Corsair Obsidian Series 800D PC chassis revealed

Corsair revealed their very first PC chassis today at Computex. It’s called the Obsidian Series 800D and it can support a full tower that can hold 5 5.25-inch hard drives and 6 3.5-inch hard drives all within its steel frame.

The chassis itself is finished in matte black and has a brushed aluminum faceplate. There’s support for ATX, Extended ATX and micro ATX as well as hot-swappable SATA bays in the chassis’ tool-less frame.

You can install fans in seven different positions including a 140mm fan that goes in the SATA bay. The power supply also has a dedicated intake and exhaust fan, plus you can place 120mm fans in the ceiling, if you wish. You can get the Obsidian Series 800D from Corsair starting in July for $299.

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Tongfong S30A 13.3-inch ultraportable with VIA Nano CPU

Chinese OEM Tongfong and VIA have announced the latest Via Nano based ultraportable, the Tongfong S30A. A mere 33mm thick and tipping the scales at 1.4kg, the S30A has a 13.3-inch display, integrated DVD burner and 2GB of RAM; it uses the VIA 1.3GHz Nano U2250 processor together with the unified VIA VX800 MSP and discrete S3 Graphics Chrome 435 ULP graphics making for a HD-capable machine.

There’s also space for a 2.5-inch SATA hard-drive, WiFi b/g and 10/100 ethernet, plus a 4-in-1 card reader, ExpressCard slot, HDMI and VGA ports and two USB 2.0 ports. The standard battery is a six-cell pack, but it can be augmented by removing the DVD burner and slotting in an optional three-cell secondary battery.

Vista and XP Home versions will be available. We’re yet to hear exactly what sort of runtime you can expect from the Tongfong S30A thanks to all that low-power hardware and batteries stuffed into every nook and cranny, and nor do we have any pricing or specific availability.

Press Release:

VIA Nano Processor Powers New Tongfong Thin and Light Notebook

Tongfong S30A delivers advanced processing performance
and stunning DX10.1 graphics in a stylish 13.3″ design

Taipei, Taiwan, June 2, 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the adoption of the VIA Nano processor platform by Tongfong, one of China’s leading notebook providers, for their new Tongfong S30A 13.3″ thin and light notebook.

The Tongfong S30A includes the high performance yet power efficient 64-bit 1.3GHz+ VIA Nano U2250 processor coupled with the unified VIA VX800 MSP and discrete S3 Graphics Chrome 435 ULP graphics for an HD video proficient, DirectX 10.1 certified notebook. HD audio and an HDMI port ensure that Tongfong customers will be able to enjoy rich media content in its finest form.

“VIA is delighted that Tongfong has selected the VIA Nano processor for their new Tongfong S30A,” said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “With its advanced processing performance, DX10.1 graphics support, and stylish 13.3″ design, the Tongfong S30A sets a new standard for the fast growing thin and light notebook segment in the China market.”

“The Tongfong S30A provides the perfect blend of high-fashion design, leading-edge multimedia features, and excellent battery life,” commented Tongfong’s Vice President and General Manager of their Computer Group, Mr. Li Jianhang. “It will enable Chinese consumers to not only enjoy an outstanding thin and light notebook computing experience but also make a powerful personal style statement.”

About the Tongfong S30A
The Tongfong S30A features a bright 13.3″ display and full keyboard housed in a product design that is only 33 mm thick and weighs a mere 1.4Kg. Storage includes a 2.5″ S-ATA hard drive and DVD Super Multi-Drive while networking is provided through a 10/100Mbps Ethernet and 802.11b/g wireless. Along with a 4-in 1 card reader, express card slot, and two USB 2.0 ports, the Tongfong S30A comes with a six cell battery as well as an option for an additional three cell battery that can be inserted in place of the optical drive for extended mobile scenarios.

The Tongfong S30A uses the 1.3+GHz VIA Nano processor, VIA VX800 Media System Processor and S3 Graphics Chrome 435 ULP dedicated graphics with 2GB of DDR2 system memory. The Tongfong S30A also supports an additional independently configurable display through both VGA and HDMI ports. The Tongfong S30A is available with either Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows XP Home.

About the VIA Nano Processor Platform
The first 64-bit, superscalar processors in VIA’s x86 platform portfolio, VIA Nano processors have been specifically designed to revitalize traditional desktop and notebook PC markets, delivering truly optimized performance and security for the most demanding computing, entertainment and connectivity applications. The VIA Nano processor is coupled with the VIA VX800 system media processor with support for high definition video and audio playback, and up to 4GB of DDR2 system memory.

The VIA Nano processor family leverages advanced 65 nanometer process technology for enhanced power efficiency, and augments that with aggressive power and thermal management features within the compact 21mm x 21mm nanoBGA2 package for an idle power as low as 100mW (0.1W), extending the reach of power efficient green and silent PCs, thin and light notebooks and mini-notes around the world. For further information on the VIA Nano processor family, please visit the VIA website at: http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/processors/nano/

Delivering the full add-in card graphics experience in an onboard package, the S3 Graphics Chrome 435 ULP brings hardware acceleration for all leading video standards including H.264, MPEG-4, VC-1, WMV-HD and AVS for a stunning visual experience, while remaining within the strictest of thermal envelopes. For more details about the S3 Chrome 435 ULP processor please visit: http://www.s3graphics.com/en/products/class3.aspx?productId=15

About Tongfong Co. Ltd.
Based in Beijing, Tongfong Co. Ltd. is a leading PC OEM in China. Tongfong was first established in 1997 and is engaged in information technology, energy saving and environmental protection industries. Its IT businesses include information systems, application systems, digital television and internet applications. The company has enjoyed enormous success and rapid expansion over the past 10 years and is well on its way to achieving its aim of becoming a world-class enterprise.

About VIA Technologies, Inc.
VIA Technologies, Inc is the foremost fabless supplier of power efficient x86 processor platforms that are driving system innovation in the PC, client, ultra mobile and embedded markets. Combining energy-saving processors with digital media chipsets and advanced connectivity, multimedia and networking silicon enables a broad spectrum of computing and communication platforms, including its widely acclaimed ultra compact mainboards. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, VIA’s global network links the high tech centers of the US, Europe and Asia, and its customer base includes the world’s top OEMs and system integrators. www.via.com.tw

source: slashgear.com\

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Sony's GIGA Juke gets storage upgrade, Walkman dock, and hits stores in Europe this month

Sony's certainly not letting up with its GIGA Juke line of home audio equipment. It's been nary a month since we heard from the company and now it's back with two more devices destined for Europe. Not much to get excited about here, but for an overall spec bump -- the NAS-SC500PK now pushes 100W and sports 160GB storage, support for up to five client players, a redesigned woofer (Terminator X & The Valley of Jeep Beets never sounded so raw, at least not in a basement rec room). The GIGA Juke NAS-E300HD holds steady at 60W with a more modest 80GB of storage. In addition, both feature a WM-PORT dock for that OLED Sony Walkman you've been lusting after. Look for the Juke in stores across Europe starting mid-June.

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ASUS trickles out UX30 laptop, MS Series display

ASUS is doing its best to keep pushing that Eee PC Seashell that we peeked a few days back, but it's the heretofore unannounced gear that has caught our eye. The UX30 is a new lappie based around Intel's fresh CULV platform, though little else is known about the presumably thin-and-light machine. Moving on, we've got the MS Series display, a striking monitor that measures just 19 millimeter deep and stays put via a uniquely designed ring stand. We'll do our best to grab some face time when the Computex floor re-opens, but for now, it's just you, these words and your imagination.

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Motorola debuts world's first retail DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems

You'll still need the love and support of your dear cable provider, but if you're within range of DOCSIS 3.0 service, you can bypass at least one aspect of dealing with your local monopoly ISP. Starting this week, Motorola is launching the planet's first retail DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems, which enable speeds up to four times faster than DOCSIS 2.0. The SURFboard SB6120 DOCSIS 3.0 eXtreme cable modem will soon be cluttering up shelves at Fry's Electronics, presumably just beside the incredibly deceiving Monster Cable demonstration area. There's no word on price just yet, but don't expect such a luxury item to run you cheap, okay?

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AMD shows off world's first DirectX 11 GPU

On a roll of late, aren't we AMD? Just when you thought the fun was slowing over in Taiwan, in flies this: the world's first official DirectX 11-friendly GPU demonstration. We also learned that DX 11 (and presumably, AMD cards to push it) will debut prior to the dawn of 2010, but outside of that, most everything else is being kept under wraps. Indeed, the demo was mostly to show that things were still on track and for the chip maker to assure us all that it will "deliver DirectX 11 first." Alright, AMD -- now you've something to prove. Full release is after the break.

AMD Demonstrates World's First Microsoft DirectX® 11 Graphics Processor

− AMD previews significant improvements to the digital media and gaming experience, commits to bring DirectX 11 to market first −

COMPUTEX 2009, Taipei - June 3, 2009 - At a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan today, AMD (NYSE: AMD) publicly demonstrated the world's first Microsoft DirectX® 11 graphics processor. The series of demonstrations shed new light on the significantly improved computing experience set to debut at the end of 2009.1 The fusion of AMD's new ground-breaking graphics processors with the forthcoming DirectX 11 programming interface is set to forever change both applications and PC gaming for the better. To illustrate, AMD showed numerous examples of faster application performance and new game features using the world's first true DirectX 11 graphics processor.

· Get ready for a revolution: Games and other applications are about to get a lot better as a result of AMD's new graphics hardware and DirectX 11. DirectX 11 features such as tessellation will bring consumers higher quality, superior performing games making use of 6th generation AMD technology. Another DirectX 11 feature, the compute shader, will enable AMD's DirectX 11 graphics cards to help make Windows 7 run faster in a wide number of applications and in a manner that's completely transparent to users, for example, in seamlessly accelerating the conversion of video for playback on portable media players through a drag-and-drop interface.2

· DirectX 11 done right on AMD: The development of DirectX 11 has been broadly influenced by AMD graphics technology. Each new version of DirectX builds on the versions that came before it, and many of the capabilities of DirectX 11 were pioneered on AMD GPUs, including DirectX 10.1, tessellation, compute shaders, Fetch4, custom filter anti-aliasing and high-definition ambient occlusion shading.

· Bringing consumers DirectX 11 sooner: The preview of the world's first DirectX 11 graphics processor at Computex 2009 validates AMD's commitment to delivering leading technologies to market before anyone else, and to continuing to foster innovation in computing.

· Fueling developer demand: It's not just consumers who are excited about the prospects of DirectX 11, game developers are also incredibly enthusiastic about taking advantage of new DirectX 11 hardware to bring even better games to market, in large part due to AMD's readiness to meet their DirectX 11 needs. Many developers have indicated their commitment to building DirectX 11 games initially on AMD's DirectX 11 hardware, delivering superior performance and compatibility.

"AMD has a long track record of delivering pioneering features that have gone on to become mainstays in the DirectX experience, and we're doing it again with two mature, AMD-developed technologies in DirectX 11 – tessellation and the compute shader – both of which enable a better DirectX 11 experience for consumers," said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President, AMD Products Group. "Today, we're previewing AMD's DirectX 11 graphics processor to build enthusiasm for this key technology so developers will have games available at launch and shortly thereafter. With the benefits it delivers to gaming, applications and Windows 7, developers are lining up to get their hands on our hardware, and we're confident that consumers will too."

by Darren Murph,
source: engadget.com

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GETAC's ultra-rugged V100 gets upgrades for performance, not looks

For those of you in need of a PC capable of operating in extreme conditions (anyone reading this from a mine shaft or a bunker, for instance). Getac's battle-tested and war-weary V100 convertible tablet PC has received several key upgrades, including a bump in processing power to a 1.4 GHz Intel Penryn, a front side bus increased from 533 MHz to 800 MHz, a RAM increase (bringing the total up to 4GB), and a max capacity increase from 250GB to 320GB. If that weren't enough, this bad boy now supports draft 802.11n WiFi, and lastly (but not leastly) a new UL 1604 certification (optional) ensures safe, spark-free use of the device in potentially explosive environments. Yes, that's right -- you'll soon be able to read The Onion from the shop floor at the TNT factory. No definite prices or release dates yet, but if this is up your alley you can keep an eye on your usual sources. Full PR after the break.

June 02, 2009 08:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Getac Upgrades Its Popular V100 Notebook/Tablet PC with Seven New Performance Enhancing Features

Extra Memory, Storage, and Communications Upgrades Adds Performance to Fully-Rugged Mobile PC with Super Bright 1200 NITS LED Display

LAKE FOREST, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Getac Inc., a leading innovator and manufacturer of rugged computers that meet the demands of field-based applications, is upgrading its popular V100 fully rugged convertible with seven new features. The latest enhancements to Getac's V100 fully rugged convertible include processor and memory upgrades, greater storage capacities and enhanced bandwidth and wireless capabilities.

"The V100 fully rugged convertible has been very popular because of its advanced feature set and super bright 1200 NITs screen," said Jim Rimay, president, Getac, Inc. "With better performance, memory, storage and wireless capabilities, the new Getac V100 is more advanced and flexible as ever and even better suited for mobile field workers and users of rugged notebook PCs."

The new performance enhancing features include a processor upgrade from 1.2 GHz Intel Merom to 1.4 GHz Intel Penryn. The front side bus has been increased from 533 MHz to 800 MHz; and the 2MB L2 cache has been increased to 3MB. Memory on the V100's RAM has increased from 2GB to 4GB. Storage capacities have been increased from a minimum HDD of 120GB to a minimum of 160GB and a maximum capacity increase from 250GB to 320GB. In addition, the computer's wireless networking capabilities have been upgraded to include draft 802.11n and the V100 now offers an ExpressCard slot in the standard configuration.

In addition, the Getac V100 has been UL 1604 certified by Underwriters Laboratories, an independent lab that tests products to ensure public safety. The optional UL 1604 certification allows safe, spark-free use of the V100 in potentially explosive environments typically found in the oil and gas, petrochemical, aviation and other industries.

The transformable Getac V100 features a swiveling LED screen for the ultimate in portability. It also features a Magnesium Alloy design, shock mounted hard disk drive and sealed I/O caps and doors to prevent damage from solid particles. Although it weighs a mere 4.9 pounds, the V100 is rough-and-tumble enough to withstand even the harshest working environments. It is fully compliant with MIL-STD 810F and IP54 standards for ruggedness including the ability to withstand heavy rain, airborne dust and debris. For further protection, the convertible notebook/tablet PC has a removable hard drive that is shielded by a special mechanism to prevent damage during operation; anti vibration compounds, which serve as a shock absorber during transport; and an anti-shock housing to further protect it if bumped or dropped.

The V100 also offers its Sunlight Readable Technology and can be upgraded to an industry-leading super‐bright 1,200 NITs display, which provides unmatched outdoor viewability and screen brightness while decreasing reflectivity thus preserving battery life. Combined with an active anti-reflective process based on circular polarization to absorb reflective light, the V100's Sunlight Readable Technology enables viewability that is more than six times better* than competing solutions and creates a mercury-free solution. Other features include 10/100/1000 Ethernet, integrated GPS and Bluetooth. It also features a waterproof keyboard and an SD card slot.

About Getac

Getac, Inc., A subsidiary of MiTAC Technology Corporation, was founded in 1989 as a joint venture with GE Aerospace and has been a pioneer and innovator in the rugged mobile computing industry ever since. Getac provides premier fully rugged, rugged and semi-rugged notebook, tablet PC and handheld solutions for the military, law enforcement, public safety, utility, telecommunication, manufacturing, field service and mobile workforce industries. All Getac rugged models are strictly controlled and monitored from the design, manufacture, quality assurance to service flows, making Getac an industry-preferred rugged computer provider. For more information, visit www.getac.com.

* Based on Getac's comparisons of the effective contrast rate measured under 10,000 lux ambient lighting conditions.

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