may still be absent from most people’s living rooms – but Panasonic is offering a pair of dash-mountable devices for those who need their high-def fix in the car.

    The CN-HX3000D Windows-powered device, with a 7-inch, 1280 x 720 display offering GPS, Bluetooth, a 40GB hard drive, and iPod/iPhone compatibility.

    Use in conjunction with the CY-BB1000D in-car Blu-ray player and the results are no doubt impressive.

    At what cost, though, Panasonic has still to release, though the pair are expected to hit stores by the end of the summer.

  • Dell's Smartphone Preparations Gain Pace


    Dell’s plans for entering the smartphone market have gained some more meat.

    The world’s second largest PC brand is working with two companies to develop software and hardware for new mobile devices.

    Accel’s Jim Breyer join Dell’s board

    Chi Mei Communications – an unlisted unit of Taiwan’s Hon Hai – is involved with the hardware, while China-based Red Office is engineering the operating system, according to Reuters.

    The outcome is expected to be the launch of multiple smartphones in the Chinese market before the end of the year.

    If all goes well, the US and Europe would then get the PC maker’s devices.

    Dell’s move into the smartphone market – and China, where China Mobile is seen as the favored operator – could be part of the reason why it has appointed Jim Breyer, of Venture firm Accel Partners, to its board.

    Already on ten boards, including Facebook, Etsy, Wal-Mart and Marvel, his company launched a USD $250 million fund in China in 2005.

    Breyer’s experience of finding the right partners and market could be important to Dell as it prepares new devices.

  • Panasonic's VHS/Blu-ray Combo Upconverts SD Video to 1080p


    The world’s first Blu-ray-VHS dual player is to go on sale in the US from next month.

    Made by Panasonic, the DMP-BD70V has a multi-format playback that allows users to play VHS, CD, DVD and 1080p high definition Blu-ray Discs.

    It also allows standard DVDs and VHS tapes to be up-converted to 1080p resolution.

    While the picture quality of VHS tapes obviously doesn’t rival Blu-ray, it does produce an impressive picture – something certain to appeal to the many households with stacks of VHS tapes lying around.

    The DMP-BD70V has been available in Japan since last year.

    The combo VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/SD Card Player is to be priced at USD $399.

  • Panasonic To Release Freesat PVR HDD Blu-Ray Recorder


    Panasonic has unveiled what it claims are the world’s first Blu-ray recorders with two integrated Freesat receivers and an internal hard drive.

    Freesat is a UK free-to-air digital satellite television service that is a joint venture between the BBC and ITV.

    Making the announcement at its European press launch in Amsterdam this week, Panasonic said the DMR-BS850 will feature a 500GB hard drive along with a Blu-ray player and recorder.

    The company will also be releasing a smaller version, the 250GB BS750.

    Both will offer support for Panasonic’s new Internet content delivery service, Viera Cast.

    Since the players are equipped with twin HD tuners, users will be able to record content from one channel while watching another one.

    Both machines are Freesat+ compatible, so pausing and rewinding on-demand will also be possible.

    The two models have integrated SD memory card slots and, although Panasonic didn’t confirm it, it will also be possible to record Freesat-recorded content onto a Blu-ray Disc.

    The new recorders will launch in May but no price details have been released.

  • WD Readies New My Book World Storage Device


    Western Digital has redesigned its My Book World Edition to target consumers with multiple computers on a home network.

    The company says the new device simplifies the tedious task of backing up an entire household’s files.

    The network storage device comes in 1TB and 2TB capacities and has both DLNA 1.5 and UPnP certification to allow for streaming with a variety of devices.

    It also has a single USB port to let you turn any other USB drive into a network drive.

    Jim Welsh, senior vice president and general manager of WD’s branded products and consumer electronics groups, said the My Book World Edition drive simply had to be plugged into a network router, a few buttons had to be clicked and it backed up the files from all the PCs and Macs on the network.

    Any changes to the files are automatically and continuously backed up to the drive.

    The new hard drives are available now in the 1 TB capacity and expected later this month in the 2 TB capacity (USD $230 and $450 or GBP 168.99 and GBP 369.99 respectively).

  • TeliaSonera Launches Unlimited Mobile Music Service


    TeliaSonera is to launch an "all you can eat" mobile music download service.

    The Swedish operator becomes the latest mobile player to offer subscribers unlimited access to "millions of songs" from all the major record labels plus several independent labels.

    The operator said that Telia Musik can be downloaded to either a mobile or a PC.

    Telia in Sweden will be the first mobile operator to launch the service, which will be free for the first three months and cost SEK99 (USD $12.2) per month thereafter.

    However, TeliaSonera said the service will eventually be offered to more than 13.3 million mobile customers across six of its markets, including Norway, Finland, Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania.

    In Sweden, Telia Musik will compete with Sony Ericsson’s new unlimited music download service, PlayNow Plus.

    It is being offered by rival mobile operator, Telenor Sweden, and also costs SEK99 per month.

    The service could also compete with Nokia’s high-profile Comes With Music product, which is being offered in the UK by mobile operator 3 UK and is expected to launch in further markets soon.

  • Lenovo Promises Desktop PC Breakthrough


    Lenovo has launched a desktop computing solution that can dramatically help businesses reduce IT costs and security risks by turning off hard drives and storing all data in a non-server remote location.

    Called Secure Managed Client (SMC), the company claims it is the first solution to do all this while still offering users the flexibility and performance of a traditional desktop PC.

    It consists of a client, a hard drive-less ThinkCentre desktop PC Intel vPro technology, a Lenovo co-developed software stack and a centralized Lenovo Storage Array, powered by Intel.

    Peter Schrady, vice president, general manager, software and peripherals Relevant Products/Services, Lenovo, said SMC was the rarest of gems – a breakthrough technology in desktop computing.

    "We’ve all seen the rapid-fire advances in mobile Relevant Products/Services computing such as batteries, connectivity, and the like, but this is the desktop PC’s turn to shine," he said.

    "SMC is an exceptionally engineered innovation designed for better manageability, better security, better performance and a better balance sheet."

    Shrady said SMC offers several significant benefits over current server-based computing options such as blade PCs, thin clients or desktop virtualization Relevant Products/Services.

    Most notably, these include:

    • Preserves PC fidelity — SMC gives the end user a full Windows experience
    • Avoids IT complexity — SMC works with and enhances current IT process and tools
    • Safe and flexible investment — An SMC ThinkCentre can easily be converted back to a traditional desktop PC by re-enabling the hard drives
    • Energy efficient — An SMC ThinkCentre uses less energy Relevant Products/Services than a traditional desktop PC
    • Security — Information from all desktops in an SMC fleet is stored in a safe, single location, significantly reducing the threat of on-site theft of data

    Lenovo said some of its large enterprise customers have already recorded significant results from SMC pilot deployments.

    The company estimates that using the SMC solution can potentially reduce the expense of fully managing a PC from USD $120 per month to as low as $70 per PC.

    This is based on expense estimates for large enterprise customers in North America that take into account such things as deskside IT visits, call center support Relevant Products/Services, and management costs.

    The SMC solution is currently being offered on the ThinkCentre M57p(1) desktop PC, and can also be offered on the ThinkCentre M58p(2 )in early 2009.

  • Intel PCs to wake up for VoIP phone calls

    A wake-up call for the PC: Intel-powered computers to snap out of sleep when you phone them

    Intel is unveiling new technology that will let computers wake up from their power-saving sleep state when they receive a phone call over the Internet.

    Current computers have to be fully “on” to receive a call, making them impractical and energy-wasters as replacements for the telephone.

    The new Intel component will let computers automatically return to a normal, full-powered state when a call comes in. The computer can activate its microphone and loudspeaker to alert the user, then connect the call.

    Trevor Healy, chief executive of Jajah, which will be the first Internet telephone company to utilize the feature, said: “This certainly helps the PC become a much better center of communications in the home.”

    Joe Van De Water, director of consumer product marketing for Intel , said the first Intel motherboards with the Remote Wake capability will be shipping in the next month.

    These components, which are at the heart of every computer, will most likely be used by smaller computer manufacturers. Bigger names like Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. use their own motherboard solutions, but Intel is working to supply them with the technology as well.

    The four initial Remote Wake motherboards will be for desktop computers and will need an Internet connection via Ethernet cable, as Wi-Fi doesn’t work in sleep mode.

    Van De Water said the computer will know to wake up only for calls from services to which the user has subscribed, so computer-waking prank calls should be impossible.

  • PC disc drives to boost Blu-ray growth


    Blu-ray Disc drives installed on PCs are expected to help “convert” more consumers to the format, with growth forecast at 117 per cent annually through 2013.

    According to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a report from IMS Research shows that non-broadcast HD video households are expected to increase 90 per cent annually through 2013, reaching 38 million homes worldwide.

    Although the research study shows that satellite continues to lead in households converting from analog to digital, OEM-installed Blu-ray Disc drives on PCs are expected to play an important role in increasing user numbers for the format.

    Victor Matsuda, Chairman of the BDA Global Promotions Committee said: “Blu-ray drives within PCs is a key strategic market which we foresee growing strongly in the short, medium and long term.”

    IMS Research suggests that the increasing prevalent of Blu-ray discs in PCs over the next five years will help generate revenue of US$46 billion for Blu-ray.

    Over the next 12 months, the market will see Blu-ray PC offerings from Dell, HP, FujitsuSiemens, Packard Bell, Acer and Sony.

    As a result, Blu-ray Disc sales are expected to benefit as well as sales in the HDTV display market.
    The IMS report joins a study from Futuresource Consulting, which forecasta that Blu-ray discs will outsell standard DVDs by 2012.