Tuesday 31 January 2012

Intel Promotes Two Executives to Senior Vice President

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 31, 2012 – Intel Corporation today announced that its board of directors has promoted Mooly Eden and Richard Taylor to the position of senior vice president. The promotions recognize outstanding performance.

Eden, 60, is senior vice president and was recently named president and general manager of Intel Israel. In this role, Eden is responsible for Intel Israel’s operations and strategy, including the Israel Development Centers and Intel’s Fab 28 manufacturing facility. In his 30 years at Intel, Eden has held many management and technical positions in microprocessor design, including the Intel® Pentium® processor with MMX™ technology. He also was responsible for the development of Intel’s mobile PC microprocessors and chipsets, including Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology, which included a low-power processor and bundle of chips that offered WiFi. This product helped make WiFi a standard, integrated feature on laptops worldwide and is considered a key driver of the mobile revolution. Eden most recently led the PC Client Group, Intel’s largest product group.

Taylor, 57, is senior vice president and director, Human Resources. In this role, he oversees all human resources policies and programs for Intel worldwide. Taylor joined Intel’s European operations in 1986. He has held a number of geography-specific positions, including director of operations in Europe, and finance roles including corporate controller. Taylor has led Intel’s Human Resources organization since 1999.

SAPPHIRE Launches HD 7950 with Two Stunning Models



Single and Dual fan versions deliver choice of performance!

January 31st 2012 - SAPPHIRE Technology has now added two exciting new models of graphics cards based on the revolutionary new graphics GCN (Graphics Core Next) architecture from AMD.

The new SAPPHIRE HD 7950 models are only the second family of graphics cards to incorporate the latest generation of GPU's from AMD built in a new 28nm process and featuring the new GCN optimised graphics processing architecture. The HD 7950 GPU has a new internal structure with 1792 Stream processors and a 384-bit high speed memory interface with over 264GB/sec memory bandwidth.

Two models are being introduced at launch. The standard SAPPHIRE HD 7950 ships with a core clock speed of 810MHz, slightly higher than the reference design, and a dual slot, single fan cooler. At the same time SAPPHIRE is introducing a high performance model, the SAPPHIRE HD 7950 OC Edition, which is factory overclocked to 900Mhz and features SAPPHIRE's new dual-extractor technology - Dual-X - a highly efficient multi-heatpipe cooler with dual fans providing quiet and very cool operation during normal operating conditions, and superb cooling performance even under extreme load. Both models have a large 3GB array of the latest DDR5 memory with effective clocks of 5Gb/s.

For enthusiasts wishing to maximise performance, a new version of the SAPPHIRE overclocking tool, TriXX supporting this latest generation of technology is available free to download from the SAPPHIRE website. TriXX allows tuning of GPU voltage as well as core and memory clocks, whilst continuously displaying temperature. Manual control of fan speed is supported, as well as user created fan profiles and the ability to save up to four different performance settings. Both of the SAPPHIRE HD 7950 models have a dual BIOS, allowing for further experimentation by the enthusiast. On the OC edition, the second BIOS is pre-programmed to allow a higher maximum overclock and more aggressive fan profile.

The HD 7000 series is the third generation of DirectX 11 compatible solutions from the graphics division of AMD - formerly ATI. The SAPPHIRE HD 7950 is ready for DirectX 11.1 and the new Windows 8 operating system as well as delivering all the features of the current DirectX 11 such as DirectCompute11 and multi threaded communications with the CPU. Communication with the host PC is optimised with the implementation of the latest high speed PCI-Express Gen3.0 interface, and multiple cards can be used to further enhance performance in CrossFireX mode on a suitably specified mainboard.

Working or gaming with multiple monitors is becoming increasingly popular, and the SAPPHIRE HD 7950 supports this with AMD Eyefinity. With its DVI, HDMI and two mini-DisplayPort outputs the card can support configurations of up to 6 monitors. In addition, the SAPPHIRE HD 7950 can simultaneously output multiple, independent audio streams allowing the correct audio content to be associated with different applications on different screens.

HDMI specifications have also increased in the HD 7000 series. Fast HDMI 1.4a supports Stereoscopic 3D with enhanced frame rates of 60Hz per eye - 120Hz total. It is also ready for the next generation of 4K displays that can be driven from a single high speed input of 3GHz HDMI 1.4a or DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2.

APP Acceleration is the name given to the enhanced performance of a wide range of applications using the stream processing capabilities and specific hardware features of the graphics architecture. The HD 7000 series has been optimised for this type of task. Typical applications include Video encoding and decoding, compression and multiplexing for media distribution, gaming or video conferencing. APP acceleration can also enhance everyday tasks such as Internet browsing, Office applications and file compression with supported software suites.

AMD Radeon™ HD 7950 Graphics Added to Arsenal of Next



--The AMD RadeonTM HD 7950 GPU delivers excellence in performance, Graphics Core Next, and AMD ZeroCore Power to an even wider range of gamers --

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Jan. 31, 2012 - AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced worldwide availability of the AMD RadeonTM HD 7950 graphics card for desktop computers. This launch brings to market the second graphics card based on the cutting-edge 28nm process technology first introduced with the AMD RadeonTM HD 7970 graphics card - recognised for its excellence in performance with over 150 awards from technology media the world over. Delivering over 2.8 TFLOPs of compute power and up to 2x the performance when two AMD Radeon HD 7950s are combined with AMD CrossFireTM technology2, AMD RadeonTM HD 7900 series graphics cards are intended for gamers who never settle. AMD RadeonTM HD 7950 graphics cards are available from retailers worldwide, with select models starting at USD$449 SEP.

"With the arrival of the AMD RadeonTM HD 7950, AMD has set the bar exceedingly high for 28nm graphics technology and performance," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, GPU Division, AMD. "From the wraparound immersion made possible by AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology and the AMD HD3D technology stereo 3D experience, to the incredible realism of today's DirectX® 11 capable games, we're delivering an unrivaled experience for gamers. The AMD RadeonTM HD 7900 series products are in a class of their own."

Equipped with AMD Graphics Core Next Architecture and the latest AMD PowerTune and AMD ZeroCore Power technologies, the AMD RadeonTM HD 7950 GPU further extends the groundbreaking engineering AMD debuted in December 2011 with the AMD Radeon HD 7970 GPU. What's more, it delivers on the promise of DirectX® 11 gaming with superior visuals and outrageous performance, as well as featuring PCI Express 3.0, AMD CrossFireTM technology and the AMD HD3D technology ecosystem.

Cisco announces Linksys HomePlug AV Powerline solutions to help consumer connect home entertainment devices to the Web



Use existing electrical wiring to connect devices to the internet or increase the wireless coverage in the home

31 January 2012 - Cisco today announced two new Linksys® HomePlug AV Powerline solutions that help consumers overcome two popular home networking challenges. Smart TVs, Blu-ray players or game consoles come with great on demand apps and services but need to be connected to the Internet to be enabled. The new Linksys Powerline AV 4-Port Network Adapter Kit can be used to transform any electrical socket into an Internet connection and can connect up to four multimedia devices simultaneously. The second challenge is the need for additional wireless range to use products such as tablets and notebooks around the home. For this Cisco developed the Linksys Powerline AV Wireless Network Extender Kit to increase the range of an existing wireless network.

Both solutions are HomePlug AV certified and are well suited for music and video streaming as well as online gaming*. By using existing electricity wiring and wall sockets; network connectivity can be delivered into rooms such as home offices, basements, attics, garages and back houses that may have limited wireless signal due to the location of the room or the use of building materials, such as concrete and steel.

"Our new Powerline products provide a plug-and-play answer for two challenges that many consumers are facing: the need to connect all these new smart devices around the home to the Internet and need to increase wireless network coverage around the home," said Jens Hofmeister, director product management for Cisco's home networking business.

Linksys Powerline products are easy to set up: just plug in one adapter in an electrical wall socket near the home router and plug in the other adapter where you want to connect your devices. After plugging in both adapters, advanced security can be enabled by pushing the HomePlug Simple Connect button on both ends.

Linksys Powerline AV 4-Port Network Adapter Kit (PLSK400)

This kit is ideal for consumers that want to connect their smart TV, Blu-ray player, media streamer or game console in the living room to the Web. Or if they have a home office in the attic or basement they can connect computers, printers, scanners and other devices to the Internet. The kit includes one 1-port powerline adapter and a 4-port powerline adapter.

Linksys Powerline AV Wireless Network Extender Kit (PLWK400)

This kit is ideal for increasing the reach of an existing wireless network by plugging in the Powerline adapter with Wireless-N access point in a wall socket close to where you need to increase the coverage. This is ideal for notebook, tablet or mobile phone users who want to be able to use their devices wirelessly and connect to the network from places in their home where a wireless signal is not available. The kit includes a 1-port Powerline adapter and a 1-port adapter with an integrated wireless access point.



Coming soon to Okobe.co.uk...

Monday 30 January 2012

John Browett Joins Apple as Senior Vice President of Retail

CUPERTINO, California—January 30, 2012—Apple® today announced that John Browett will join the company as senior vice president of Retail, reporting to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Browett comes to Apple from European technology retailer Dixons Retail, where he has been CEO since 2007. Beginning in April, he will be responsible for Apple’s retail strategy and the continued expansion of Apple retail stores around the world.

“Our retail stores are all about customer service, and John shares that commitment like no one else we’ve met,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are thrilled to have him join our team and bring his incredible retail experience to Apple.”

Prior to joining Dixons Retail, Browett held a series of executive positions at Tesco plc including CEO of Tesco.com. Earlier in his career he advised retail and consumer goods clients at Boston Consulting Group. He holds a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and an MBA from Wharton Business School.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Lexmark Announces New Inkjet MFPs with Enterprise Capabilities



This morning, Lexmark announced a new line of MFPs with high-quality color printing and workgroup reliability. The Lexmark OfficeEdge Pro5500 and Pro4000 color MFPs are equipped with business-class features and laser quality at 50 percent of the cost. They are built for fast, professional, heavy-duty color printing and scanning.

The OfficeEdge products are engineered with enterprise-caliber components to deliver the long-lasting, reliable performance of a laser with the color quality and affordability of an inkjet. This new series has laser-based firmware with capabilities such as device management and security controls, adding more value to our small and medium business customers.

“The tremendous business-class capabilities we’ve integrated into our new business inkjets, along with a compelling value proposition, make them viable alternatives for demanding, heavy use workgroups,” said Marty Canning, Lexmark Executive Vice President and President of ISS.

Not only has BERTL given the OfficeEdge Pro5500 a 5-star “Exceptional” rating, but also Marlene Orr, Senior Analyst for printers/A4 MFPs from Buyers Lab, said the Pro5500 has “a number of features and capabilities that set it apart from inkjet competitors, as well as laser models.”

OmniMount Innovates Home Offices and Computer Rooms with Full Motion Sit-to-Stand Workstation Mounts

New Workspace Mounts Provide Telecommuters and Families with Flexible Computing Options that Promote Health and Well-being

Integrated Systems Europe, January 30th - February 2nd 2012, Booth 1N80

Recognizing the growing trend in telecommuting, global manufacturer of A/V mounts and accessories OmniMount is launching sit-to-stand workstation mounts that promote comfortable and healthy home computing at ISE 2012. The WORK15 and WORK20 join the ActionMount series and offer flexibility for users in today’s multi-purpose workspaces. With unique functionality and inherent health benefits, the mounts are ideally suited for home offices and shared family computers.

“It’s becoming increasingly common for people to work from home or share one computer between multiple members of a family,” commented Jonathan Pyenson, senior vice president of EMEA sales for OmniMount. “The WORK products are designed to provide a home office solution that maximizes the available space and adjusts to work requirements of different users. In addition to offering comfortable computing, the technology makes standing while computing possible, which has significant health benefits.”

The WORK15 and WORK20 have Ergotron Constant Force technology built in for simple, light-touch adjustments of the keyboard, mouse and monitor. Users can easily move between sitting and standing positions while working. The full motion functionality allows the monitor to move up and out of the way for storage, to utilize more desk space, or to share screen information. The flexibility is ideal for users on shared computers, allowing each person to achieve an ergonomic position regardless of height.

The full motion functionality of the ActionMount series encourages healthy movement that can develop good habits. Research has indicated that the simple act of standing has significant health benefits, such as increased metabolic rate and positive effects on other bodily systems. Health and wellness is becoming top-of-mind for parents and home-based workers. OmniMount’s sit-to-stand mounts are the answer to achieve a healthier and more productive computing environment, whether working, gaming or shopping.

Higher picture quality, higher sensitivity: Slim, power-packed Cyber-shot™ WX70/WX50 cameras from Sony grab even more amazing moments



16.2 megapixel Exmor R™ CMOS sensor for extremely high resolution, low noise images and Full HD video
Extra High Sensitivity for clear images in dimly-lit conditions
Optical SteadyShot with Active Mode for steadiest ever handheld Full HD video, even when zooming
Superior Auto for professional-looking results in any situation
Detail-packed close-ups with 5x Optical Zoom and 10x Clear Image Zoom
Expanded choice of Picture Effect modes

Everyone can capture ultra-high quality still images and detail-packed Full HD video with two slim, advanced new Cyber-shot™ cameras from Sony.

Slipping effortlessly into a pocket, the colourful WX70 and WX50 further expand the choice of Cyber-shot™ models equipped with the ultra-sensitive, high performance 16.2 megapixel Exmor R™ CMOS sensor. It’s teamed with the latest BIONZ processor from Sony that assures speedy shooting responses and flawless, low-noise images – even in low light. Both cameras are crammed with easy-to-use features for anyone who’s serious about capturing great-looking photos and Full HD video with less effort.

New to Cyber-shot™ this year, Extra High Sensitivity technology expands your photo opportunities, especially in dimly-lit conditions*1. Maximum sensitivity is now boosted to ISO 12800, giving more opportunities for spontaneous handheld shooting without flash. In addition, noise levels are slashed to a sixth of previous Cyber-shot™ models*2. You’ll see the difference with crisp, beautifully natural low-light shots, from atmospheric portraits to interiors.

Now more advanced than ever, Optical SteadyShot adds Active Mode that’s combined with electronic stabilisation to combat camera shake when you’re shooting Full HD movies. It’s even effective at high zoom settings where other image stabilisation systems struggle to deliver clear, blur-free handheld video footage.

Superior Auto Mode takes the guesswork out of achieving professional results in virtually any situation. Detecting the current scene and shooting conditions, Cyber-shot™ automatically adjusts exposure and other camera settings for superb images with low noise and high dynamic range.

By Pixel Super Resolution technology from Sony doubles the 5x optical zoom range of the Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar lens without sacrificing image quality. With up to 10x Clear Image Zoom you’ll enjoy detail-packed close-ups without the artificial blockiness that mars conventional digital zoom.

It’s easy to create stunning ‘in-camera’ creative effects with no PC or image editing software needed. Picture Effect mode now offers an expanded palette of creative options including Toy Camera, Partial Colour, Pop Colour, HDR Painting, Miniature, Illustration, Watercolour, Soft High-key and Rich-tone Monochrome.

3D Sweep Panorama and 3D Still Image add an extra dimension of enjoyment to your shooting options. Slip on your active shutter glasses and enjoy the results on your 3D TV or 3D VAIO® Series PC.

Cyber-shot™ WX70 adds the luxurious refinement of a clear, large, photo-realistic 7.5cm Xtra Fine LCD touchscreen to frame, review and adjust your images.

Both cameras come with PlayMemories Home software pre-installed. Just connect Cyber-shot™ to your PC for easy viewing, editing, printing, emailing, web uploads, disc burning and more.

The range of compatible accessories for Cyber-shot™ now includes a new choice of carry cases that offer stylish, practical protection.

The slim, advanced new Cyber-shot™ WX70 and WX50 digital compact cameras by Sony are available in Europe from mid-March 2012.

Apple Updates Final Cut Pro X



CUPERTINO, California—January 31, 2012—Apple® today released Final Cut Pro® X v10.0.3, a significant update to its revolutionary professional video editing application, which introduces multicam editing that automatically syncs up to 64 angles of video and photos; advanced chroma keying for handling complex adjustments right in the app; and enhanced XML for a richer interchange with third party apps and plug-ins that support the fast growing Final Cut Pro X ecosystem. Available today as a free update from the Mac® App Store™, Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3 also includes a beta of broadcast monitoring that supports Thunderbolt devices as well as PCIe cards.

Final Cut Pro X v10.0.3 includes a collection of groundbreaking new tools for editing multicam projects. Final Cut Pro X automatically syncs clips from your shoot using audio waveforms, time and date, or timecode to create a Multicam Clip with up to 64 angles of video, which can include mixed formats, frame sizes and frame rates. The powerful Angle Editor allows you to dive into your Multicam Clip to make precise adjustments, and the Angle Viewer lets you play back multiple angles at the same time and seamlessly cut between them.

Final Cut Pro X builds upon its robust, one-step chroma key with the addition of advanced controls including color sampling, edge adjustment and light wrap. You can tackle complex keying challenges right in Final Cut Pro X, without having to export to a motion graphics application, and view your results instantly with realtime playback.

In the seven months since launch, the third party ecosystem around Final Cut Pro X has expanded dramatically. XML-compatible software like DaVinci Resolve and CatDV provide tight integration for tasks such as color correction and media management. The new 7toX app from Intelligent Assistance uses XML to import Final Cut Pro 7 projects into Final Cut Pro X. In addition, some of the industry’s largest visual effects developers, including GenArts and Red Giant, have developed motion graphics plug-ins that take advantage of the speed and real-time preview capabilities of Final Cut Pro X.

Broadcast monitoring in Final Cut Pro X is currently in beta and allows you to connect to waveform displays, vectorscopes, and calibrated, high-quality monitors to ensure that your project meets broadcast specifications. Final Cut Pro X supports monitoring of video and audio through Thunderbolt I/O devices, as well as through third party PCIe cards.

Friday 27 January 2012

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Thursday 26 January 2012

WD® Previews Its Revolutionary Thunderbolt™ Dual-Drive Storage System Delivering Ultra-Fast Data Transfer Rates at Macworld/iWorld

IRVINE, Calif. - Jan. 26, 2012 - (Macworld/iWorld Booth #401) - Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC), the world's leader in external storage solutions, will demonstrate the ultra-fast data transfer rates of its upcoming My Book® Thunderbolt Duo dual-drive storage system at the Macworld/iWorld show (booth #401). Thunderbolt technology will dramatically improve workflow speed and efficiencies for enthusiasts and professionals dealing with large digital files such as video, audio and still photos.

Thunderbolt technology is capable of producing up to 10 gigabits per second1 of throughput on each of two channels in both directions. Users can experience very fast read/write speeds especially during applications such as video editing, 3D rendering, and other intense graphics projects. To put Thunderbolt's speed into perspective, HD media creators will be able to transfer a standard size full-length HD movie in less than 30 seconds, or backup an entire year of continuous music (approx. 8,600 hours of music) in roughly 10 minutes.

"Thunderbolt technology offers the speed needed for creative professionals and enthusiasts who produce, edit, or need quick access to large files, including HD video," said Jody Bradshaw, general manager of WD's consumer storage solutions. "During the demonstration, twin Thunderbolt ports show amazing flexibility while allowing daisy-chaining of up to six My Book Thunderbolt Duo systems or other high performance peripherals for an enhanced workflow process. The combination of storage, backup, and speed could make the My Book Thunderbolt Duo the only drive a creative pro would ever need."

About WD
WD, one of the storage industry's pioneers and long-time leaders, provides products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage, and use digital information. The company designs and produces reliable, high-performance hard drives and solid state drives that keep users' data accessible and secure from loss. Its advanced technologies are configured into applications for client and enterprise computing, embedded systems and consumer electronics, as well as its own consumer storage and home entertainment products.

 WD was founded in 1970. The company's storage products are marketed to leading OEMs, systems manufacturers, selected resellers, and retailers under the Western Digital and WD brand names.

1 Stated transfer rate for Thunderbolt is based on published specifications from Apple. Actual transfer rates when used with My Book Thunderbolt Duo will differ significantly based on system configuration. Performance testing by WD resulted in an average actual transfer rate for Thunderbolt of >250 MB/s on 6 TB systems and >225 MB/s on 4 TB systems. Gigabits per second (Gb/s) = one billion bits per second; megabytes per second (MB/s) = one million bytes per second.

Wednesday 25 January 2012

AMD Memory Brand Introduced for Entertainment, Performance and Enthusiast Desktop Computers

Patriot Memory and key launch partners introduce DDR3 RAM AMD Memory Brand throughout Europe

LONDON, UK. - Jan. 25th, 2012 - Following North American retail availability of the AMD Memory branded desktop system memory modules, AMD (NYSE: AMD) is pleased to announce European retail availability debuting with technology partner Patriot Memory LLC. Key launch partners of AMD Memory in Europe include: Alternate (Germany), ASBIS (East Europe), Avnet Technology Solutions Ltd (EMEA), Pixmania (EMEA) and VIP Computers (UK & Benelux). AMD Memory branded products provide an easy and straightforward experience when looking for the ideal match for gaming or multimedia PC needs.

AMD Memory is available at three different levels - 2GB, 4GB and 8GB sizes - in a range of price points and speeds. The Entertainment category will feature 1333 MHz and 1600 MHz speed RAM, designed for quiet Home Theater PC applications. The Performance version supports speed up to 1600 MHz with enhanced latency and comes in matched pairs. Finally, RadeonTM Edition DRAM will run at 1866 MHz, and is tuned, tested and certified for specific AMD platforms to enable maximum performance utilising the AMD OverDriveTM tuning utility.

"With over two decades of experience and expertise in this technology and strong launch partners across Europe, we expect to see great success for the AMD branded memory line in Europe," said Paul Jones, CEO of Patriot Memory.

In addition to leveraging AMD's experience in creating GPU, CPUs, APUs and motherboard chipsets, this new product line also enables retailers to round out AMD bundles with memory, helping to ensure an easy, confident upgrade experience that places a heavy emphasis on compatibility and stability. Customers can purchase a complete package designed to deliver top performance and maximum value.

"Following years of supplying and validating memory for AMD RadeonTM graphics cards, adding system memory to our product line was a clear opportunity for us, providing our partners and end-users with the performance and reliability AMD is renowned for," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, AMD GPU Division.

ViewSonic showcases projectors and digital signage for the Pro AV markets at ISE 2012

Laser Hybrid LED projectors and digital signage solutions completes the line-up

25th January 2012 - ViewSonic (Hall 4 at 4V18 and 4V22), a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, dynamically displays the full spectrum of projector offerings from home entertainment, data projector to high brightness installation. ViewSonic also unveils the new Laser Hybrid LED projector at ISE 2012, full HD 1080P projection.

ViewSonic enriches its digital signage line-up with solutions oriented to different vertical market applications. Interaction will be one of the primary demo themes which ViewSonic will implement to showcase versatile technologies from touch screen advancements to gesture interaction which incorporates Kinect sensors and application software from partner So Touch. ViewSonic also demonstrate its strategic move to migrate majority of its commercial displays to be LED back-lite. The main highlight will be the showcasing of the 55" ultra narrow bezel LED commercial display which is ideal for video wall application.

Product Highlights

LED Laser Hybrid projector

Expanding its projector product portfolio, ViewSonic announces the world first full HD 1080p home cinema Laser Hybrid LED projector.

ViewSonic's latest Laser Hybrid LED projectors incorporate a state-of-the-art hybrid light engine which facilitates vivid colour display and performance. The LEDs and lasers combine as a light source to create vibrant and rich display colour, which generate a colour spectrum exceeding that of normal mercury light projectors. Furthermore, this new technology delivers a longer light source life of up to 20,000 hours for greater energy and cost savings.

In addition to longer lamp life, ViewSonic Laser Hybrid LED projectors also provide versatile colour modes and 1,200 lumens of brightness for the best effect at home. The projection performance is absolutely radiant with exceptional colour accuracy. Coupled with the high lumen output and pure colour correction and filter, it presents an absolutely authentic level of the three primary colours, red, green and blue which significantly expands the colour gamut and presents clear and concise images, even in the brighter ambient.

Moreover, the instant on/off function eliminates the need for a cool down period associated with conventional lamp-based projectors, providing a user experience as friendly and trouble-free as possible.

ViewSonic Laser Hybrid LED projectors feature Full HD 1080p high resolution, the ideal solution for top of the range home cinema performance. Also, full analogue and digital connectivity allows easy setup concerning all media and DVD players.

ViewSonic Laser Hybrid LED projectors will be available from July 2012

ViewSonic Makes Edge-Blending Solution Affordable

Edge-blending was previously seen as a luxury effect for large, costly event projectors. ViewSonic now provides a breakthrough affordable solution allowing for medium-sized events and average users to enjoy widescreen projection and special image effects.

The ViewSonic EB series is a standalone processor implementing up/down scaling, format conversion, video walls, 3D decoding, curved surface display, sophisticated image edge blending, and geometric adjustment up to WQXGA input and WUXGA (full HD) output.

The EB series requires no PC for installation and operation; with simple connection of the HDMI cable from the content player and projectors, all which that is required is setting up the screen effect and projector position. Content players are also easily replaced for maximum flexibility.

The EB series is equipped with a robust ID design that supports a professional installation condition and environment. Control can be executed through front panel keypads or an IR remote controller. In addition, the EP series can be remotely controlled via RS232 connectivity using RS232 command codes.

ViewSonic EB series will be available from mid June 2012

ViewSonic Transparent Display

See-through display technology is ideal for applications that require an upscale, distinguished appearance with wide viewing angle characteristics, and perfect for premium consumer electronics, transportation, and other applications. ViewSonic is integrating a 32" transparent display into its digital signage solution line and will be demonstrated at Integrated System Europe 2012.

Transparent displays are the ideal solution for integrating window displays designs, vending machines, or creating a double layer merchandising effect. The first layer of transparent display showcases product highlights or content, while the second demonstrates the actual product.

The ViewSonic transparent displays offer an increasingly flexible design, allowing users to easily adjust transparency settings to highlight desired content or creating a see-through effect.

In addition to the 32" transparent display, ViewSonic plans to introduce a 42" transparent display as well. Both models will be in mass production in Q2 2012. The touch-screen can be added as option to add interactive features. In conclusion, ViewSonic's transparent displays open a new door for commercial viewing.

ViewSonic 32" Transparent Display will be available end of June 2012

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Forty Future Leaders Recognized in Prestigious U.S. Science Competition

Intel Science Talent Search 2012 Finalists Poised to Address the World's Greatest Issues

Forty future leaders were recognized as finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search 2012, a program of Society for Science & the Public.
The Intel Science Talent Search finalists represent the nation's most promising high school seniors with the greatest potential to solve pressing challenges in the world.
Finalists will gather in Washington, D.C. in March to compete for $630,000 in awards with the top winner receiving $100,000 from the Intel Foundation.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 25, 2012 – Forty future leaders were recognized as finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search 2012, a program of Society for Science & the Public. From alternative energy solutions and landmine detection technology, to diabetic research and photodynamic cancer therapy, these 40 high school seniors are poised to be the next scientific leaders and to help solve some of the world's greatest challenges.

The Intel Science Talent Search is the country's oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition, which encourages students to tackle challenging scientific questions and develop the skills to solve the problems of today and tomorrow. Participants are judged on both their original scientific research and on their achievement and leadership, inside and outside the classroom. The 40 finalists will gather in Washington, D.C. from March 8-13 to compete for $630,000 in awards. The top winner will receive $100,000 from the Intel Foundation.

"The U.S. needs these talented innovators to go as far and as fast as they can, solving the world's most critical challenges, imagining – and creating -- a new and better future for us all," said Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation. "Math and science are the language and tools of this innovation – that's why Intel is so proud to invest in these students, and to advance math and science education for all students."

Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education, has owned and administered the Science Talent Search since its inception in 1942.

"Tackling real-world challenges from cancer to Internet security to alternative energy solutions, this year's finalists are a true inspiration," said Society President Elizabeth Marincola. "We join with Intel in congratulating them on this tremendous honor, and commend the mentors, teachers, schools, parents and communities that have contributed to their success."

Intel Science Talent Search 2012 Fast Facts
The Intel Science Talent Search 2012 finalists hail from 16 states and represent 39 schools.
More than 47 percent of this year's finalists go to school in either New York or California.
The independent research projects of this year's finalists include topics such as photodynamic cancer therapy; breast cancer research; innovative water conservation solutions; fiber optic research related to Internet data security; alternative energy solutions; and landmine detection technology.
"Bioengineering" is a new category added to this year's competition. Two finalists have research projects in this category.
Finalists will gather in Washington, D.C. for a week-long event from March 8-13. They will undergo a rigorous judging process and meet with national leaders. In past years this has included a visit with the President, interaction with preeminent scientists and display of their research at the National Geographic Society. Top winners will be announced at a black-tie gala awards ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 13.

Young innovators chosen to participate in the Science Talent Search over the past 70 years have gone on to receive some of the world's most prestigious honors. For example, Science Talent Search alumni have gone on to win seven Nobel Prizes, two Fields Medals, three National Medals of Science, 11 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships and even an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Intel has sponsored the Intel Science Talent Search and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for 14 and 15 years, respectively. Because Intel views education as the foundation for innovation, Intel and the Intel Foundation have invested more than $1 billion over the past decade, and Intel employees have donated close to 3 million hours toward improving education in more than 60 countries.

Antec Unveils the Three Hundred Two Enclosure

The next generation of affordable gaming chassis with high-performance cooling advantages and extensive expandability

Berlin, Germany - January 24, 2012 - Antec Inc., the global leader in high-performance computer components, announces the Three Hundred Two enclosure, the latest addition to the Gaming Series. This sleek chassis is designed to handle today's and tomorrow's high-performance systems that are custom built for gamers from the inside-out.

The Three Hundred Two is perfect for gamers, system integrators and casual builders alike because of its extensive cooling advantages and expandability.

High Performance Cooling Advantages - The Three Hundred Two is built for maximum cooling thanks to its perforated front bezel, included top & rear TwoCoolTM fans, and four optional fans, including a 120 mm CPU exhaust fan behind the motherboard, to ensure gamers can play well into the night.

Extensive Compatibility and Expandability - The Three Hundred Two utilizes eight expansion slots for up to three 12.5" (318 mm) graphics cards, demonstrating compatibility with most of the longest GPUs available.

Intelligent Design - This enclosure has removable, washable PSU and front intake air filters, along with a cable management system that features four strategically placed holes and 3 cm of space behind the motherboard tray. It's even easier for builders to start using their new PC right away thanks to the Three Hundred Two's three 5.25" and six 3.5" tool-less drive bays.

"The Three Hundred Two is an excellent enclosure for those who want to build a reliable, long-lasting PC," said Mafalda Cogliani, Global Marketing Director at Antec. "The enclosure has great cooling and expandability options, making it the perfect choice for anyone looking to build a new and affordable gaming PC with high functionality and design."

Apple reports Q1 2012 results



CUPERTINO, California—January 24, 2012—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2012 first quarter which spanned 14 weeks and ended December 31, 2011. The Company posted record quarterly revenue of $46.33 billion and record quarterly net profit of $13.06 billion, or $13.87 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $26.74 billion and net quarterly profit of $6 billion, or $6.43 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 44.7 percent compared to 38.5 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 58 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

The Company sold 37.04 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 128 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 15.43 million iPads during the quarter, a 111 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 5.2 million Macs during the quarter, a 26 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 15.4 million iPods, a 21 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.

“We’re thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline.”

“We are very happy to have generated over $17.5 billion in cash flow from operations during the December quarter,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the second fiscal quarter of 2012, which will span 13 weeks, we expect revenue of about $32.5 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $8.50.”

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q1 2012 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PST on January 24, 2012 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq112. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue and earnings per share. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2011 and its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2011 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Please click here to view the latest Apple products at Okobe.co.uk...

Monday 23 January 2012

Chip Shot: 2011 Intel's Innovative Year and Awarded Best PC Processor

Recognizing the top processor products of 2011, industry analyst firm The Linley Group today announced the 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processor (code-name Sandy Bridge) is winner of their first annual Analysts' Choice Award for Best PC Processor. In another nod to Intel, The Linley Group noted that the initial prototype for the "Analysts' Choice Award for Best Technology of 2011" - Micron's Hybrid Memory Cube - was developed in collaboration with Intel Labs researchers, who paired the cube with an extremely energy efficient, high-bandwidth memory interface. In addition, the January 23, 2012 Microprocessor Report highlights 2011 as "Intel's Innovative Year," and mentions other noteworthy technologies including: Intel Tri-gate transistors, Intel® AVX2 instruction set (for the upcoming Haswell processor), Thunderbolt™ Technology, with origins in Intel Labs and Near-Threshold Voltage (NTV) technology. 

Intel Takes Key Step in Accelerating High-Performance Computing with InfiniBand Acquisition

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 23, 2012 – Intel Corporation today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with QLogic to acquire the product lines of and certain assets related to its InfiniBand business. A significant number of the employees associated with this business are expected to accept offers to join Intel.

This acquisition is designed to enhance Intel’s networking portfolio and provide scalable high- performance computing (HPC) fabric technology as well as support the company’s vision of innovating on fabric architectures to achieve ExaFLOP/s performance by 2018. An ExaFLOP/s is a quintillion computer operations per second, a hundred times more than today’s fastest supercomputers.

The deal is expected to close by the end of the current quarter pending customary closing conditions being met.

“At the International Supercomputing Conference 2011, Intel unveiled a bold vision to redefine HPC performance and break the Exascale barrier by 2018,” said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of Intel’s Data Center and Connected System Group. “The technology and expertise from QLogic provide important assets to provide the scalable system fabric needed to execute on this vision. Adding QLogic’s InfiniBand product line to our networking portfolio will bring increased options and exceptional value to our datacenter customers.”

D-Link brings recording to industry-leading mydlinkTM range

Easy to set up and manage, the Enhanced Wireless N Day/Night Network Camera (DCS-942L) and mydlinkTMNetwork Video Recorder (DNR-322L) combine the power of professional security systems with the ease of use of consumer products

LONDON - January 23, 2012 - D-Link has today announced two significant product launches in its industry-leading mydlinkTM range, making it easier than ever before for customers to set up and run a security network for their home or small business. The Enhanced Wireless N Day/Night Network Camera(DCS-942L) is an indoor camera that features built-in infra-red and 30 frames per second resolution, delivering users crystal-clear images of their properties even in complete darkness. Furthermore, for the first time mydlinkTM users have the ability to record directly onto the camera. With a pre-installed 16GB MicroSD card providing up to one week's worth of continuous audio and visual recording, users have the additional peace of mind that their homes and businesses are protected.

D-Link is simultaneously launching its mydlinkTM Network Video Recorder (DNR-322L), a recording device that can be attached to a network to capture and record high-quality footage taken from selected cameras in the D-Link range. The recorder can be accessed and managed via the mydlinkTM portal for the quickest and easiest way to monitor your home or business 24/7. It can also be managed through its own web user interface, important for users wanting to control their security set up while away from the home or workplace.

Ideal for home users and small businesses alike, the Network Video Recorder, meanwhile, provides customers with the simplest means of setting up home or business security on the market. Once plugged in, the recorder automatically discovers all the cameras on a user's network and can then be set to record in a few simple steps, providing users with 6 week's worth of video. The DNR-322L can record High-Definition video at 1080p and supports H.264, the latest image compression standard to store more footage whilst consuming less disk space, without compromising on quality.

Adrian Edwards, Consumer Solutions Manager at D-Link UK & Ireland, comments: "In our security-conscious age, customers want the peace of mind that comes with knowing their home or business is secured against threats such as burglary and vandalism. Today's launches are so important because they mean that for the first time users have a camera and a network video recorder that have the features and quality of professional devices - but which are simple to use and at a fraction of the cost."

As with all mydlinkTM cameras, the Enhanced Wireless N Day/Night Network Camera allows customers to keep an eye on their home or small business while on the move, accessing the portal via a laptop, iPad, iPhone or Android device. The camera can connect to a user's network through 802.11n wireless or PowerLine adapters, allowing the camera to be placed anywhere without the hassle of using additional cables. For advanced users wanting more out of their camera, the DCS-942L also comes with D-Link D-ViewCamTM management software for Windows PCs which includes features such as the ability to record directly from the camera to a local hard drive, trigger motion detection, set recording schedules, set e-mail alert notifications and provide support for up to 32 cameras.

Adrian Edwards concludes: "With these two new products we now offer customers a wide variety of monitoring and security options according to their needs. D-Link customers have for some time been able to keep a check on their homes with the mydlinkTM range of cameras, and with the recording features of these new devices, D-Link can now offer a fully networked security set up, which, when combined with the mydlinkTM portal adds the ultimate in flexibility."

AMD Opteron™ 6200 Series Processor Family Wins the Linley

- Honor from Leading Analyst Firm One of Several Recent Accolades for the Server Price-Performance Leader -

SUNNYVALE, Calif.-Jan. 23, 2012- AMD today announced that its AMD Opteron 6200 Series processor family, based on the new "Bulldozer" architecture, was chosen as the winner of The Linley Group's first annual Analysts' Choice Awards. The awards recognize the top processor products of 2011 in several major categories including embedded, mobile, PC, server, design IP and related technology. To choose each winner, the Linley Group's team of technology analysts focused on merits of the leading products that began shipping between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.

"Our analysts are deeply familiar with processor products and technology, having conducted extensive research in order to deliver the firm's popular publications and reports," said Linley Gwennap, founder and principal analyst at The Linley Group. "We chose the winners on the basis of their performance, power, features and cost as appropriate for their target applications."

This latest award for the AMD Opteron processor comes on the heels of the recent Technology of the Year honors from InfoWorld. AMD Opteron 6200 Series processors along with the Dell PowerEdge R715, which is based on the latest AMD Opteron processors, have both received 2012 Technology of Year awards from the publication.

"The AMD Opteron 6200 Series processor rose to the top of our list of nominees due to its leading performance for high-volume, dual-socket servers," said Bob Wheeler, senior analyst at The Linley Group. "Reported SPEC_rate2006 baseline scores show the AMD Opteron processor Model 6282 SE delivers about 20 percent greater integer performance and nearly 40 percent greater floating-point performance than comparable processors from the competition and costs about 40 percent less."

"We are honored to receive this prestigious award from The Linley Group," said Pat Patla, corporate vice president for AMD's Server Business. "Since we launched the new AMD Opteron processor a little more than 2 months ago, the industry has rallied around the combination of innovation and price-performance advantage AMD is delivering to Cloud, HPC and enterprise customers. It is clear the new AMD Opteron processor with our "Bulldozer" technology is a winner."

Kingston Digital Ships High Performance SSD Upgrade Solution for Business and Consumer Use

Sunbury-on-Thames - 23 January, 2012 -- Kingston Digital Europe Ltd., an affiliate of Kingston Technology Company Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the latest addition to its SSDNow range, the SSDNowV+200. The new Kingston® SSDNow V+200 solid-state drives are the ideal high-performance upgrade solution for the performance minded yet cost-conscious business or home user.

The SSDNow V+200 features the second-generation high-speed SATA 3.0 (6Gb/s) SandForce® SF-2281 Processor and outstanding sequential read and write speeds of up to 535MB/s and 480MB/s. The SSDNow V+200 enables fast system start-up, rapid data access and speedy copying of large files such as videos, presentations and graphics illustrations.

"Kingston constantly strives to offer the perfect upgrade solution to cover each market segment. The SSDNow V+200 drive has been specifically designed to meet the needs of both business and home users looking for an inexpensive yet powerful upgrade," says Krystian Jaroszynski, Product Marketing Manager, Flash, Kingston Technology Europe. "The SSDNow V+200 is equipped with all essential tools needed to extend the lifecycle and boost a system's performance to the maximum. The balance between performance and price makes this SSD deliver the best ROI as an upgrade for a fleet of corporate notebooks or desktops or the home PC," Jaroszynski continues.

The SSDNow V+200 is available in 60GB, 90GB, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB capacities as either a stand-alone drive or as an upgrade kit to make installation easy and quick. Kits include cables, brackets, cloning software and HDD enclosure - everything the business or home user needs to get started.

Seagate Wins UBM Channel Top 100 Recognition For Powering Data Centers With Innovative, Environmentally Friendly Products

Seagate Wins UBM Channel Top 100 Recognition For Powering Data Centers With Innovative, Environmentally Friendly Products

CUPERTINO, Calif. - January 23, 2012 - Seagate (NASDAQ:STX) has been named to CRN’s 2012 Data Center 100 list, an annual recognition of technology providers, for delivering innovative, cost-effective and environmentally friendly products that boost data center efficiency and productivity.

“Seagate is pleased to be recognized for its leadership in the data center,” said John Vossoughi, vice president of Americas and Global Channels at Seagate. “Data center and cloud computing is clearly an area where the channel, and its ability to innovate, will create opportunities for growth in the Americas region. We remain keenly focused on developing and delivering storage solutions that address the unique power, performance and security demands of data centers while providing the high quality that our customers demand.

“The cloud, in particular, presents new, compelling business opportunities for our channel partners,” Vossoughi said. “We will be enabling these opportunities through enhancements to our Seagate Partner Program in 2012.”

The Seagate Partner Program is designed to provide system builders and resellers with channel programs and tools to grow market share, increase profits and accelerate their time to market. The program focuses on providing national, regional and local solution integrators and value added resellers with the technical expertise and marketing resources needed to deliver Seagate storage to more customers.

Seagate is the global leader in business and mission-critical storage serving both the distribution and original equipment manufacturer channels with hard drive and solid state drive solutions supporting a broad range of customer configurations.

“The 2012 Data Center 100 list recognizes vendors that, over the course of 2011, have shown a dedication to the innovation and advancement of today’s data center services,” said Kelley Damore, vice president and editorial director for UBM Channel. “The recent upsurge in cloud computing has solution providers searching for new ways to ensure their clients maintain connectivity while mitigating costs and security threats. We congratulate each vendor on the 2012 Data Center 100 list for providing a significant growth opportunity for solution providers to build their business by offering cutting-edge products and services to customers.”

Happy Chinese New Year! - the Year of the Dragon

Happy Chinese New Year! - the Year of the Dragon

WD®Announces Q2 Results and Operations Update, Reflecting Continued Progress in Flood Recovery

IRVINE, Calif.-Jan. 23, 2012-Western Digital Corp. (NYSE: WDC) today reported revenue of $2.0 billion, hard-drive unit shipments of 28.5 million and net income of $145 million, or $0.61 per share, for its second fiscal quarter ended Dec. 30, 2011. Excluding charges and expenses related to the Thailand flooding and the planned acquisition of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST), non-GAAP net income was $358 million, or $1.51 per share.1 During the quarter, the company incurred charges and expenses of $199 million related to the flooding and expenses of $14 million associated with the planned acquisition of HGST.

In the year-ago quarter, the company reported revenue of $2.5 billion, net income of $225 million, or $0.96 per share, and shipped 52.2 million hard drives.

The company generated $378 million in cash from operations during the December quarter, ending with total cash and cash equivalents of $3.9 billion.

Operations Update
The company also announced it has made significant additional progress to restore its manufacturing capacity following the recent flooding in Thailand. It has continued to ramp HDD production in Thailand and yesterday resumed slider production which had been suspended since October 10. The company now believes its manufacturing capacity will be back to pre-flood capabilities in the quarter ending September 2012.

"We have made substantial progress in restoring WD's manufacturing capabilities in the aftermath of the historic flooding in Thailand, and this is reflected in our second quarter financial results and in the resumption of our operations there," said John Coyne, president and chief executive officer. "While much work remains to be done over the next several quarters to reach our pre-flood manufacturing capabilities, the progress thus far is significantly ahead of our original expectations and is a tribute to the dedicated and effective actions of our employees, contractors and Thai government agencies, the efforts of our supply partners and the support of our customers. We are grateful to all involved in this extraordinary effort."

HGST Acquisition
The company's plan to complete the acquisition of HGST is on track to close by March 2012. The company continues to work on obtaining the regulatory approval of the transaction from the remaining government agencies.

Friday 20 January 2012

Chip Shot: Be a Designing Pro in 2012 with Intel AppUp(SM) center

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to finally start small business or have that garage sale? Begin publicizing your business or garage sale with Easy Flyer Creator, now available in Intel AppUpSM center. With Easy Flyer Creator, you can easily design flyers, brochures and other documents such as door hangers, coupons and tickets. Easy Flyer Creator is a simple desktop publishing software app that automatically builds your flyers and other publishing materials for you. Just simply provide photos and become a publishing expert in no time! 

4,000 Facebook Likes! Thank you everyone for you support!


4,000 Facebook Likes! Thank you everyone for you support!

Thursday 19 January 2012

Acer Names Yani Tseng as the Company’s Global Brand Ambassador

Acer has named the world’s No.1 ranked professional female golfer, Yani Tseng, as its global brand ambassador. Tseng will be sporting the Acer logo on the front of her cap at golfing tours worldwide from ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open in Victoria, Australia on February 9, 2012, and using Acer’s products on the road and at home to enrich her digital lifestyle.

“Acer is a global IT company”, says Tseng, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings, “I am very pleased and excited about taking on the role as the global brand ambassador for Acer and in bringing more visibility to the Acer brand through major golf sporting events.”

Because golf is a popular worldwide sport with no limitation on the participants’ age, sex, and physical ability, Acer chose the well-known golf player, Yani Tseng, to be their global brand ambassador, as she will undoubtedly attract attention and recognition to the brand.

“Tseng’s tee shot is powerful and precise, presenting a charismatic confidence,” says Acer, “Her tournament performance can be characterized as steady, and often during a critical moment she remains focused and holds a great composure that will defeat her opponent. By associating Tseng’s characteristics such as efficacy, speed, precision, stability, we hope to enhance consumers’ recognition of Acer’s products.”

Tseng has enjoyed a close connection with Acer for several years. Beginning in 2002, Acer and the Taiwan Golf Association created the Acer Golf Program for junior players. Tseng participated in the quarterly golf tournament and was ranked top amateur player. In 2003, she also joined Acer’s Top Young Golf Players Training Program. In Taiwan during 2006, Tseng won the Acer Amateur Golf National Ranking Tournament, Acer International Amateur Invitational Golf Tournament, and Acer Elite Match-Plays. The year after, she ended her amateur career and turned professional player.

Yani Tseng / Key Milestones
Yani Tseng was born in Taoyuan, Taiwan in 1989 and began playing golf at the age of 5. With many years of experience behind her, she is currently ranked No.1 in the Women’s World Golf Ranking.
Tseng’s first major victory was the 2002 Callaway Junior World Golf Championships (Girls 13-14).
In 2004, Tseng beat defending champion, Michelle Wie, in the USGA Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. This was a very important milestone in her amateur career.
In 2008, Tseng became the youngest player to win the LPGA Championship. In the same year, she secured the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award.
In 2010, Tseng won two major championships, the Kraft Nabisco Championship and RIOCH Women’s British Open. In the same year, she was awarded 2010 Rolex Player of the Year of LPGA and named Female Player of the Year by the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA).
In 2011, Tseng again won the LPGA Championship, and became world’s No.1 female golfer. Tseng is the youngest player to win five majors of LPGA championships in the world.
In October 2011, Tseng won the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship.

Apple Reinvents Textbooks with iBooks 2 for iPad

New iBooks Author Lets Anyone Create Stunning iBooks Textbooks
NEW YORK—January 19, 2012—Apple® today announced iBooks® 2 for iPad®, featuring iBooks textbooks, an entirely new kind of textbook that’s dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. iBooks textbooks offer iPad users gorgeous, fullscreen textbooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, unrivaled navigation and much more. iBooks textbooks can be kept up to date, don't weigh down a backpack and never have to be returned. Leading education services companies including Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill and Pearson will deliver educational titles on the iBookstore℠ with most priced at $14.99 or less, and with the new iBooks Author, a free authoring tool available today, anyone with a Mac® can create stunning iBooks textbooks.

“Education is deep in Apple’s DNA and iPad may be our most exciting education product yet. With 1.5 million iPads already in use in education institutions, including over 1,000 one-to-one deployments, iPad is rapidly being adopted by schools across the US and around the world,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Now with iBooks 2 for iPad, students have a more dynamic, engaging and truly interactive way to read and learn, using the device they already love.”

The new iBooks 2 app is available today as a free download from the App Store™. With support for great new features including gorgeous, fullscreen books, interactive 3D objects, diagrams, videos and photos, the iBooks 2 app will let students learn about the solar system or the physics of a skyscraper with amazing new interactive textbooks that come to life with just a tap or swipe of the finger. With its fast, fluid navigation, easy highlighting and note-taking, searching and definitions, plus lesson reviews and study cards, the new iBooks 2 app lets students study and learn in more efficient and effective ways than ever before.

iBooks Author is also available today as a free download from the Mac App Store and lets anyone with a Mac create stunning iBooks textbooks, cookbooks, history books, picture books and more, and publish them to Apple’s iBookstore. Authors and publishers of any size can start creating with Apple-designed templates that feature a wide variety of page layouts. iBooks Author lets you add your own text and images by simply dragging and dropping, and with the Multi-Touch™ widgets you can easily add interactive photo galleries, movies, Keynote® presentations and 3D objects.

Apple today also announced an all-new iTunes® U app giving educators and students everything they need on their iPad, iPhone® and iPod touch® to teach and take entire courses. With the new iTunes U app, students using iPads have access to the world’s largest catalog of free educational content, along with over 20,000 education apps at their fingertips and hundreds of thousands of books in the iBookstore that can be used in their school curriculum, such as novels for English or Social Studies.* The iTunes U app is available today as a free download from the App Store.

*Some content is available only for iPad.

Apple Unveils All-New iTunes U App for iPad, iPhone & iPod touch

Entire Courses from Top Universities Now Available in One App
NEW YORK—January 19, 2012—Apple® today announced an all-new iTunes® U app, giving educators and students everything they need on their iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch® to teach and take entire courses. The all-new iTunes U app lets teachers create and manage courses including essential components such as lectures, assignments, books, quizzes and syllabuses and offer them to millions of iOS users around the world. The iTunes U app gives iOS users access to the world’s largest catalog of free educational content from top universities including Cambridge, Duke, Harvard, Oxford and Stanford, and starting today any K-12 school district can offer full courses through the iTunes U app. iTunes U has already become an incredibly popular learning tool for students with over 700 million downloads.

“The all-new iTunes U app enables students anywhere to tap into entire courses from the world's most prestigious universities,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “Never before have educators been able to offer their full courses in such an innovative way, allowing anyone who’s interested in a particular topic to learn from anywhere in the world, not just the classroom.”

Prior to iTunes U, only students in the classroom at that time had access to educational content from top universities. With the iTunes U app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, those barriers no longer exist. Students anywhere can take an entire course with complete access to all course materials right at their fingertips. With the iTunes U app, students are able to access new books right from within the app, and any notes taken in iBooks® are consolidated for easy reviewing. In addition to reading books, viewing presentations, lectures and assignment lists, students can receive push notifications so they always have the latest class information.* The iTunes U app is available today as a free download from the App Store™.

Educators can quickly and easily create, manage and share their courses, quizzes and handouts through a web-based tool and utilize content and links from the iTunes U app, the Internet, iBookstore℠ or the App Store as part of their curriculum. They can also upload and distribute their own documents such as Keynote®, Pages®, Numbers® or books made with iBooks Author.

*Some content is available only for iPad.

Wednesday 18 January 2012

ASUS Releases the O!Play TV Pro Smart TV Set Top Box

Offers multiple ways for consumers to play, stream, share, and record HD media and digital TV content

Taipei, Taiwan (January 18, 2012) - the ASUS O!Play TV Pro upgrades living room TV viewing to a completely digital HD and live experience, enabling easy content consumption and distribution. Features open up playback and recording of digital programs, as well as almost any multimedia file currently available with over 50 formats supported, including 3D. Exclusive O!Easy technology adds specific one-click functions that cover file streaming, sharing, and replay, while an always-on design affords direct access to many major online entertainment and content services, all from a single user-friendly device.

Playback and recording of digital TV

The O!Play TV Pro comes with a built in DVB-T digital tuner for immediate access to free-to-air high quality digital TV programming. Consumers can readily plan ahead with the Electronic Program Guide (EPG), which offers location-sensitive scheduling for up to a week in advance. Plus, content can be recorded onto an internal 3.5" hard drive* using the included Personal Video Recorder (PVR). ASUS has integrated TimeShift into the device, which can pause and resume digital broadcasts in real time should consumers need to get away from the screen, but wish to avoid missing out on their favorite shows.

Support for over 50 formats - including 3D media

Compatibility remains critical for media players, and so the O!Play TV Pro offers seamless use of over 50 major multimedia standards for a worry-free user experience. These include ISO, MKV, RM/RMBV, MVA, AVI, MPEG1/2/4, and MP4. Adding 3D support, the set top box uses H.264 MV (TS, M2TS, and BD-ISO), extending compatibility to cover the most current 3D formatting on the market.

Exclusive ASUS O!Easy technology renders more enjoyable HD multimedia

Playing, streaming, and sharing HD content have been made much easier thanks to the inclusion of O!Easy technology, which connects the O!Play TV Pro to other devices and home networks intuitively. The suite includes multiple one-click functions:
- O!Capture: media and TV program sharing on Facebook
- O!Replay: replay a program's most recent seven seconds
- O!Direct: streaming content from desktop or notebook PC to TV
- O!MediaShare: wireless streaming of content from mobile devices to TV
- AutoPlay: plug and play videos stored on USB drives or SD/MMC/MS/xD cards without additional setup or installation

Access diverse online entertainment

The O!Play TV Pro offers consumers a totally live product, with constant connectivity over Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi to a wealth of online-based content and services. The device maximizes bandwidth availability to reduce lag and latency for faster downloads and buffer-free streaming. Acetrax, Facebook, YouTube Leanback, DailyMotion, Flickr, and Picasa all come pre-configured for instant access. ASUS offers regular device and service updates, so consumers can expect the range of online content to continue to grow.

WIN 12 Prizes when Okobe.co.uk Reaches 7,500 'Likes' on Facebook! t&cs apply



Terms & Conditions:

• One Winner will be announced on the Okobe.co.uk Facebook Page and via Facebook message when 7,500 ‘Likes’ is reached on the Okobe.co.uk Facebook Page. 
• By entering this competition you allow Okobe.co.uk to publish your name on the Okobe.co.uk Facebook page.
• Please note only one entry per person is allowed, multiple Facebook accounts is not permitted.
• If you already 'Like' Okobe.co.uk on Facebook you will automatically be entered into the competition.
• Winner will be selected at random from the 7,500 Okobe.co.uk Facebook Page Followers.
• Okobe.co.uk reserves the right to terminate this competition at any point.
• There is no cash alternative available.
• Entrants are not restricted to the UK. Okobe.co.uk will pay for postage of the prize to any address Worldwide.
• No purchase is required.
• Entrants must be 18 years and over.
• Okobe.co.uk employees are excluded from this competition.
• Offers will run until the 29th February 2012, if the Okobe.co.uk Facebook page is below 7,500 ‘Likes’ the competition will close with no winner.
• Once the Okobe.co.uk Facebook Page reaches 7,500 ‘Likes’ the competition will close and the Winner will be announced within 24 hours.
• This competition is only being conducted on the Okobe.co.uk Official Facebook Page which is: http://www.facebook.com/​okobecom

Tuesday 17 January 2012

Sony goes faster with Super Speed USB 3.0 Flash Drive

New Micro Vault MACH accelerates file saving and sharing
First USB 3.0 flash memory drive from Sony
Available in 8GB/16GB/32GB/64GB capacities
Ultra-fast transfers up to 120 MB/s read / 90 MB/s write*
Sleek aluminium body with retractable USB connector and LED indicator

Get ready for even faster saving, sharing and uploads of your personal media files. Brand-new Micro Vault MACH is the first family of flash memory drives from Sony with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 technology for lightening performance that won't slow you down.

Micro Vault MACH is ideal for consumers and business users who need the convenience and reliability of ultra-fast on-the-go data transfers. Available in capacities from 8GB up to 64GB, Micro Vault MACH offers data speeds up to 120 MB/s (read) and 90 MB/s (write)*. You'll enjoy faster sharing and uploads of music, photos, HD video and media-rich documents - and less time spent waiting for your files to copy.

Micro Vault MACH is backward-compatible with USB 2.0, so you can use it seamlessly with current PCs and other devices that don't support the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard.

Micro Vault MACH is encased in a sleek, solid aluminium body that's built to withstand day-to-day knocks. The retractable USB connector's click mechanism offers extra protection while shrinking the drive's size for even greater portability. There's a handy LED indicator to give visual confirmation of data transfers when the drive is in use. For extra peace for mind, all drives come with a standard five-year warranty.

Downloadable software for the Micro Vault MACH series includes File Rescue and x - Pict StoryTM. File rescue enables users to recover any important data that might have been deleted by mistake, making retrieving lost data such as images, movies and music files a breeze. The x - Pict StoryTM software allows the creation of an automated photo presentation using the files stored on the Micro Vault.

* Based on Sony internal tests with USM64GQ as of November 2011. Transfer speed may vary depend on host devices, software and usage. Not guaranteed. Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

AMD Announces the First AMD Fusion Centre of Innovation

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Jan. 17, 2012 - AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the first AMD Fusion Centre of Innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to focus on the innovative developer environment and software performance advancements enabled by heterogeneous computing. The centre will fund, mentor and promote new commercial enterprises emerging from the vast intellectual property and research expertise in the University of Illinois community. The University has been a hotbed of new start-ups since the creation of the first widespread web browser - Mosaic - developed by Marc Andreessen in 1992. Through access to AMD Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) technology and platforms, the AMD Fusion Center of Innovation will help bridge access to new AMD heterogeneous computing technology with the innovative spirit stimulated and nurtured on campus. 

Monday 16 January 2012

Chip Shot: Intel and Inwindow Unveil "Experience Stations"

Intel and Inwindow Outdoor are showcasing the latest advancements in digital signs at the National Retail Federation Expo from January 15-18, 2012. The new “Experience Stations” allow consumers to use touch and gestures to explore an interactive sign demo via 3-D cameras. Upon approaching the station demo, Intel® Audience Impression Metrics Suite (Intel® AIM Suite) anonymously determines the attendee’s gender and age bracket to display personalized, relevant advertising. The interactive digital signs also enable consumers to make transactions with mobile devices using near field communication (NFC). 

Thecus® Launches the N4800, Next-Gen 4 Bay NAS

The New Intel® AtomTM CPU, HDMI Output, and Other Surprises

01/16/2012- Everyone knows the N4200PRO, one of the first AtomTM D525 based NAS. Thecus is now announcing its proud successor, the N4800. This time, the N4800 will be one of the first Intel® AtomTM N2700 based NAS! Gathering what's been best for the N4200 series (small summary), the N4800 also has its own fair share of new technologies with no less than 2GB of DDR3 RAM. This very powerful NAS will become a must-have for all small and medium businesses in need of centralized storage, application serving, and top-notch response time within multi-user environments. For the more demanding users, the N4800 will also have its use at home.

USB 3.0: from optional to mandatory

Thecus was the first to launch a NAS compatible with USB 3.0 for early adopters. Now that the technology has matured and more USB 3.0 devices exist on the market, it is time to embed it by default! The N4800 has two USB 3.0 ports, which are up to10 times faster than USB 2.0.

Friday 13 January 2012

Acer Recruits Eva Ho as the New CFO

Acer Inc. held a meeting on January 12 with the Board of Directors and approved the appointment of Eva Ho as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and spokesperson of Acer Inc., effective on March 1, 2012.

Ho has abundant expertise in financial management and global financial operations. Her experience includes having worked for Oracle as director of Finance & Administration, Sun Microsystems as finance director of Greater China, Arrow Electronics Inc. as regional finance director, and Testrite Group as group CFO & EVP.

Simultaneously, Lilia Wang will be relieved of her duties as acting CFO of Acer Inc, while retaining her current positions as Global Controller and acting EMEA CFO. Acer appreciates Wang's dedication and contribution as acting CFO over the past few months. Wang will hand over the CFO responsibilities to Ho by the end of March.

Born in 1958, Ho graduated from National Taiwan University majoring in economics. She obtained her Master's degree in accounting at the University of Denver in Colorado, USA and holds a USA Certified Public Accountant license.

Chip Shot: NRF: Intel Continues Support for Retail Orphan Initiative

For the second consecutive year, Intel is supporting the Retail Orphan Initiative (ROI) at the National Retail Federation Expo (NRF) from January 15-18, 2012. At NRF 2011, Intel gave $50 to ROI for each person who toured the Intel booth, providing funds to build the only school in Marshall, Liberia. At NRF 2012, Intel will continue its support for the children of Marshall by donating $75 to ROI for each booth (#2251) visitor, helping build a playground and new bathrooms for the school and providing education and better hygiene for more than 400 children each day.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

Ergotron Education Solutions Give Teachers the Freedom of Movement and the Power of Technology -

London, United Kingdom — 11th January 2012

Recognizing the ever-changing dynamics of technology in the classroom as well as collaborative learning requirements, Ergotron, a global leader in technology mounting and mobility solutions, is showcasing its education solutions, including the Tablet Management Cart and next generation TeachWell Mobile Digital Workspace, to audiences at BETT 2012 (Stand R18).

“The opportunities for educators to incorporate technology into their classroom and curriculum are boundless,” says Steve Belcher, UK sales manager at Ergotron. “However, each day educators lose time and momentum because of cramped classrooms and the hassles of switching technology. With TeachWell or the Tablet Management Cart, educators have an affordable, flexible and entirely comfortable way to seamlessly manage, access and engage with technology.”

Ergotron’s Tablet Management Cart’s open architecture allows for a flexible response to future technology changes and for the secure storage and transportation of up to 48 tablets, if all three modules are installed. With its easy one-time setup and secure cable management drawer (which limits student access), syncing and charging is as simple as connecting a master laptop via USB and plugging the one power cord into the wall socket. The system will automatically switch from charging to syncing using USB 2.0 protocol when the master laptop is connected. Module status and individual tablet charging status is visible with LED indicators. The cart ships fully assembled.

The next generation TeachWell un-tethers educators from a desk or podium and provides the freedom to move around the classroom for more collaboration and engagement with students. Educators can bring their computer up close for one-on-one discussions or use the adjustable podium for presentations. Additionally, the small footprint of the TeachWell workstation enables educators to increase classroom space by eliminating the need for a podium, secondary instructor desk and AV cart. Dependent on user preferences or classroom requirements, educators can customize their unit with accessories, including an LCD or Laptop Kit, a Projector Shelf or secure Storage Bin.

Ergotron offers educators a full portfolio of adjustable, ergonomic mounts and workstations suitable for creating active learning spaces, video conferencing, and digital signage throughout the whole campus. Through Ergotron’s Product Programs qualified educational facilities have the opportunity to try out education products in their own environment.

AMD OpenCL™ APP SDK 2.6 and AMD Catalyst™ Developer Driver

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Jan. 11, 2012 - AMD (NYSE: AMD) released new versions of the AMD APP SDK and AMD CatalystTM developer drivers which include many new features, including several capabilities of the recently published OpenCLTM 1.2 specification. The new features provide developers with significant coding productivity enhancements, making it much easier to write OpenCL using C++. In addition, the new features deliver run-time performance enhancements. For more details on the AMD APP SDK 2.6 and AMD Catalyst developer drivers see the related AMD Developer blog post.

"AMD is focusing on OpenCL to enable developers to more easily harness the power of heterogeneous computing," said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. "The latest SDK and developer drivers release enhances developer productivity by introducing new features like the C++ wrapper API and Static C++ kernel language support."

AMD is driving industry support for OpenCL with developers and technology companies around the world, contributing to the establishment of OpenCL as a top tool for developers. Consumers will continue to see more software applications coming to market that are optimised on OpenCL. The new applications will leverage the full processing capabilities of the CPU and GPU, which enable faster run-times, longer battery life and smoother playback in their favorite software applications when running in a broad range of notebook, desktop and all-in-one PCs based on VISION Technology from AMD.

Lenovo Adds Smarter Classmate+ Laptop & Convertible to Education Roster

Hook, UK – January 11, 2012: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) announced today its second generation Classmate+ laptops – in both traditional clamshell and convertible laptop form factors - based on the Intel Learning Series. These new laptops offer students, teachers and IT administrators more ruggedness with new durability features like greater spill resistance, affordability, battery life up to 10 hours and enhanced usability with Intel Learning Series software suite for using the e-reader, web camera and digital writing features.

“As the world’s #1 PC maker in education, we’re committed to enhancing learning via our platform of PC solutions designed for students,” said Michael Schmedlen, director, worldwide education, Lenovo. “By joining with Intel to create the new Lenovo Classmate+ Clamshell and Classmate+ Convertible laptops, we’re demonstrating how mobile computing fits into any learning environment, no matter the location or budget.”

Head of the Class
Designed to handle the rough treatment students on-the-go can inflict upon technology, the laptops are even more rugged than the previous Lenovo Classmate+ laptop. They feature a keyboard with enhanced water resistance, a tougher corner design, reinforced steel hinge and strengthened DC jack. They come with a 10.1-inch anti-glare screen with touch capability on the convertible as well as optional high-brightness or high-definition on both or a capacitive touch screen with a pen on the convertible.

The laptops are equipped with the tools students need to do basic work and learning - an Intel Atom N2600 processor, up to 2 GB DDR3 memory and up to 320 GB hard drive or up to 32 GB solid state drive storage. With a 6-cell battery, students can use the laptops all day - up to 10 hours. The laptops feature three USB ports, VGA and an optional HDMI port for transferring data and displaying standard and high definition video to a monitor or TV. They also come with a web camera in resolutions up to 2 megapixels. While the Classmate+ laptops come in a standard Grey color, customs colors are available with a minimum quantity order.

“The latest Classmate laptops equipped with Intel Atom processor technology up the level of computing power and performance for students without sacrificing long battery life,” said Dr. Wayne Grant, EMPG’s Director of Research and Planning at Intel Corporation. “We are thrilled that Lenovo will be expanding their presence in our Intel Learning Series Alliance and that schools around the world can take advantage of this purpose-built technology for 1:1 e-learning.”

Additionally, the Lenovo Classmate+ Convertible has an exclusive rotating hinge strengthened and designed to last tens of thousands of cycles. It also has a built-in hardware button to make scrolling through ebooks simple and an optional Trusted Platform Module to protect data like passwords and digital certificates from external software attacks and physical theft.

As part of the Intel® Learning Series the Classmate PCs offer an enhanced student experience, increased ruggedness and up to 10 hours of battery life. Intel’s Intel Learning Series thus far has had more than 6 million Intel-powered classmate PCs shipped globally since its launch in 2007. More than 500 members in 70 countries are developing applications, peripherals and services optimized for the Learning Series.