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.