Wednesday 30 May 2012

QNAP Expands its Turbo NAS Peripherals Compatibility List

Adding Two New Printers, One 2.5-inch Internal SATA Hard Drive, Thirteen 2.5-inch Internal Solid State Drives, Four 3rd Party Backup Applications and One Multimedia Player

Taipei, Taiwan, May 30, 2012 - QNAP® Systems, Inc. is extending the number of compatible peripherals for its Turbo NAS products. The additions, including two printers, one 2.5-inch 128GB internal SATA hard drive, thirteen 2.5-inch 60GB to 480GB internal Solid State Drives, four 3rd party backup applications, and one multimedia player are now fully compatible. The expanded peripherals are expected to give users greater convenience and deployment flexibility.

The compatible printers are listed below:
Brother® - DCP-7065DN
EPSON® - AcuLaser M1400

The compatible 2.5" internal SATA Hard Drive is listed below:
Crucial® - CT128M4SSD2 (128GB)

The compatible 2.5" internal Solid State Drives (SSD) are listed below:
Kingston® - SVP200S3/60G (60GB), SVP200S3/90G (90GB), SVP200S3/120G (120GB), SVP200S3/240G (240GB), SVP200S3/480G (480GB)
Corsair® - CSSD-F120GB3-BK (120GB), CSSD-F180GB3-BK (180GB), CSSD-F240GB3-BK (240GB), CSSD-F480GB3-BK (480GB), CSSD-F120GBGT-BK (120GB), CSSD-F180GBGT-BK (180GB), CSSD-F240GBGT-BK (240GB), CSSD-F480GBGT-BK (480GB)

The compatible 3rd party backup applications are listed below:
Veeam® - Veeam Backup & Replication 5, Backup & Replication 6
Altaro - Altaro Hyper-V Backup
DataCoreTM - SANsymphonyTM-V

The compatible multimedia player is listed below:
Mede8erTM - MED450X2

D-Link launches DIR-857 Dualband HD Media Router for digital media enthusiasts

With Dualband technology and the latest USB standard built-in, this high performance router is perfect for demanding consumers who love to stream HD movies

LONDON, 30 May 2012, - D-Link has today launched the Dualband HD Media Router (DIR-857) for demanding digital media enthusiasts who require the highest possible performance from their routers. Boasting 900 Mbps Wireless N connectivity, the router can transmit data simultaneously on two wireless frequencies at speeds of up to 450 Mbps. This makes the HD Media Router the ideal solution for running multiple bandwidth-hungry applications such as video calls, online games, and Internet TV simultaneously. Along with powerful streaming capabilities delivered through its built-in SD card slot and USB port, this new HD Media Router is ideal for consumers wanting to rapidly access and share feature-rich content across the whole home network.

Adrian Edwards, Consumer Solutions Manager, D-Link UK and Ireland, commented: "Users are demanding more bandwidth-heavy content and greater flexibility on how they share and consume this content. Older routers can no longer cope with the speed and performance required by popular applications such as HD streaming, which is fast becoming the standard for video. The HD Media Router we have launched today is optimised for video and built specifically to deliver bandwidth-intensive applications with the quality that experienced users demand. This DIR-857 delivers the absolute maximum performance that wireless is capable of today."

The HD Media Router's Dualband technology effectively sets up two wireless networks, one for day-to-day activities such as web-surfing and checking emails, and another for downloading and streaming rich media content over the 5GHz band. As this band is more resistant to interference from other household electrical items, it is ideal for downloading or streaming HD content straight to a laptop, game console or media player, such as the Boxee Box by D-Link, so that movies or home videos can be seen on an HDTV. For keen video-gamers, film buffs or consumers making frequent Internet calls, this antennae-less router is perfect for delivering crystal-clear online content at lightning-fast speeds.

Today's connected home is about more than consuming content; sharing is just as important. TheDualband HD Media Router enables content to be streamed straight from the router via either its SD card slot or USB port. Within seconds, users can share their latest photos, favourite songs or funniest video clips with other members of their home network. With the latest USB standard, 3.0, built-in, files and content can be downloaded ten times faster than with older USB standards, while its built-in media server allows different content to be streamed on different laptops, PCs or tablets simultaneously. For the digitally savvy family, for example, this means mum and dad can stream films in the living room while their daughter conducts a video call in the bedroom, with neither application effecting the quality of the other.

The DIR-857 also features unique SharePortTM Technology and SharePortTM Mobile apps to access, share and manage content between family, friends and devices from a single location. Consumers can access documents, photos, music, and videos using apps for iPad® and iPhones®. Dynamic parental controls, moreover, mean that parents can ensure that the router provides safe access to the Internet and shared content for all members of the family.

Adrian Edwards concludes: "We know that more and more people in the home want to get connected via smartphones and tablets in addition to laptops and PCs. We are therefore providing people with the opportunity to experience more mobility within the connected home. It is clear that people will continue to bring new devices into their homes and perform more and more high-end applications such as video streaming. The DIR-857 will allow them to do this with ease - both now and in the future."

Fun and affordable: Nokia launches the Lumia 610 in the UK

Includes WiFi tethering and ‘flip-to-silence' with latest sleek Windows Phone experience

London, 30 May 2012 - Nokia today announced the most affordable Lumia smartphone to date with the stylish new Nokia Lumia 610 available in the UK in white, cyan, magenta and black.

The fast and social smartphone offers a number of new features including WiFi tethering and flip-to-silence, and is priced from £15.00 per month on contract from O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4u.

The distinctive Nokia Lumia 610 brings amazing social networking and puts all contacts from mobile, email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn into one place with the People Hub. Plus there's gaming from Xbox Live, and signature Nokia apps including Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia Transport and Nokia Music bringing free offline music without subscription.

"The 610 brings the fast and sleek Nokia Lumia experience to lower priced areas of the market," said Conor Pierce, vice president Western Europe, Nokia. "Pre-loaded with Nokia Mix Radio, our free music streaming service and Nokia Drive, our global turn-by-turn navigation app, makes the Nokia Lumia 610 ideal for those looking for their first smartphone."

Pre-loaded with the Microsoft Office app, users can access Word, PowerPoint and Excel on the go and use OneNote mobile to capture notes, ideas, pictures and voice memos, making it ideal for busy students. The addition of Skydrive, Microsoft's cloud storage service, files and notes can be synchronised, opened and edited from any PC or directly from their phone.

Special Jubilee SALE at Okobe.co.uk

Special Jubilee SALE at Okobe.co.uk:
http://www.okobe.co.uk/ws/browse/Jubilee+SALE/1020778

Tuesday 29 May 2012

New AMD A-Series APUs Win 2012 Best Choice of COMPUTEX TAIPEI

High-performance accelerated processors recognized for unique achievements in compute power and extended battery life

TAIPEI, Taiwan - May 29, 2012 - AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced its AMD A-Series APUs (Accelerated Processing Units) are winners of the 2012 Best Choice of COMPUTEX TAIPEI award, the second consecutive win for the product family. The award is given by the Taipei Computer Association, a driving force behind the annual event and the leading technology organization in the country. Extensive reviews are conducted by a panel of esteemed government officials, academics, research analysts, editors-in-chief of key media outlets and industry experts to select winning products based on outstanding design and cutting-edge technology in 10 product categories.

The second generation AMD A-Series APU combines the company's latest multi-core x86 CPU core architecture and award-winning AMD RadeonTM HD 7000 Series graphics to provide an increase in performance of up to 29 percent on productivity applications (as compared with the first generation AMD A-Series APUs), an increase of graphics performance up to 56 percent, and deliver up to 12 hours of battery life.[i] Its unique features enable improvements in the areas that matter most to consumers today, including entertainment, gaming and mobility, through a growing ecosystem of APU-accelerated applications.

"We are honored to receive this prestigious award from the Taipei Computer Association for the second consecutive year," said Chris Cloran, corporate vice president, AMD Client Products. "The overwhelming market reception and industry accolades for the AMD A-Series APUs demonstrate that AMD is uniquely meeting the needs of our customers and a new generation of PC buyers."

AMD and other award recipients' products will be displayed at the Best Choice Award Pavilion by Taipei Computer Association at the upcoming 2012 Computex exhibition. In addition, AMD's product showcase will be located at Booth #L0607 in the TWTC Nangang exhibition hall.

For developers interested in learning more about APUs and heterogeneous computing, AMD will be hosting the second annual AMD Fusion Developer Summit (AFDS) from June 11-14 in Bellevue, Washington. Summit participants will be able to engage in interactive sessions and hands-on labs to deepen their knowledge of APU programmability, and gain a better understanding of how software applications can take full advantage of their parallel processing power.

Thursday 24 May 2012

Jabra CLIPPER headset teams your technology with your style

Jabra CLIPPER clips on to a bag, clothes or belt and switches seamlessly between music and calls

London, UK - 15th May, 2012: Jabra has given its CLIPPER a new lease of life with the introduction of four fresh colours. The Jabra CLIPPER, which gives users the freedom to use both mobile phone and music devices with one set of headphones, is now available in four new colours from the Pantone colour scale including Tangerine Tango (17-1463), Turquoise (638), New Pink (674) and White (Pantone White). The new range of colours launches following the success of the black version.

The Jabra CLIPPER Bluetooth® stereo headset is a tiny clip-on device with noise-blocking stereo headphones that lets users listen to their favourite tunes as well as take calls whilst on the go. With minimalistic controls and smooth Scandinavian styling, the Jabra CLIPPER mixes coolness with functionality. Jabra's four fresh colours allow the stylish techno fan to match the CLIPPER to an outfit or accessorise everything from a handbag to a skateboard.

With the Jabra CLIPPER, the days of changing between an MP3 player and a phone when a call comes in are over. Both devices connect wirelessly, enabling users to flip between calls and tunes instantly. Calls will automatically override the music that's playing and at the touch of one multi function button users can easily pause, skip tracks or alter the volume. The Jabra CLIPPER can also be used with any other 3.5mm headphones.

ASUS Launches Server Lineup Based on Intel® Xeon® E3 and E5 Processors

Perfect for data center, enterprise, and HPC applications with extreme computing power, extensive expandability, remote supervision, and node management

Taipei, Taiwan (May 23, 2012) - ASUS has readied an entire range of server systems and boards with Intel® Xeon® E5-4600, Xeon® E5-2400, and Xeon® E3-1200 v2 processors. All provide extreme processing power and features that enable convenient expandability, remote supervision, and detailed node management for diverse applications in the cloud and on the ground, including data centers, enterprises with a focus on ERP, and HPC.

ASUS RS926-E7/RS8 4-way system with Intel® Xeon® E5-4600 processor support

Accommodating up to four processors for high end computing power, the RS926-E7/RS8 offers enhanced expandability with seven expansion slots. It supports two double-deck GPUs for equally potent graphics processing and genuine CPU/GPU hybrid computing, and can take up to 1TB in main memory. The system also uses 56Gb/s InfiniBand® interconnection alongside quad LAN to ensure the fastest available networking capabilities, making it an ideal choice for data center, HPC, and enterprise applications, with particular emphasis on enterprise resource planning (ERP).

Wide range of models with Intel® Xeon® E5-2400 processor support

The RS500-E7/PS4 server offers users an optimized thermal design, employing a 1U rack front parallel processor and memory layout to improve air flow. Its 2+1 expansion logic consists of two PCI Express 3.0 slots plus an ASUS PIKE slot, and to ensure smooth networking and virtualization it offers quad LAN.

The Z9NH-D12 and Z9NH-D12/FDR server boards combine high density operation with considerable flexibility. They double the density of other half-board designs, supporting 12 DIMM slots for up to 384GB of LRDIMM (load-reducing) memory. ASUS Node Manager offers power monitoring and control, with extra features to support supervision of large server clusters. InfiniBand® FDR at up to 56Gb/s is included on the Z9NH-D12/FDR SKU. The Z9NR -D12 upgrades cooling with a lean rack design, integrating ASUS PIKE (6Gb/s), an Intel® Platform Controller Hub (PCH) with SATA 6Gb/s, and four additional SATA 6Gb/s ports. Its power efficiency reaches 95%.

The Z9NA-D6 and Z9NA-D6C server boards bring server-grade performance to standard ATX desktops, at the same time maintaining compatibility with rack and tower chassis. As such, they support both normal ATX power supplies and Server System Infrastructure (SSI) PSUs. Storage comes in the form of SAS 6Gb/s (an upgrade via ASUS PIKE cards), with onboard Intel® PCH support for SATA 6Gb/s and SATA Disk on Module (DOM). These boards use extremely durable components and materials, and are 91% energy efficient (up to 85% under heavy load).

Server systems and boards with 22nm Intel® Xeon® E3-1200 v2 processors

ASUS has added support for the Intel® Xeon® E3-1200 v2 processor family on existing server systems and boards, incorporating effortless CPU performance boosts as needed by users. Up to DDR3 1600 memory offers higher bandwidth, while PCI Express 3.0 compatibility drives better and faster component interconnectivity.

About ASUS

ASUS, the world's top 3 consumer notebook vendor and the maker of the world's best-selling and most award winning motherboards, is a leading enterprise in the new digital era. ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today's digital home, office and person, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktops, Eee Box and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, tablet devices, servers, multimedia and wireless solutions, networking devices, and mobile phones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 3,886 awards in 2011, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PCTM. With a global staff of more than 11,000 and a world-class R&D team of 3,100 engineers, the company's revenue for 2011 was around US$11.9 billion.

ASUS Launches ESC G2 Series GPU Servers and Workstations

Upgraded hybrid computing power for professional users offers better-optimized multi-GPU support with more expansion options and advanced I/O integration

Taipei, Taiwan (May 24, 2012) - GPU computing plays a more important role in the HPC market due to increased focus on applications that require massive computing power with high density scalability. The ASUS ESC4000 G2, ESC2000 G2, and ESC1000 G2 super computer servers and workstations offer professional users ample high density hybrid computing power, delivering a major upgrade in graphics capabilities and expansion paths. With support for four graphics cards and up to two Intel® processors, they enable greater performance, at the same time presenting better reliability with Intel® Ethernet and power supply redundancy. Expansion slots comply with new PCI Express 3.0 x16 specifications, and all power supplies adhere to 80 PLUS standards to ensure improved energy efficiency. Additional features such as hot-swap storage, ASUS PIKE, ASUS SSD Caching, and InfiniBandTM round off ideal platforms for high-demand computing requirements.


Three new models for different professional needs

The ESC G2 Series offers three core products, precision-designed to address the demands of professional users, especially in the fields of engineering, medical research, financial modeling, graphics rendering, and animation. The ESC4000 G2 offers powerful multi-GPU server performance, while the ESC2000 G2 and ESC1000 G2 act as diverse high density workstations. All three emphasize true hybrid computing, supporting up to four graphics cards alongside the latest server and workstation CPUs. Their massive computing power works together with larger memory capacity, capable of up to 512GB DDR3. The ESC4000 G2 and ESC2000 G2 can accommodate dual CPUs, while the ESC1000 G2 ships as a single-CPU personal super computer workstation.

Increased expandability and greater reliability

The ESC4000 G2 utilizes an 8+1 expansion design, while the ESC2000 G2 has seven slots, and the ESC1000 G2 offers six. For better reliability as required by non-stop professional operation, all models employ hot-swap hard drives to enable continued work in the event of system upgrades. Additionally, dual Intel® Ethernet establishes greater network bandwidth and enhances connection stability with double fault tolerance and teaming capabilities.

For power, the ESC G2 Series uses premium 80 PLUS power supplies. The ESC4000 G2 provides better redundancy and stronger safeguards against power surges and failures with dual 1620W 80 PLUS Platinum PSUs. The ESC2000 G2 and ESC1000 G2 feature a 1350W 80 PLUS Gold power supply. As such, all models are energy efficient, helping users lower electricity bills with cumulative savings over prolonged usage.

ESC4000 G2-specific features

As the series flagship, the ESC4000 G2 offers the most computing power among all three models. It acts as a premium high density 2U hybrid HPC server, tailored to medical research, engineering, science, financial modeling, and virtualization applications. It can carry two Intel® Xeon® E5-2600 processors of up to 135W in power draw. Users benefit from eight PCI Express 3.0 x16 expansion slots, as well as a dedicated ASUS PIKE slot for added storage options and better RAID compatibility. InfiniBandTM high speed interconnection improves data transfer speeds between computing nodes, working at up to 56Gb/s. To boost system reliability and endurance, the ESC4000 G2 includes Intelligent System Fan Control II, which independently regulates CPU and GPU-area fan speeds for better airflow and heat venting. With up to four graphics cards supported, the ESC4000 G2 has twin GPU-area fans for double the airflow and backup, making the new model extra-reliable during intense non-stop professional use.


ESC2000 G2 and ESC1000 G2-specific features

The ESC2000 G2 has been designed as a 2-way pedestal workstation and GPU server, while the ESC1000 G2 acts as a one-way graphics workstation. Both cater to professional graphics and personal super computer applications with advanced hybrid computing capabilities. Thanks to built-in flexibility, the ESC2000 G2 supports two Intel® Xeon® E5-2600 processors and up to four graphics cards. It has seven PCI Express 3.0 x16 expansion slots. The ESC1000 G2 has room for a single Intel® Xeon® E5-1600 or a CoreTM i7-3900/3800 processor, with six PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots. ASUS SSD Caching technology on both models makes the most of SSD/mechanical hard drive combo setups, accelerating common tasks for up to three times faster storage performance compared to all-mechanical configurations. To better serve personal multimedia needs, the ESC2000 G2 and ESC1000 G2 deliver DTS® Ultra PC II hi-fi audio.

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Sony Entertainment Network's Music Unlimited application for iPhone and iPod Touch ready for global release



Company Reaffirms Its Commitment to Entertainment Everywhere with the Release of Its Cloud-Based Music Service App in the App Store This Friday

Sony Network Entertainment International today announced the pending release of the Music Unlimited service application (app) for iPhone® and iPod touch®1 this coming Friday, May 25. With the free app, subscribers can access the service’s global catalog of millions of tracks2 whenever and wherever they are.

“With the proliferation of connected devices, consumers expect complete access to their digital entertainment and demand a consistent experience regardless of the device,” said Tim Schaaff, President of Sony Network Entertainment International. “Bringing the Music Unlimited service to iPhone and iPod touch is one of the many ways we are able to reach more music lovers around the world while ensuring the same level of high-quality entertainment that is associated with the overall Sony Entertainment Network experience.”

The iPhone® and iPod touch® will be the newest additions to the Music Unlimited service’s existing ecosystem of Sony and other connected devices including PlayStation®3, PlayStation®Vita, BRAVIA® TVs, and Android™ tablets and smartphones including Sony Xperia™. The new app allows consumers to listen to their music library3, playlists and channels, easily add songs to playlists, discover related artists and tracks, and browse by genre.

“We want to let users pick up their favorite device and crank up the Music Unlimited service at any time,” said Michael Aragon, Vice President and General Manager of Digital Video and Music Services, Sony Network Entertainment International. “With the addition of the new iPhone and iPod touch app, users with a Basic or Premium subscription can listen to their favorite songs across a number of the most popular connected devices – in and out of the home.”

The new Music Unlimited service iPhone ® and iPod touch® app can be downloaded for free from the App Store™ beginning Friday, May 25, 2012.

Monday 21 May 2012

ViewSonic pioneering the projector segment with 1080P full HD projector

London, 21tst May 2012- ViewSonic, a global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, continues the pioneering in the projector segment and today launches its Pro8300, a 1080p Full HD 3000 lumen projector to provide an unbeatable visual experience for business, education, and home entertainment applications.

ViewSonic aims to popularize the 1080p Full HD projectors with affordability and premium quality. 1080p projectors with precise colour performance and sharpness are no longer just for enthusiasts, it is now a common quality for professionals to pitch a business opportunity, for teachers to present multimedia, or for entertainment in the living room.

ViewSonic understands business applications and launches the Pro8300 with an abundance of features that are capable of delivering outstanding presentations to partners and clients. Pro8300 effectively elevates brainstorming meetings and commercial briefing by projecting information with 3000lm high brightness and a superior 1.5X optical zoom lens design to provide vibrant images with more 35% of additional zooming capability. The amazing clarity in 1080p Full HD resolution and detailed projection, allows the Pro8300 to dynamically enhance presentation quality and audience interaction. ViewSonic's Pro8300 offers enterprises increased flexibility and rich connectivity along with many sophisticated and user friendly features. A single PC input coupled with dual HDMI inputs and auto Keystone correction, the Pro8300 entertains audiences with a larger screen and vivid sound in top-quality also allows multiple presenters to connect with it simultaneously.

Pro8300 has a high lumen brightness that ensures rich and accurate colour performance in different ambient conditions. The 1080p series are embedded with a superior 1.5X optical zoom lens design that provides vibrant images at more than 35% additional zoom capability. With rich connectivity and thoughtful auto keystone correction, it is possible to project presentations or multimedia content from personal devices without distorting the image.

AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform

Offering high-performance multicore X86 processing, advanced video and graphics capabilities and ultra-high speed parallel processing, the AMD Embedded R-Series APU platform targets performance-intensive embedded applications

SUNNYVALE, Calif. May 21, 2012 - AMD (NYSE: AMD) today launched the AMD Embedded R-Series accelerated processing unit (APU) platform. Designed for mid- to high-end graphics-intensive applications such as digital signage, casino gaming, point-of-sale systems and kiosks, as well as parallel-processing-intensive applications spanning medical imaging and security/surveillance, the AMD Embedded R-Series APU combines the new "Piledriver" CPU architecture, an evolution of the "Bulldozer" architecture, with discrete-class, DirectX® 11-capable AMD RadeonTM 7000 Series graphics in a heterogeneous multicore embedded processing platform.

"AMD pioneered the embedded APU to offer our customers a high-performance, power-efficient, small form-factor embedded processor," said Buddy Broeker, director, AMD Embedded Solutions. "With the AMD Embedded R-Series, we are taking our APU technology to the next level. By leveraging its seamlessly integrated heterogeneous system architecture, developers can tap into a high-performance and efficient parallel processing engine to accelerate their graphics- and compute-intensive applications, all while using industry-standard libraries such as OpenCLTM and DirectCompute."

The AMD Embedded R-Series APU integrates dedicated resources that enable exceptional performance with shared resources to help reduce power consumption and die space. Because of its scalability, the new APU provides developers with the flexibility to leverage the same board design and software stack for a variety of applications. And with its discrete-class graphics integrated into the processor, applications that previously required a separate graphics processor or card now can be delivered on a wide range of form factors. Developers working with the AMD Embedded R-Series APU can implement remote management, client virtualisation and security capabilities to help reduce deployment costs and increase security and reliability of their AMD R-Series based platform through AMD DAS 1.0 featuring DASH 1.1, AMD Virtualisation and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 support.

"In VDC's opinion, the AMD Embedded R-Series APU capitalises on a number of trends around hardware integration and software development. It combines a CPU and GPU in a heterogeneous multicore platform and provides software migration through tools like OpenCLTM," said Jonathan Hastings, analyst with VDC Research Group. "This product provides a new platform for developers building graphics-intensive embedded applications that require HD video or realistic and interactive 3D effects, as well as compute-intensive applications that can benefit from high-performance parallel processing."

Sony Tablet keeps evolving with Android 4.0.3



Latest update teams operating system enhancements with unique new features and apps from Sony

Streamlined user interface, with drag & drop folder creation, improved multi-tasking and browser
Updated features by Sony, including direct access to full-sized SD card, always-on ‘Small Apps’ and enhanced photo viewing options

Sony Tablet™ is evolving to give you an even speedier, more satisfying multimedia experience.

Available in Europe by the end of May as a free update for all Sony Tablet users, latest Android Version 4.0.3 (also known as Ice Cream Sandwich) brings many new features and operating system enhancements to Sony Tablet S and Tablet P models. Alongside a major user interface overhaul, the update includes a number of new Sony-unique apps and functionality.

Android 4.0.3 brings an even more intuitive, consistent feel to the Sony Tablet experience. Now it’s easy to create folders on your Workspace with simple drag and drop gestures. Recently-used apps can be dismissed with a swipe, avoiding multiple apps running unnecessarily in the background. A more responsive browser lets you toggle instantly between desktop- and mobile-optimised web sites. Pages can also be saved for offline reading at leisure when you’re away from a wireless connection.

Unique apps and enhanced features from Sony

On top of all the enhancements provided by Android 4.0.3, unique additions by Sony further personalise your multimedia user experience.

Sony Tablet S users can now directly access and view content stored on removable full-sized SD card. This makes Sony Tablet an even more attractive choice for viewing photos and video clips shot on a digital camera or camcorder. Just slip your camera’s SD card into Sony Tablet and enjoy on the detail-packed touchscreen – or store and share online with PlayMemories, the cloud-based service from Sony (NB: PlayMemories Online is available in the UK, France and Germany).

Frequently used functions are kept in easy reach with a new Sony-unique ‘Small Apps’ update. An ‘always-on-top’ launcher icon gives instant access to Browser, Remote Control (Tablet S only) and Calculator apps while you’re using other tablet functions. It’s a convenient way to check a web site quickly, change TV channels or tot up the week’s shopping bill while you’re in the middle of doing something else.

Android 4.0.3 offers dramatically increased camera and photo solutions. Alongside the new operating system’s enriched editing features, Sony has added a wider choice of Slideshow Templates to maximize your photo viewing enjoyment.

Get entertained with music, movies, eBooks and games

Beautifully styled and easy to carry, Sony Tablet connects you with an exciting world of immersive online entertainment and easy content sharing.

Effortlessly browse the web, get apps or download eBooks to enjoy on the big, beautiful, responsive touchscreen. Part of Sony Entertainment Network, Music Unlimited brings you millions of great music tracks, while Video Unlimited lets you rent or buy thousands of movies and TV shows.

Sony Tablet is also a PlayStation™ Certified tablet device, giving you access to a thrilling choice of titles at PlayStation®Store.

As an extra treat to loyal customers, Sony Tablet owners can download their own free copy of adrenalin-packed game Super Stardust™. Available now at PlayStation®Store, the all-action shoot ‘em up is specially adapted for nail-biting gameplay on Sony Tablet as you defend five vulnerable planets from incoming danger.

All Sony Tablet owners will be automatically notified and offered the option to upgrade their operating system to Android Version 4.0.3.

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Sony pleased to announce a deal to bring new BBC Sport app to the Sony Entertainment Network on connected BRAVIA TVs and on Playstation 3 in time for Wimbledon 2012

Sony believes this is one of 2012's killer apps for home entertainment and is pleased to be the first Smart TV brand to offer it
Consumers can enjoy live streams of BBC coverage of key sporting events including Formula One and Wimbledon followed by 24 simultaneous streams during the Olympics
Easy-to-use service that offers programming over and above what's available currently on free to air services

Sony today announced the BBC Sport app, which will sit alongside BBC News and BBC iPlayer on the Sony Entertainment Network, will be launching on Sony BRAVIA and PlayStation®3 (PS3TM) devices in time for Wimbledon 2012, providing exciting new television content over and above that available on free-to-air television.

The application has been designed specifically for the ‘big-screen' to deliver an ultimate home entertainment experience. The principal purpose is to deliver live sporting events where there are simultaneous activities or multiple camera angles, making it an ideal fixture to get front row seats to watch Formula OneTM and major sporting events coming to London this summer, including Wimbledon and the Olympics.

With the BBC capturing highlights of the key sporting events over the summer, the app will provide UK consumers with an incredible mix of both live and on-demand sporting events from the UK and around the world, straight to their living rooms at the simple touch of a button. Throughout the London 2012 Olympics Games, the BBC Sport app will give audiences access to 2,500 hours of content and up to 24 simultaneous live events, all in HD.

Edd Uzzell, Sony category development manager for BRAVIA, believes the launch of BBC Sport app is one of the most exciting developments for the Sony Entertainment Network.

"Televised sport is one of the biggest rating wins for broadcasters. This truly is a killer app and will provide a substantial amount of additional sporting content that you can't get through the current broadcasting model. We strongly believe this will kick-start more widespread usage of the connected television offering, providing sport fans using the app with in-depth big-screen coverage of their favorite events. The app will also have extensive penetration in the UK thanks to its availability on PlayStation 3" says Uzzell.

"Launching this app to millions of PS3 owners in the UK will be a very welcome addition to PlayStation's universal entertainment credentials" added Alan Duncan, UK Marketing Director for Sony Computer Entertainment UK.

In addition to the current BBC red-button function consumers with the BBC Sport app will have access to more interactive content and extra coverage of future sporting events.

The app's user interface will be familiar to consumers who currently use the BBC Sport website, it will be simple to navigate using the standard remote control, Media Remote smartphone application or PlayStation 3 controller. It will launch on PS3, 2011 & 2012 Internet Enabled BRAVIAs' with more devices to follow.

Sony is a leading global innovator of audio, video, communications and information technology products for both the consumer and professional markets. Sony is renowned for its audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIATM LCD high-definition television, Cyber-shotTM digital camera, Handycam® camcorder, "α" (Alpha) digital SLR camera, and Walkman® MP3 player as well as its VAIOTM personal computers and high-definition (HD) professional broadcast equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM® HD. Offering a complete end-to-end HD value chain and with its electronics, music, pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is one of the world's leading digital entertainment brands, employing approximately 170,000 people worldwide.

Through its long-term football partnerships as an official sponsor of the UEFA Champions League until 2012, Official FIFA Partner until 2014 and global sponsor of the FIFA World CupTM in 2010 and 2014, Sony is inspiring a sense of excitement for the millions of football fans around the world.

Thursday 10 May 2012

ASUS Reveals the GeForce® GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP Graphics Card

TOP-accelerated to 1137MHz boost clock while working 20% cooler and significantly quieter than reference design

Taipei, Taiwan (May 10, 2012) - the self-designed ASUS GeForce® GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP brings NVIDIA® 28nm "Kepler" GPU technology to a wider audience while maintaining extreme gaming performance. The enhanced edition uses carefully TOP-selected cores that are factory-overclocked for instant speed boosts. With 2GB GDDR5 and 1344 CUDA cores, the new card makes the most of exclusive ASUS DirectCU heat mitigation. Utilizing exclusive 8-phase DIGI+ VRM power delivery and Super Alloy Power components, it runs 20% cooler and considerably quieter than reference, opening up new overclocking possibilities with ASUS GPU Tweak. Advanced NVIDIA® technologies such as GPU Boost, TXAA, and Adaptive Vertical Sync further contribute to genuine top tier gaming performance.

Only the best gaming with ASUS TOP-selected graphics cards

An extensive battery of tests conducted by ASUS engineers scans entire batches of NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 670 GPUs for the most reliable and durable parts. After undergoing rigorous thermal tests and overclocking trials, these elite GPUs are paired with custom-designed PCBs, and the assembly is then put under further grueling inspections to ensure maximum performance in the face of extreme voltages and temperatures. ASUS TOP cards therefore meet the exacting standards of even the most demanding overclockers, and can handle the highest-end PC gaming with ease. Thanks to the TOP process, the core used on the GeForce® GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP has been factory-overclocked to 1137MHz, offering gamers an immediate framerate gain.

DirectCU II eliminates 20% heat and unwanted noise

The proprietary ASUS DirectCU cooler uses all-copper heat dissipation points and an overall 200% larger heat removal area to ensure lower temperatures. With 20% cooler operation compared to reference, the ASUS-designed card can take more intense gaming and overclocking, and lasts longer. At idle, its twin fans work at much lower sound levels than stock cards, creating yet another DirectCU-based low noise, low heat, and high output graphics powerhouse.

Sophisticated DIGI+ VRM power delivery with Super Alloy Power technology

Digital voltage regulators and 8-phase power provision form the basis of exclusive DIGI+ VRM, a design originally used on bestselling ASUS motherboards. DIGI+ VRM lowers power noise by as much as 30% for cleaner, more stable, and 15% more efficient performance. As a consequence, DIGI+ VRM helps the GeForce® GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP outlast reference cards by a factor of 2.5. It is joined by exclusive ASUS Super Alloy Power solid state capacitors, chokes, and MOSFETs, which are specially-formulated for high demand overclocked operation and extended product lifespan.

Intuitive GPU Tweak suite harnesses great graphics tuning power

Accommodating more advanced 28nm graphics card technology, ASUS continues to modify its exclusive GPU Tweak card tuning utility. The latest version offers more overclocking features than before, and adds precision power target settings. It also enables fan speed adjustments and live driver/BIOS updates. Gamers can use a convenient on-screen widget to keep a close eye on card conditions while in-game.

Faster, smoother, and richer gaming action

The DirectX® 11-optimized GeForce® GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP incorporates several new NVIDIA® technologies, such as GPU Boost auto core clock maximization and TXAA advanced anti-aliasing. Both contribute to smoother and better-looking games, as does real time Adaptive Vertical Sync. The card also offers gamers enhanced single-GPU support for NVIDIA® 3D VisionTM technology.

Acer introduces G6 displays - super-slim design; inspiring performance

Manno, 10th May 2012 - The recent explosion of video content requires display technologies to be as cutting-edge as computers to showcase amazing visuals and to deliver exceptional graphics for action packed gaming. This is what the new Acer G6 display series does best: it offers the perfect blend of style and technology to fully enjoy terrific cinematic views of the latest high-definition content.

Along with technologies designed to deliver clearer and sharper images, the G6 series flaunts a unique design with smooth and rounded surfaces creating a strong visual impression and giving a highly distinctive look.

The glossy X-shaped base offers sturdy support and highlights the sleek, modern appearance, while evoking speed and performance. The result is an eye-catching design that will make a stunning addition to any room.

The Acer G6 series are attractive media and gaming displays, satisfying most people's needs: from home entertainment and gaming, to office productivity, featuring a futuristic ultra-slim style design that can easily fit in any environments.Available in 6 screen sizes: 68.6 cm (27"), 61 cm (24"), 58cm (23"), 55cm (22"), 51cm (20") and 47cm (19") with Full HD, HD+ resolutions, the G6 series enables jaw-dropping visuals and are just right for gaming, multimedia and productivity applications.

Featuring up to 100 million:1 contrast ratio, optimized by Acer Adaptive Contrast Management, these displays offer a significant improvement of gradation and detail, especially with dim or bright images thus ensuring a superior visual experience. The quick response time of up to 2ms yields immersive graphics and video display, while the VESA wall mounting system - available on the larger screens - make them the perfect addition to any home environment as they just fit anywhere in the home.

Acer G6 monitors use white LED backlight technology, which minimizes the environmental impact while offering superior performance and durability. Eco-friendly functionality, such as the use of white LED technology, let these monitors be the ideal choice also for Earth-caring advocates.

NVIDIA Kepler Juggernaut Rolls On With Launch of GeForce GTX

New GPU Brings Fabulous Performance, Power, and Acoustics to Gamers Everywhere

SANTA CLARA, CA, May 10, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --NVIDIA today launched the third GPU based on its next-generation Kepler(TM) graphics architecture, the GeForce(R) GTX 670, which brings dramatically improved levels of price-performance, power efficiency and whisper-quiet operation for PC gamers, starting at $399 USD.

Engineered from the same DNA as the recently announced GTX 680 -- NVIDIA's top-of-the-line, single-GPU -- the GTX 670 packs a mean punch in its lithe 9.5-inch-long frame. It outpaces the closest competitive product in gaming performance by upwards of 45 percent,(1) while consuming approximately 18 percent less power.(2)

Plus, the GeForce GTX 670 ties the competition's much higher-priced flagship product on 25 of the world's most popular games and benchmarks, a testament to the overall performance efficiency of the Kepler architecture.

The GTX 670 is built using NVIDIA's 28-nanometer Kepler architecture, as are the GTX 680 and dual-GPU GTX 690, which were introduced in March and April, respectively.

Availability The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 GPU is available now from the world's leading add-in card suppliers, including ASL, ASUS, Colorful, ECS, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision 3D, Jetway, Leadtek, MSI, Palit, Point of View, PNY, Sparkle and Zotac.

More information about the GeForce GTX 670 is available from www.GeForce.com. For more NVIDIA news, company and product information, videos, images and other information, please visit the NVIDIA newsroom. You can also access GTX 670 product photos from the NVIDIA Flickr page located at: www.flickr.com/nvidia

Wednesday 9 May 2012

HannsG introduces the HP225DJB height adjustable Full HD LED Monitor

Are you sitting comfortably?

Hemel Hempstead, 9th May 2012. The new HP225DJB from display specialist HannsG is an ergonomic monitor designed for comfort and workplace efficiency. Make your viewing experience personal with tilt, swivel and most notably height adjustability, and enjoy a workhorse specification to take care of all your computing requirements.

The ideal solution for work environments, where personal comfort is essential to sustain efficiency and to promote good health, the HP225DJB delivers sophisticated practicality via a flexible, ergonomic design. To ensure a viewing experience specific to personal comfort the HP225 will height adjust by 8cm, tilt through 15° and swivel through 30°.

Height adjustability is rarely featured in monitor design nowadays so HannsG asked its Facebook fans just how important they considered this functionality to be. Here is a snapshot of the responses received:
Neil Livesey said: "I won't buy a monitor without it."
Alex Smith commented: "It's a very nice feature to have since not everyone's desk is the same height"
Brian Jones neatly summed up with: "The ability to adjust height is essential in an office environment where you are dealing with variable height users and possibly fixed desk heights. Those skimping on height adjustability will find themselves spending the extra money on monitor stands anyway..."

Complimenting the ergonomic design and ultimately contributing to the viewing experience, the HL25DJB also boasts high-grade visual thanks to a Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, a super fast 5ms response time and HannsG's proprietary X-Contrast technology delivering a dynamic contrast ratio of 15,000,000:1. This workhorse specification makes the HP225DJB perfect for office applications and more than capable of meeting the demands of state-of-the-art design programmes, rich HD multimedia content and much more!

The HL225DJB also features modern LED technology. LED technology allows for an ultra slim profile, so upgrading from the bulky LCD monitors of yesteryears will free up valuable desk space. It also; provides environmentally friendly performance to reduce utility bill and the office carbon footprint; uses recycling friendly materials; and increases a monitor's lifespan which inadvertently reduces cost of ownership.

HP Expands Light Entertainment Portfolio Reflecting New Design Philosophy

HANGHAI, May 9, 2012 - HP today unveiled the HP Pavilion m6 notebook PCs that includes enhanced features and reflect the company's new HP Mosaic design approach.

For stylish on-the-go computing, the HP Pavilion m6 is the ideal balance of mobility, performance and entertainment wrapped in a sleek, brushed silver aluminum design.

The new HP Mosaic design approach, reflected in its new HP Pavilion notebooks, is an extension of the company's MUSE (materials, usability, sensory appeal and experience) design philosophy.

The Mosaic design fuses together the multifaceted elements of MUSE, including rich colors, premium materials and purposeful shapes, to form one comprehensive design language that spans the consumer notebook portfolio. Similar to a mosaic art piece, each HP notebook series represents a small piece of the canvas that, when combined, builds into a beautiful picture of the HP product family.

"Featuring precise lines and tapered profiles, the new HP Pavilion notebook portfolio evokes dynamic energy and movement," said Stacy Wolff, vice president, Design, Personal Systems Group, HP. "These notebooks utilise premium materials that are rich to the eye and to the touch, delivering unique sensory experiences."

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Samsung unveils latest addition to its award winning notebook category - Notebook Series 5 550P

8th May 2012 London, UK - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the launch of its new Notebook Series 5 550P with 3rd Generation Intel® CoreTM i7 Processor, designed to give users an immersive multimedia experience.

The Series 5 550P - available in 15" and 17" sizes - is designed to meet consumers' increasing demands for high-quality multimedia content with a range of powerful features. With Intel's latest 3rd generation CoreTM i7 Processor, dedicated graphics processing, a Blu-ray drive, generous storage capacity and JBL optimised speakers complete with subwoofer, the Series 5 550P delivers an exceptional multimedia experience even while on-the-go.

"With its fully integrated multimedia features and lightweight slim design the Samsung Series 5 550P notebook offers an unsurpassed ‘look, listen and feel' experience that no other notebook will match," said Damian Cusick, General Manager, Computing, Samsung UK and Ireland.

Multimedia content powerfully delivered

Powered by Intel's 3rd generation CoreTM i7 Quad Core processor, the Series 5 550P features a 25% improvement on performance when compared to 2nd generation CPUs. The notebook also consumes 20% less power, ensuring twice as fast 3D gaming and media experiences. This is complemented with an NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M 2GB graphics card, a Blu-ray drive and expandable storage up to 2TB, providing easy access to multi-format content as well as seamless creation, playback, editing and storage of multimedia content.

Best AV quality in its class

The Series 5 550P features Samsung's superior LCD technology for a next-generation viewing experience. An incredibly rich, vivid and crisp visual experience is further enhanced with integrated JBL optimised speakers and a Max Bass Boost subwoofer, for ultimate sound quality when watching movies or listening to music.

Boosted usability for ease-of-use

Ideal for creating and enjoying content on the go, the Series 5 550P features a full-size keyboard with isolated numeric and direction keys and an improved touchpad with separated left and right clicks. These functional advantages ensure no further attachments-such as an additional keyboard or mouse-are required.

The notebook also boasts a compact design. The 15" model weighs just 2.5 kg with a height of 29.9 ~ 30.4 mm. The 17" model weighs 3.05 kg with a height of 29.2 ~ 32.2 mm.

Thursday 3 May 2012

Logitech Introduces Light-Powered Protection for the iPad

New Solar Keyboard Folio Provides Hassle-Free Protection for the New, Third-Generation iPad and iPad 2

LONDON, UK - May 3, 2012 - Today Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) announced the expansion of both its solar and tablet accessories line-ups with the Logitech® Solar Keyboard Folio.

Made for the new, third-generation iPad® as well as the iPad 2, the ultra-slim, book-style case and keyboard offer stylish design with protection, featuring a built-in keyboard that's powered by light.

Similar to Logitech's solar keyboards for Mac® and PC, the Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio includes onboard solar cells that charge the built-in Bluetooth® keyboard in any light, whether indoors or outdoors. When fully charged, the battery lasts for up to two years, even in complete darkness (based on an average use of two hours per day).

"Now that people are seemingly inseparable from their tablets, using them for everything from sending emails to watching videos, they want accessories powered to meet their needs," said Alexis Richard, director of product marketing at Logitech. "The Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio is a smart partner for your iPad. Its sleek built-in keyboard uses light to charge and it provides hassle-free protection for your iPad - both for the front and back. It gives you an ideal way to use and protect your tablet without adding bulk."

The Logitech Solar Keyboard Folio has two stand positions, so when you want to use your iPad you can choose the viewing angle that's best for you. Open the folio and place your iPad in the first position to enjoy the full keyboard when you're typing. Place your iPad in the second position and the first keyboard row acts as your one-touch media playback and volume controls, so you can play, pause and change volume instantly.

The folio also has an instant On/Off function, which means your iPad automatically wakes when you open the folio and goes on standby when you close it.

ASUS Releases the Dual-GPU GeForce® GTX 690

First 28nm graphics card with two GPUs on a single PCB offers dedicated gamers the fastest, smoothest, and most detailed PC entertainment currently available

Taipei, Taiwan (May 3, 2012) - the ASUS GeForce® GTX 690 graphics card debuts 28nm dual-GPU performance, presenting the most powerful card of the generation thus far. It enables gaming with superior speed, smoothness, and detail. Due to smarter fabrication, its power demands are relatively modest for energy-conservative operation. This promotes easier quad-SLITM setups with paired ASUS GeForce® GTX 690s. ASUS continues to offer gamers the best overclocking experience with the exclusive GPU Tweak utility, which goes well together with DirectX® 11 and OpenGL® 4.2, plus technologies such as NVIDIA® GPU Boost, advanced anti-aliasing (TXAA/FXAA), and Adaptive Vertical Sync.


Raw 28nm graphics processing power

The ASUS GeForce® GTX 690 has two GeForce® GTX 680 cores mounted on the board, fielding a massive 3072 CUDA cores and representing truly staggering computing power for graphics as well as parallel processing alongside the CPU. The core runs at 1019MHz in boost clock, while the 512-bit memory interface links the system to 4GB of 6008MHz GDDR5 (actual) video memory.


Benefits of leaner fabrication come into play

Despite all that power, the ASUS GeForce® GTX 690 has a modest 300W TDP. Gamers therefore tap greater processing capacity while conserving energy thanks to efficient 28nm manufacturing, thus lowering electricity bills and contributing to more environmentally-responsible gaming.

Intuitive graphics controls and tuning with GPU Tweak

ASUS once again includes the exclusive GPU Tweak graphics card tuning suite in the box. Overclocking-inclined buyers can easily go into boost clock speeds, set power targets, and configure fan revolution settings to make adjustments and experiment with performance gains. GPU Tweak offers built-in guards to ensure all modifications are safe, maintaining optimal stability and card reliability. The utility also provides a convenient on-screen monitoring widget and live driver/BIOS updates to ensure the ASUS GeForce® GTX 690 remains up to date.

Moving closer to complete gaming immersion

The ASUS GeForce® GTX 690 presents the most graphics power ever available to consumers, and as such makes even better use of recent developments in software engineering. It furnishes unmatched DirectX® 11 and OpenGL® 4.2 performance, by that guaranteeing considerable future-proofing. Users who wish to set up an NVIDIA® SLITM configuration can pair two ASUS GeForce® GTX 690's for instant quad-SLITM and even more massive compute capabilities.

New ultra-fast anti-aliasing technologies TXAA and FXAA help game developers and designers deliver smoother and more visually appealing experiences to rival high end professional graphics rendering. Additional technologies that promote faster and more attractive gaming include NVIDIA® Adaptive Vertical Sync and hardware-based framerate metering, both ensuring games keep moving at an optimized pace with no slowdowns. The ASUS GeForce® GTX 690 supports NVIDIA® GPU Boost for immediate auto clock speed adjustments as needed, and easily powers four-screen displays via NVIDIA® SurroundTM. Its single-PCB NVIDIA® 3D VisionTM performance sets new milestones, enabling unmitigated full HD 3D gaming.

Wednesday 2 May 2012

Ultra-elegant and responsive with full interfaces: Sony debuts first Ultrabook VAIO T Series




Thin, light VAIO T11/T13 goes everywhere with you!

Thin, light and uncompromised robustness, with chassis made in aluminium and magnesium
Ready for action in seconds with Rapid Wake + Eco
Work for longer with up to 9 hrs battery life (SSD models)
Clear, bright LED screen (11” or 13”) with rich colours
Access your data quickly with SSD or hybrid HDD/SSD
Generous interfaces for easy connectivity
Enjoy your sounds with xLOUD and Clear Phase
So thin, light and portable, the responsive new VAIO T Series is always ready for action – from campus and coffee shop to that crucial meeting.

Smartly styled in tough magnesium and aluminium, go-anywhere VAIO T Series is tailor-made to handle daily trips to the office or lecture theatre. Blending durability and performance, it’s the first Ultrabook™ to proudly carry the VAIO name. Loaded with the latest technologies from Sony and Intel, VAIO T Series is crafted to help you get more done – and have more fun.

Available in 29.4cm (11.6") or 33.7cm (13.3") screen sizes, VAIO T Series slips effortlessly into your bag for easy carrying between home and work.

You’re always ready for action: just open the Ultrabook lid and Rapid Wake + Eco gets you up and running in moments. When you need to take a break, close the lid and VAIO goes into an energy-efficient deep sleep, keeping your data stored safely for up to 90 days1 without running out of power.

There’s plenty of battery power to last the working day. With up to 9 hours2 (SSD models) between charges, you’ve got the energy to attend meetings and lectures, work on documents and catch up with friends online.

Super stamina is matched with impressive productivity. You’ll speed through coursework, presentations and more thanks to latest-generation Ultra Low Voltage Intel® Core™ processors. Models configured with an ultra-fast SSD flash drive give you ultra-speed access to files around ten times faster than a standard hard disk drive. ‘Hybrid’ models offer the best of both worlds, using new Intel® Smart Response Technology (iSRT) that teams fast SSD cache memory with a high-capacity HDD drive for fast boot times plus greater storage space.

Web pages, presentations and photos all look great with rich colours on the clear, bright VAIO Display. Browsing documents and your media collection is a pleasure, too. The large, button-free touchpad offers plenty of surface area for intuitive scroll, flick, pinch zoom and pivot gestures.

VAIO T Series is made for business with a generous complement of interfaces including HDMI, VGA and RJ45 network ports plus an SD/MMC media slot. You’ll appreciate quick, easy hook-ups with monitors, projectors and more without the need to pack fiddly dongles or adaptors.

Video chats are more rewarding with the built-in ‘Exmor for PC’ HD web camera. Friends and family will enjoy a clearer picture of you, even at night under the dim lights of your bedroom.

VAIO T Series also delivers a richer, more entertaining audio experience that belies its slim, light looks. xLOUDTM and Clear PhaseTM technologies boost volume levels without distortion for crisp, clear web chats, video clips and games.

There’s no need to worry if your phone’s short of juice while you’re on the move: VAIO T Series makes a handy ‘any time’ charger for your smartphone if there’s no AC socket nearby. Just plug in your phone via USB for a top-up - even when the computer is switched off or in sleep mode.

Editing, sharing and enjoying your media collection is even more of a pleasure with VAIO T Series. PlayMemories Home by Sony lets you add effortless polish to those HD video clips. Bundled at no extra charge, T Series also includes a fully-functioning version of Adobe® Acrobat® X Standard for easy creation and sharing of PDF documents.

Don’t panic if your VAIO gets lost or stolen. It's protected by a 90-day trial of Intel® Anti-Theft Service3 to make sure your personal data is safe from unauthorised usage. Built into the hardware of your VAIO, this smart security feature can detect potential theft and lock down your laptop to prevent access to your personal data.

There’s a choice of style-matched accessories including carry case, soft travel pouch and wireless mini mouse to personalise and enhance VAIO T Series while you’re on the move.

The VAIO T Series Ultrabook from Sony is available from this month in 29.4cm (11.6") or 33.7cm (13.3") screen sizes.

Coming Soon to Okobe.co.uk...

Tuesday 1 May 2012

MSI R7870 Hawk graphics card takes to the skies

New Twin Frozr IV and Unlocked DigitalPower for the best graphics experience

Leading international graphics card and mainboard maker MSI today announced MSI R7870 Hawk, equipped with AMD's 28nm Radeon HD 7870 GPU. MSI introduce the flagship design concept of Lightning series into R7870 Hawk, adopting UnlockedDigitalPower that incorporates an Unlocked BIOS, DigitalPWM Controller, and Enhanced Power Design to boost overclocking potential and make overclocking easier than ever. With the industry first "GPU Reactor" power panel, it reduces power supply noise as well as increases overclocking stability. As for thermal solution, MSI R7870 Hawk utilizes the latest Twin Frozr IV Thermal Design with Dust Removal Technology. The dual 8cm fan setup with PropellerBlade Technology generate massive airflow for fast heat dissipation while remaining whisper silent. The two form-in-one heatsinks improve cooling for memory and the power module as well ensure structural integrity. The R7870 Hawk uses Military Class III components which have passed rigorous testing to meet MILSTD810G standards, guaranteeing the card's stability and reliability under actual use conditions. Moreover, the "3X3 OC Kits" are designed to simplify overclocking, which makes it easier for users to fine-tune their graphics cards. Competing with flagship design of Lightning series, R7870 Hawk absolutely stands out on top among the industry's HD 7870 based graphics cards.

ViewSonic launches new ultra-slim widescreen display - VX2460h-LED

24" (61cm)/23.6 (60cm) viewable/Super-Thin ¼" (6.8mm) thickness

London, 1st May 2012 - ViewSonic a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, today announced its latest LED backlit monitor solution - the VX2460h-LED - offering the thinnest profile available for its size and class category.

Ideal for consumers, gamers, enthusiasts and discerning buyers alike, the VX2460h-LED is a sleek and stylish 24" (61cm)/23.6" (60cm) viewable ultra-slim widescreen display that pairs a 1/4" (6.8mm) ultra-slim thickness with advanced imaging technologies to reduce eye fatigue after extended viewing.

With a Full HD 1080p resolution, 2ms video response time provided by ClearMotiv® II imaging technology and ultra-high 40,000,000 : 1 dynamic contrast ratio, the VX2460h-LED delivers superior pixel performance. Paired with dual HDMI inputs for multiple media device connections, Windows® 7 certification and touch sensitive controls for convenient on-screen display setting adjustments, the VX2460h-LED delivers stunning visual performance. Additionally, this mercury-free, Energy Star® 5.1 certified display is equipped with ViewSonic's ECO-mode feature which extends the lifetime of the display, while delivering energy savings of up to 40% when compared to a regular 23.6" (60cm) monitor.

Samsung Electronics heading to Grand Designs Live 2012

See the latest home appliances and Smart TVs

1st May 2012, London, UK - Samsung Electronics is taking its latest and greatest home appliances and consumer electronics to Grand Designs Live later this week. From interactive Smart TVs to energy saving washing machines, Samsung's booth will showcase the very best products for the home that offer a glimpse of the future connected home.

Here's a sneak peek at what visitors can look forward to from Samsung at Grand Designs Live this year:

SMART TV

New LED and Plasma TVs - smart and connected

Visitors to this year's show will have a chance to see the ultimate in picture quality and design with Samsung's ES Smart TV series.

Samsung's strong reputation in functionality and design has continued with the 2012 Smart TV range. All of the 2012 TVs, from the ES5500 upwards, feature the Samsung unique ONE DESIGN, with the ES7000 and the ES8000 featuring an ultra-thin 5mm bezel, providing more viewing area without increasing the overall size of the TV. This design philosophy is further complemented by the distinctive arch flow stand on the ES8000.

The new range delivers a smarter, simpler and more connected life for consumers. With Smart Interaction1, people can now control their sets through Voice Control, Motion Control and Face Recognition whereby they can turn the TV on or off, adjust the volume or activate selected apps through speech. Voice Control can also activate the search function in the web browser and ‘tell' the TV what to search for.

As part of Smart Content, three new exclusive services including Family Story, Fitness and Kids enable families to share photos and messages with each other, sync their fitness goals and activities and provide a wealth of infotainment and games in a kid-friendly interface that parents can control and monitor. Whilst, AllShare Play lets consumers easily access personal content no matter where they are or regardless of whether it is stored on a TV, tablet, camera, phone or PC.

The ES8000, ES7000, ES6800 and ES6300 will all be on the Samsung stand, with the ES8000 also on the Samsung Home of the Future stand.

HOME APPLIANCES

ecobubbleTM - energy saving washing machine

Available in 7KG, 8KG and 10KG capacities, as well as a super capacity 12KG model, the ecobubbleTM is a revolutionary product. The world's first to generate special bubbles, the ecobubbleTM provides the same wash performance using cold water as standard machines offer with hot water. It washes clothes using 70% less energy than standard machines, whilst the bubbles do the rest. These soap-rich bubbles are able to penetrate deeper and dissolve faster into fabrics, which saves on energy used for heating water and is much gentler on clothes. In addition to the cold water washing benefits, this technology also boosts performance in warmer washing temperatures.

Dual Cook Steam oven - clever cooking

Samsung's Dual Cook Steam can be split in half so that two different dishes can be cooked at two different temperatures at the same time. A divider seals both parts of the oven so odours and flavours don't mix between the two halves. Using half the oven for smaller meals saves up to 25% energy, which is better for the environment. With integrated steam technology, consumers can not only bake, roast, and grill, but also steam their food too to make meals more healthy and nutritious.

Samsung's Dual Cook oven range is currently being endorsed by Jamie Oliver - visit the stand to find out more about the collaboration.

G-Series refrigerator - enjoy more space for the food you love

The full range of Samsung's large capacity G-Series fridge freezers will be on show at his year's Grand Designs. These stylish models feature thin wall insulation technology which increases inner storage space while keeping the same dimensions on the outside. This allows consumers to store more food, shop less often and organise groceries more easily. The G-Series range is available in American style side-by-side and three door models as well as traditional no frost combi fridge freezers - all in a variety of stylish colours to suit any kitchen.

Navibot vacuum cleaner - speedy and smart

The Navibot, a robotic cleaning device, takes the hassle out of household cleaning. Equipped with a scheduling function that can be set to specific cleaning times, the device can clean while no one is at home. Featuring a Visionary MappingTMSystem which is unique to Samsung, the Navibot is driven by two CPU control chips which are the "brain" behind the innovative intelligent navigation programme, allowing it to remember where it has cleaned in relation to objects and its charging base. Brushes at either side of the device help to achieve a faster and better cleaning performance, especially for cleaning right to the edges. A Sweeping Blade helps to collect even more dirt and debris, while the Brush Protection Comb picks up of pet hairs, and also prevents hairs from getting wrapped around the power brush.

To see Samsung's latest Smart TVs and home appliances, please visit stand number K320.

1 Certain features within Smart Interaction may require Internet access. Smart Interaction may not be available in all languages or dialects, and some regional accents may not be recognised. In-store demonstration prior to purchase is recommended. Actual performance of Smart Interaction will vary depending on light levels and background noise. The Smart Evolution Kit will be available from 2013. Smart Content requires Internet access and may not be available in all languages and regions.