Hitachi goes very green by implementing features to greatly reduce hard disk drive power consumption in the latest Deskstar line

It's rare to find hard disk drive manufacturers focusing on anything other than increasing the speed and capacity of its products because those are the two features consumers look for in hard disk drive products. Hitachi has taken another approach to improving its hard drives by developing drives with reduced power consumption; specifically up to a 40 percent decrease in consumption.

Hitachi introduced the Deskstar P7K500 line of desktop hard disk drives today which contain a number of technologies to reduce power consumption. The first technology Hitachi has implemented in the P7K500 line is the HiVERT technology for a more efficient conversion of voltage. This technology has been borrowed from the Travelstar line of laptop drives along with the more power-efficient profile which allows the drive to handle power saving features better than traditional desktop drives and more like today's mobile drives.

Hitachi has also implemented its Advanced Power Management capabilities which have given the Deskstar line more efficient power handling when idle for generations now. The last feature is Hitachi's patented load/unload technology explained below:

-> Unload idle – The heads are safely unloaded to the ramp and the servo is shut off; this mode delivers power savings of 11 percent better than idle mode.

-> Low RPM idle – The heads are safely unloaded to the ramp, the servo is shut off and the spindle motor RPM is reduced; this setting achieves power savings of 44 percent better than idle mode.

The Deskstar P7K500 line will come in capacities of 250GB, 320GB, 400GB, and 500GB. The technical details are listed below.

Hitachi plans to launch the new P7K500 line during this last quarter of 2007 in mass quantities. Pricing information has not yet been released but we're thinking numbers won't be too much higher than current Deskstar models with similar capacities.

Source from DailyTech

SanDisk introduces affordable, light-weight media center-like technology to the living room

Many of us jumped on the media center PC bandwagon a long time ago, either by purchasing a complete media center computer or by building our own media centers based on proprietary or open-source operating systems. Not everyone had the resources to purchase such hardware or the hardware to build such computers but lately it is becoming simpler and more affordable to put such capabilities in the living room.

Today, SanDisk, manufacturer of flash storage media-based products, has introduced a USB flash drive-based set-top media player and a dynamic video distribution platform called Fanfare to compliment the device at a lower price than traditional media center hardware.

The Sansa TakeTV platform utilizes a flash-based USB thumb drive to transfer videos from the PC to the TV in a few steps. A user would first copy videos they would like to view on their television to the thumb drive by connecting it to a computer's USB port and dragging and dropping media files onto the thumb drive. The user would then connect the TakeTV USB thumb drive to the docking station which has audio and video outputs. An included remote controller can be used to browse the media files on the thumb drive much like a media center application.

The TakeTV system features composite and S-video outputs and stereo audio outputs for both newer and egacy television models. There is no high-definition version of the TakeTV system yet so HDTV owners may want to look at other solutions to make full use of their equipment.

The TakeTV solution USB thumb drives come in 4GB and 8GB models and are priced at $99.99 and $149.99 respectively.

SanDisk has also introduced the Fanfare online digital media distribution service to compliment the TakeTV product and will feature TV shows from Showtime, CBS and other networks signed on to this service. The service will allow users to download ad-supported or paid/ad-free episodes directly to the TakeTV USB thumb drive.


Source from DailyTech

Samsung to show off thinnest full HD 40-inch LCD TV around in Yokohama this week

Thin is certainly in when it comes to HDTV sets and computer displays. What is typically considered thin for a LCD or plasma HDTV is somewhere in the area of 5-inches to 6-inches thick currently. Some HDTVs are even thicker than that.

Samsung announced that it will have a new thin-film-transistor (TFT), LCD on display at FPD International 2007 in Yokohama, Japan this week. The new LCD panel has the thinnest profile ever for a full-size HDTV. The 40-inch diagonal Full HD LCD TV panel is a mere 10mm thick.

That is about the thickness of a typical 10-inch to 20-inch computer LCD display, which is significantly thinner than normal HDTV sets. The bezel of the panel has also been reduced from 30mm to 14.6mm. The screen is backlit using LEDs and can reproduce 92% of the NTSC standard for color saturation. Power consumption is reported to be 90 watts or less.

With a profile of only 10mm, Samsung can give the svelte dimensions of the recently announced Sony XEL-1 OLED TV a run for its money. The majority of home theater lovers would be willing to add 7mm to the 3mm profile of the Sony XEL-1 to gain nearly 30-inches in screen size.


Source from DailyTech

Nokia's N810 improves on the outgoing N800

Nokia's N810 Internet tablet has finally been announced. Details on the device were first leaked by the FCC in late September, but official images and specifications for the N800 successor are finally available.

The N810 now features WiFi, Bluetooth connectivity and integrated GPS functionality. The biggest addition is the new slide-out, backlit QWERTY keyboard which takes the place of the on-screen keyboard on the N800. A navigation pad resides to the left of the keyboard.

The display is still measures 4.13" with an 800x480 resolution, however, the Texas Instruments OMAP processor has been bumped up to an even 400MHz.

As with the N800, the N810 uses the Linux-based OS2008 operating system. A Mozilla based browser is included which supports Ajax and Adobe Flash 9.



"The Nokia N810 packs the power of a traditional computer into a pocket-sized format. Its open standard technology accelerates the convergence of multiple functionalities and services into a single device", said Ari Virtanen, Nokia's VP of Convergence Products. "Our new Nokia N810 offers users a true Web 2.0 experience in a compact, stylish, yet affordable package - it connects people to what matters to them."

The Nokia N810 will be available in mid-November for a price of $479 USD. For those that don't need the latest and greatest, the older N800 has received a substantial price cut. Buy.com is now selling the device for $239.


Source from DailyTech

Samsung SPH-P9200 details surface boasting great connectivity options

Information on Samsung’s latest Ultra Mobile PC is surfacing today: the SPH-P9200. This device uses a folding keyboard that gives the device what appears to be a nearly full-size QWERTY keyboard.

Specifications for the SPH-P9200 reported by SlashGear show that it will feature a VIA C7-M processor, 512MB of RAM and a 30GB hard drive. The operating system is Windows XP Home, the standard battery is a 20Whr battery good for up to 2.5 hours of runtime and the extended battery will provide up to 5 hours of work time. A 1.3-megapixel camera is built-in as well.

Perhaps the best feature of the device is the multiple connectivity options that include WiFi, WiBro and HSDPA. Samsung also included a SIM card slot, a 15-pin accessory port assumed by SlashGear to be for accessories like headsets or dongles and a port replicator.

The screen is a 5-inch 800x480 display that reportedly can do higher resolutions via interpolation. Samsung includes MyPen software and an optical joystick with mouse buttons is included.

Samsung has declined to comment on pricing or availability.

The Samsung user’s manual for the SPH-P9200 can be seen on the Samsung website (PDF). Power users may be more inclined to use a UMPC with more performance, which in this case could be systems like the ASUS Eee PC that is now shipping.


Source from DailyTech

LesDeLLiens.com unloads Latitude XT details

In late May, Dell announced to the world that it would bring a Tablet PC device to the market this fall. Dell showed a grainy video of its new Latitude XT in action, but failed to give any concrete details on the device. Some features were simply inferred from the video like the 12.1" display, built-in fingerprint reader and Windows Vista operating system.

Thankfully for us, LesDeLLiens.com has unloaded a wealth of information on the Latitude XT in addition to some high resolution imagery.

Consumers will be greeted with an ATI RS600ME northbridge and an SB600 southbridge. The GPU to be used will be an ATI Radeon Xpress 1250 with 256MB of HyperMemory which can be paired with either a traditional CCFL or LED-backlit 12.1" WXGA display.

LesDeLLiens.com says that the Latitude XT will come with an Ultra Low Voltage Core 2 Duo U7600 (1.2GHz) processor although other processor options are likely to be available. Up to 3GB of memory will be supported by the system.

Other features include Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, 802.11n, docking port, three USB 2.0 ports and the option of 4, 6 or 9-cell batteries. One feature of the battery packs used on the Latitude XT is visible in the picture of the device’s underside – Dell has included a touch sensitive power meter into each battery pack. The meter should report battery status even when the device is turned off.

According to the site, Dell's first Tablet PC will launch on November 5.


Source from DailyTech

ATI launches TV wonder 650 Combo USB, 600 PCI and 600 PCI Express TV tuners

ATI announced three new TV tuners today that enable HDTV on the PC. The tuners are called the ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo USB, TV wonder 600 PCI Express and the TV Wonder 600 PCI.

The TV wonder 650 Combo USB carries an MSRP of $149 and has two TV tuners inside allowing for users to watch one channel of over-the-air TV/HDTV and record another. This is the USB version of the PCI Express tuner launched in July. The USB tuner is also capable of recording unencrypted digital TV (ClearQAM).

The TV Wonder 600 and TV Wonder 600 PCI Express are the same card utilizing different PCI interfaces, both of which will retail for $99 and offer ClearQAM recording. The tuners use Catalyst Media Center software that offers features like place shifting to view TV programs in different environments.




The software enables unrestricted programming to be converted with one click for use on most portable video players. The TV Wonder 650 Combo USB allows users to switch between digital and analog programs and record an analog program while watching digital programming or vice versa.

“No other company offers this exceptional choice of connectivity and configuration in TV tuner PC products,” said Matt Skynner, vice president of marketing, Graphics Products Group, AMD. “Our graphics pedigree is built on long-standing leadership in TV and video on the PC. The ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo USB and ATI TV Wonder 600 PCI/PCI Express, offered through VisionTek, take the best of our company’s digital TV experience and enable amazing HDTV on PCs today.”


Source from DailyTech

News on the solid state disk (SSD) front has been rather quiet in the past few weeks, but Ridata is making news today with the announcement of its new 32GB 2.5" SATA SSD.

The new 32GB SSD is aimed at the mobile sector -- as its 2.5" form factor suggests -- and has a MTBF of four million hours. Read speeds for the new drive are listed at 60MB/sec while the write speeds are pegged at a meager 48MB/sec.

The performance fares favorably with Samsung's mainstream 64GB SSD which offers read/write speeds of 65MB/sec and 45MB/sec respectively. Mtron’s outrageously priced SSDs, on the other hand, put both to shame with read speeds of 120MB/sec and write speeds of 90MB/sec.

"Our new Ridata SSD offers exceptionally consistent high performance in all environments," said Advanced Media President Harvey Liu. "Compared to a traditional HDD the Ridata SSD is smaller; uses half as much power; is ultra lightweight; offers incredibly fast boot and access times; and operates at a low temperature with no mechanically moving parts. It is the ideal HDD replacement for OEMs, ODMs and system integrators as well as consumers."

The 32GB model will be available in the coming weeks, while a 64GB variant will come to market in late November. Pricing for the 32GB part is listed at $999 while the 64GB model will be priced closer to launch.


Source from DailyTech

MSI announces its first RD790-based board

MSI today announced its K9A2 Platinum Motherboard based on AMD’s RD790 chipset, officially dubbed the 790FX. The 790FX serves as AMD’s primary single and dual-processor platform and replaces AMD’s antiquated 580X chipset. The new MSI board comes with support for a host of new features, including support for AMD quad-core processors and Crossfire X.

The K9A2 Platinum supports all AM2+ processors, which means it will work with AMD’s upcoming Phenom quad-core, tri-core and dual-core desktop processors. Existing AM2 processors are also supported by the newest board BIOS.

The 790FX also brings 41 PCIe 2.0 lanes to AMD’s AM2+ platform, allowing manufacturers flexibility in the number of PCIe slots integrated on the board. The K9A2 comes with four PCIe 2.0 x16 slots and supports AMD’s Triple-Play Technology. In addition, MSI goes a step further by offering Quad Crossfire capability on the mainboard.

As of right now, AMD has not officially launched Triple-Play technology. MSI indicates, however, the official debut should take place soon. AMD guidance claims ATI RV670, Phenom and RD790 will simultaneously launch together next month.

Source from DailyTech

ioDATA drive promises vastly superior enterprise level read and write performance at a hefty price

Most computer users want faster hard drives to aide in faster boot times and application loading. Solid state drives (SSDs) promised to improve our load times and they did to some degree.

If a measly 64GB solid state drive just doesn’t cut it for your needs, Fusion-io has a new 640GB flash based hard drive that slips into a PCI-Express x4 slot. Fusion-io promises some very swift speeds from the drive in the neighborhood of 600 Mbytes/sec sustained write speed (4000Mbytes/sec random) and 800 Mbytes/sec sustained read (8,000 Mbytes/sec random).

The ioDrive has no moving parts to increase the lifespan and reduce the risk of failure. If more capacity is needed scaling is possible by adding more ioDrive cards to the system. The sustained data transfer rates that Fusion-io promises (PDF) are vastly superior to other enterprise level storage devices on the market such as Ultra SCSI and SAS storage devices.

Supported operating systems include Linux Red Hat AS4.0, Windows Vista and Windows XP. The catch to go along with all of the performance the ioDrive promises is that the 640GB version costs a massive $19,000 USD. Gizmodo is reporting that when the 640GB drive is released in Q1 2008 80GB, 160GB, and 320GB versions will also be available.


Source from DailyTech

Sun Microsystems announced several new server products that offer better virtualization and energy efficiency capabilities, hoping the number of servers in data centers can be reduced.

The Sun SPARC Enterprise T5120 and T5220 servers, announced today, are the first Sun products to utilize the UltraSPARC T2 processor and offer "record-breaking performance with the highest levels of space and energy efficiency." Though both products support up to 64GB of memory, the T5120 is a 1U product that can equip 64GB of memory; the T5220 is a 2U server designed for eight hard drives.

The T5120 and T5220 carry price tags of $13,995 and $14,995 respectively, with international availability now.

All three products ship with either 1.2GHz or 1.4GHz processors, though the 1.4GHz ships with eight cores while 1.2GHz comes with four or six cores, depending on consumer demands.

Sun recently announced the Sun Fire X4450 and X4150 servers, which use Intel Xeon quad-core processing technology. Both new products can run Solaris, Microsoft Windows, Linux or Vmware.

Virtualization and energy efficiency continue to help drive innovation at Sun Microsystems, with all three systems designed to help consumers provide better performance while using less watts.

“By utilizing virtualization technology and the Solaris OS, customers can consolidate workloads to fewer servers, thereby saving in hardware, management and energy costs,” a Sun spokesperson told DailyTech. “In addition, customers can use the virtualization feature within Solaris 10 (called Containers) for free once they have installed the operating systems for their hardware.”


Source from DailyTech