Technology Bang

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

VisionTek cuts price of its Killer 2100 Gaming Network Card

Introduced two months ago with a price tag of $129.99, the Bigfoot-powered VisionTek Killer 2100 Gaming Network Card has received a price cut which makes it break the apparently magical $100 mark. Now at $99, the card is hoped to become more enticing for the online gaming crowd.

The Killer 2100 has a PCI-Express x1 interface and features a 400 MHz-clocked network processor (NPU), 128MB of DDR2 memory, Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, the Game Networking DNA which accelerates latency-sensitive game traffic, the Advanced Game Detect function that prioritizes game traffic, Windows stack bypass, and the Visual Bandwidth Control, enabling users to manage their Internet connection with (relative) ease.

VisionTek's network card is selling in North America through Newegg, Buy.com, CompUSA, Dell.com, TigerDirect, NCIX, Amazon and other outlets.

Intel's Q1 Sandy Bridge processor line-up exposed

There's no doubt about it, by the end of the year Intel will start manufacturing 32nm processors based on the Sandy Bridge architecture and, just as 2011 roll in, will unleash them upon the desktop and portable PC markets to keep the money pouring in and AMD well behind on second place.

Unsurprisingly, although it has confirmed the release schedule of the first Sandy Bridge chips, Intel isn't saying anything (officially) about the specs of the upcoming models but thankfully, a leak is providing a good picture of what's coming.

The Sandy Bridge desktop and mobile offering for Q1 is detailed in the table below and it contains no less than 19 CPUs - 12 quad-cores and 7 dual-cores, going from 2.3 GHz to 3.4 GHz. The chips listed come in LGA 1155 packaging and feature an integrated (dual channel) DDR3 memory controller as well as a graphics core.

The mobile models all include Hyper-Threading technology but this will apparently be absent on certain desktop chips (the Core i5-2500s and i5-2400). To keep things complicated Intel will have several flavors of the same model available, these being set apart with an end letter (or lack of a letter). For example K means an unlocked multiplier, S - lower frequencies and a lower TDP, while T - even lower clocks and TDP ratings. Pricing info hasn't been revealed as it's probably still in the works.

PhotoFast unveils CF card, 1.8-inch HDD/SSD external USB 3.0 enclosure

PhotoFast has today presented to the world a new G-Monster-branded product, the G-Monster X Drive enclosure which features a USB 3.0 interface and can house either a CompactFlash (Type I) memory card or a 1.8-inch hard/solid state drive with ZIF, microSATA or 50-pin IDE connectivity.

Set to become available in September (in black and white), the enclosure measures 105.25 x 60.95 x 10 mm and weights 95 grams.

Acer launches G5-series monitors in Europe

Acer's monitor offer for the Old Continent is being expanded this month through the release of the G5-series line which includes the 19-inch G195HQ, 20-inch G205H, 22-inch G225HQ, 23-inch G235H and 24-inch G245H models - all targeting gamers and multimedia enthusiasts.

The G5 LCDs come with an X-shaped stand providing tilt adjustment, have a piano black finish, a contrast ratio of up to 80,000:1 a 5ms response time (2ms for the G245H), DVI connectivity (plus HDMI 1.3 on certain models), and a native resolution going from 1366 x 768 for the G195HQ, through 1600 x 900 for the G205H, to 1920 x 1080 for the rest.

The G195HQ, G205H, G225HQ, G235H and G245H have recommended price tags of €119, €139, €169, €199 and €219, respectively.

New PhysX software released, comes with fixes for Mafia 2

With the PhysX-enhanced Mafia 2 demo out on Steam, Nvidia has made available a new PhysX software package (version 9.10.0513) that, among other things, fixes some issues with 2K Czech's highly-anticipated action game.

The fresh PhysX release has support for GeForce 8, 9, 100, 200, 300 and 400 series cards and features the following highlights:

- Includes the latest PhysX runtime builds to support all released PhysX content.

- Fixes a bug that prevented PhysX from being accelerated on Optimus PCs.

- Supports Nvidia PhysX acceleration on GeForce via CUDA 3.0 for SDK versions 2.7.1, 2.7.3, 2.7.4, 2.7.5, 2.7.6, 2.8.0, 2.8.1 and 2.8.3 (requires graphics driver v196.21 or later).

- Supports control of your GPU PhysX configuration from the Nvidia display driver control panel. (Requires graphics driver v196.21 or later).

- Bug fixes for Mafia 2

To download the PhysX system software 9.10.0513 check out Nvidia's website .

Acer readies the S222HQL super-slim LED-backlit monitor

Number two PC maker Acer is planning on bringing to IFA Berlin 2010 (September 3-8) and retail stores a sexy and slim new LCD monitor, the S222HQL. This upcoming model features a 21.5-inch panel, is LED backlit and has smooth black bezel that's just 12.9mm thick.

The display boasts native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, a dynamic contrast ratio of 12,000,000:1, a 2ms response time, a brightness of 250 cd/m2, and both DVI and HDMI connectors. No word on pricing yet.

I-O Data preps new 27-inch Full HD monitor

Japan's own I-O Data will very soon be updating its product offer through the introduction of the LCD-MF271XBR, a 27-inch widescreen LCD monitor claimed to be perfect for gaming, watching movies, and pretty much everything else.

The upcoming display has a stand enabling height, tilt and swivel adjustments and features a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, a 2ms response time, a 1000:1 contrast ratio (30,000:1 DCR), a maximum brightness of 330 cd/m2, two 1.5W speakers, a 3.5mm audio jack, plus D-Sub, DVI and HDMI connectivity.

The LCD-MF271XBR is set to reach Japanese stores later this month.

EVGA Precision 1.9.6 available for download

EVGA has once again updated its Precision graphics card monitoring and tweaking tool, bringing the software which can be used with GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 200 and 400 series models to version 1.9.6.

The new Precision release is available here and it comes with the following changes/additions:

- Fixed COM security initialization issue causing task scheduler helper library to fail with error code -2 under certain conditions

- option is no longer set in the startup task settings to allow automatically starting application via the task scheduler on laptops or on some UPS models

- Added On-Screen Display profile for Startcraft II : Wings of Liberty

Plastic Logic axes QUE e-book reader, working on new ProReader device

Mountain View-based Plastic Logic has officially given up on its CES 2010-revealed QUE ProReader but has announced it's not out of the e-reader game. The company may have lost its flagship but is moving forward and looking towards a second-generation ProReader plastic electronics-based product.

"We recognize the market has dramatically changed, and with the product delays we have experienced, it no longer make sense for us to move forward with our first generation electronic reading product," said Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta. "This was a hard decision, but is the best one for our company, our investors and our customers."

Unfortunately for those excited about Plastic Logic's technology, it hasn't provided any details about the new ProReader device. Hopefully they won't wait until CES 2011 to announce something.

IBM acquires data and document capture software maker

Still out shopping, IBM has added another company to its ever-growing business, one Datacap of Tarrytown which is known for developing and selling software for data and document capturing with over 200 clients in various industries.

This latest purchase is set to enhance IBM's ability to provide solutions that help companies digitize, manage and automate their information assets. Plus, it will further expand IBM's customer base and unlock more revenue streams.

"Transforming the way organizations do business requires not only a powerful and flexible technology platform to accommodate the wide range of business requirements, challenges and goals, but also a deep understanding of the processes of the industries in which our clients operate," said Ron Ercanbrack, VP of Enterprise Content Management for IBM. "We've chosen to make Datacap's approach the foundation of IBM's document capture strategy. Datacap's approach to image capture, using sophisticated business rules management, sets it above the rest in the industry and provides the most complementary capabilities for IBM."

Datacap is planned to be integrated into IBM's ECM business, which is part of the IBM Software Solutions Group.

EVGA introduces the Classified SR-2 power supply

Enthusiasts in need of moar (read more) powa' for systems based on the Classified SR-2 dual-socket motherboard can now purchase the Antec-made but EVGA-branded Classified SR-2 power supply which is capable of supplying 1200W on a daily basis.

Featuring a modular design, the 'new' PSU is 80Plus Silver certified (has an efficiency of 85% and over), is Quad SLI and Quad CrossFireX-ready, features active PFC (Power Factor Correction), six 12V rails (rated at 38A), gold-plated connectors, an 80mm PWM fan, and two knobs for tweaking the 12V voltage and adjusting fan speed.

The Classified SR-2 power supply is backed by a five-year warranty and costs $359.99 .

Samsung 7-inch tablet reported to launch next month at IFA Berlin

The teasing game surrounding Samsung's 7-inch tablet (known as the Galaxy Tab) is expected to end next month as the South Korean manufacturer is said to finally be revealing the mobile device at IFA Berlin 2010 (September 3-8).

Pictured below, the Galaxy Tab features a 7-inch touchscreen, runs Android (2.2) with the TouchWiz user interface, and is supposed to pack a 1.2 GHz Cortex-A8 processor, 16GB of storage, dual cameras, GPS, plus WiFi and 3G. Pricing info is still up in the air.

Zalman coming up with the ZM-SF3 case fan boasting shark fin blades

Taking a lesson in fluid dynamics from mother nature, Zalman has designed a new case fan that has shark fin-inspired blades providing a higher airflow while reducing turbulence and thus both noise and vibration.

Dubbed ZM-SF3, Zalman's 120mm fan has an ELQ (Ever Lasting Quiet) bearing with a life 'expectancy' of 150,000 hours, silicon pads to help keep vibrations to a minimum, it works at 900 to 1500 RPM (rotations per minute), and has a sound output of 18 - 23 dBA. The spinner is bundled with silicone pins and does not yet have a price tag or retail date.

Adobe fixes more Flash Player bugs

Adobe Systems has yesterday made available an updated version of Flash Player (10.1.82.76) which fixes multiple critical-rated vulnerabilities that could cause the application to crash and allow an attacker to take control of an affected system.

This latest patch resolves a total of six issues, five of which have to do with memory corruption. An update to Flash Player 10.1.82.76 is highly recommended so see this page for the full download (Windows).

Patriot's 60GB, 120GB & 240GB Inferno SSDs launched in Europe

Two weeks after their official announcement, Patriot's three new Inferno series solid state drives have also been introduced in Europe. These fresh 2.5-inch SSDs make use of SandForce's SF-1222 controller and MLC (multi-level cell) NAND Flash memory.

The three drives also have TRIM support, a SATA 3.0 Gbps interface, a MTBF (mean time before failure) of over 1.5 million hours, maximum sequential read/write speeds 285/275 MB/s, and are bundled with a 2.5-inch to 3.5-inch adapter.

The 60GB, 120GB and 240GB Inferno SSDs have EU recommended price tags of €165, €289 and €589, respectively.

Raptor Gaming H3 headset up for pre-order, coming this month

Initially set for a July release, the H3 headset from peripheral maker Raptor Gaming is still not shipping but is available for pre-order, the promise being that deliveries will start at the end of this month.

The new headset weights 260 grams without its 2m cable (with built-in controls), features an 'Enemy location mode' that will tune the sound output of each speaker so as to provide a sense of where the enemy is coming/shooting from, and has 39mm drivers, a frequency response of 50Hz - 20 KHz, a sensitivity of 121 dB ± 3dB, and a noise canceling microphone.

The H3 costs €49.90.

First HP webOS tablet said to be planned for Q1 2011

According to a recent report, Todd Bradley, the Executive Vice President of HP's Personal Systems Group, has revealed to HP employees that the company is working on bringing its first webOS-based tablet (codename Hurricane) to market in the first quarter of 2011.

Before trying its luck with weOS, HP is going to play it a little safer and release tablets powered by Windows 7 (Slate 500) and Android 2.1 (?) (eStation Zeen), the former being targeted towards business users, while the latter will go after regular consumers. Both are expected to debut later this year so we're looking like some very busy couple of quarters for HP in terms of tablet moves. And we're liking the situation.

Spire reveals the Slimod 282 dual-fan VGA cooler

Spire Corp. has now exposed its latest cooling creation, the Slimod 282 VGA cooler that can be used on multiple graphics cards, including the Radeon HD 2400, HD 2600, HD 3600, HD 3800, HD 4600, HD 4800 series or GeForce 4 Ti, GeForce FX 5700/5800/5900, 6600, 7800, 7900, 8600, 8800, 9800, GTX 200s.

The new cooler packs four 6mm Direct Touch copper heapipes, the usual aluminum fin array, and two 90mm sleeve bearing fans that work at 1800 RPM and have a sound output of 24 dBA.

The Slimod 282 is bundled with S420 thermal paste and is set to become available this month @ $49.99 / €36.95.

Dell Streak launching in the US this week, costs $300 with an AT&T contract

After a little delay Dell's Streak 5-inch tablet is now ready to debut in the US where it will be available for as low as $300, with new two-year AT&T contract, or at $550 without a plan. Pre-sale registrants will be able to place Streak orders tomorrow, while the rest will have to wait for Friday.

The Dell Streak boasts a 5-inch touchscreen, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, 2GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, UMTS, GPRS and EDGE support, plus Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity.

More info about Dell's device can be found here .