Hi-Tech Daily News: April 2013

April 30, 2013

Belkin Announces Availability of the Thunderbolt Express Dock

Belkin today announced the availability of the Thunderbolt Express Dock, a sleek, compact, cable-clutter-free dock for Mac computers with Thunderbolt ports. Belkin's Thunderbolt Express Dock is the only solution that is equipped with two Thunderbolt ports, allowing users to daisy-chain up to five additional Thunderbolt high-speed devices while maintaining maximum throughput and granting instant access to multiple desktop devices with one cable. It maintains the portability of your laptop by eliminating the constant need to plug and unplug numerous desktop peripherals.

Since all consumer electronics seem to be getting smart these days, putting yet another chip in the image of PCs as the only “intelligent” pieces of technology around, Linksys figured it might as well join in on the fun.

That was how it ended up launching the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router AC 1200 and AC 1600. The former bears the part number EA6300 and is shipping for $169.99 / €130-169.99.

Chinese peripherals company Orico introduced a trio of external multi-bay 3.5-inch HDD enclosures. These include a gigantic 10-bay stacker (model: 1088USJ3), and its 8-bay (8988USJ3), and 5-bay (5988SUSJ3) siblings. The three use standard ATX PSUs to power the drives.

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced Canvio Connect, a portable external hard drive that offers high capacity storage along with the ability to access and share files directly from the device, making it the first of its kind.

COUGAR, leading PC case and power supply brand has revealed the COUGAR SL PSU. This is part of their value line of power supply solutions and it is fully compliant with the 80-PLUS Gold efficiency requirement, featuring a peak efficiency of up to 80%. The SL series is equipped with a quiet COUGAR fan that provides optimum cooling.

The new ZTE Blade C that we told you about in January is now available for purchase – at least in Hong Kong, where it’s been released for just 1,280 HKD (about $165, or €126).

Acer Announces New B6 and V6 Series Displays

Acer America is now offering its Acer B6 and V6 Series LED-backlit displays combining smart ergonomics and eco-conscious materials for both professional customers and consumers in Canada. The new monitors offer a thinner body than the prior generation and a wide array of models in various screen sizes, which feature a vertical alignment (VA) or twisted nematic (TN) panel depending on model.

It has been awhile since rumors stated that Huawei is preparing for the world’s thinnest smartphone. The Huawei Ascend P2 was launched earlier and it isn’t the world’s thinnest smartphone. The real world’s thinnest smartphone is this device – Huawei P6-U06.

Samsung has revealed its latest Android tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, slimming down from its 7-inch predecessor and offering WiFi-only and WiFi + 3G variants. The new slate, running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on a 1.2GHz dualc0re processor, trims the bezels of its 1024 x 600 LCD TFT display so as to come in at a trimmer 111.1 x 188 x 9.9mm, while still accommodating a 4,000 mAh battery.

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z is now available to pre-order in the United States. The 16GB model will set you back $499.99 and comes in black only. The 32GB model comes in both black and white and costs $599.99.

LG officially took the wraps of the Optimus GK Android smartphone. Made for the Korean carrier KT, the newcomer packs all the functionality of the LG Optimus G Pro, but in a smaller body with a 5" display.

We heard that the curved OLED HDTV prototypes LG showed at CES would be coming soon, and now it's official. A Korean press release indicates we can expect the 55EA9800 to launch in the next month, with shipments starting in June.

The Bluetooth SIG has recently approved a new Samsung tablet, model number SM-T311. According to a previous report from SamMobile, the SM-T311 is the Wi-Fi version of the unannounced Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 (while the 3G version is the SM-T310).

New 23-Inch IPS Monitor Released by iiyama

Some of the displays released nowadays are packed full of borderline unnecessary features and have such high specs that few will afford to buy them. Then, there are the moderate ones, which everyone will consider getting because of being well-rounded.

The iiyama ProLite XB2380HS-2 is one of the latter types, measuring 23 inches in diagonal and based on in-plane-switching technology (IPS).

At the Consumer Electronics Show 2013 in January, Lenovo announced the K900 smartphone which is the first Intel Clover Trail powered smartphone. After the handset has been approved by the local authorities, the company announced that the K900 is ready for the Chinese market and is coming on May 6.

ASUS today announced the Xonar Essence STU USB external digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier, based on the acclaimed design and quality of Xonar Essence ST/STX internal sound cards and going beyond their already high standards. Offering audiophile-grade performance, Xonar Essence STU delivers USB connectivity and accessible external controls.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced it will expand the ATIV brand to include all of its Windows based PCs. ATIV, previously the brand for the company's Windows based convertible PC devices, now unites all of Samsung's Windows devices under one cohesive brand, representing the convergence of PC and mobile technologies. The new product names under the ATIV brand will provide customers an easy way to understand the product segments across Samsung's PC portfolio. Samsung ATIV will also offer users a consistent and seamless computing experience across Samsung's diverse PC line.

For a liquid cooler, enthusiasts are not only looking for an easy and clean setup to efficiently calm the roaring CPU, more likely they also crave for the best low-maintenance solution. Thermaltake, being an industry leader in computer chassis, thermal solutions, and power supply units announces the newest upgrade and is thrilled to launch the new Thermaltake All-In-One Liquid Cooling System (LCS) Water3.0 series.

Fujifilm‘s JZ-series features long-zoom compact digital cameras, of which the FinePix JZ700 is the latest addition, featuring an 8x optical zoom and a wide-angle lens. These features are accompanied by several others you’d fine in many modern digital cameras, such as full HD recording and a 14-megapixel CMOS sensor. One of the camera’s main selling points is its thin body, which measures in at 18.9mm thick.

Nokia has introduced only two new Windows Phone 8 handsets this year: the Lumia 720, and Lumia 520. As you probably know, neither of them is a high-end device. So the company’s current flagship smartphone is still the Lumia 920.

But we’ve heard a lot about upcoming high-end WP8 devices like the Lumia 928 and the Lumia Catwalk.

Samsung is seemingly getting ready to introduce a new dual SIM Android smartphone. It’s not a giant device – like the Galaxy Grand i9802, Galaxy Mega 5.8, or Galaxy Win – but a pretty normal handset that comes with a 4.3 inch WVGA display.

The new smartphone is called Galaxy Core (mode number GT-i8262).

Oppo R809T officially announced in China, fails to become the thinnest smartphone in the world

The Oppo R809T was rumored a couple of weeks ago (which incidentally is also both the first and the last time we’ve heard about it until today), and it seemed so nice… That rumor spoke about record-breaking slimness being achieved by the Chinese company that once had a device with the “world’s thinnest smartphone title”. 6.13 mm it was going to be.

For those of you that don't need the Lumix GH3's fancy video capabilities, Panasonic has introduced the Lumix G6 DSLM (Digital Single Lens Mirrorless) camera. It has a Micro Four Thirds mount and a 16-megapixel Live MOS Sensor.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the release of the Turbo NAS TS-x21 and TS-x20 series for home users and home offices. The new models in the TS-x21 series are equipped with 2.0 GHz CPU, 1GB DDR3 RAM, and the TS-x20 series with 1.6 GHz CPU, 512MB DDR3 RAM. Both series deliver superior performance for daily routines in file storage, sharing, and data backup, and serve as ideal media centers for storing and sharing huge multimedia files.

The HTC Butterfly has the distinction of being the first phone with a 1080p screen to hit the global market. The story after that is less glamorous – it was only launched in a few countries before attention shifted to the HTC One. The HTC Butterfly was promised to get a European launch too (despite early reports that it will not).

Although many modern smartphones have the ability to record video in 720p or 1080p HD, in many ways they are still inferior to their dedicated camcorder counterparts, one of which is the newly announced Sony Handycam HDR-GW66VE. This device offers a lot in terms of features, but perhaps its biggest draw is its ruggedness, offering a variety of features that, when combined with its size, take into near action-camcorder territory.

Acer has officially unveiled its latest smartphone offering running the Android operating system. The smartphone is called the Liquid E2 and is the first quad-core smartphone from Acer to feature optional dual SIM card slots. Having two SIM card slots means that users have the functionality of two mobile devices in one easier to manage handset.

Sony Introduces Smaler, Lighter, Weatherproof, Digital Recording Binoculars For Premium HD Video Capture

Sony has officially unveiled its latest entry in the digital recording binoculars market. The new product is called the DEV-50V and it is the second generation of digital recording binoculars from Sony. Compared to the first generation product, the new binoculars are smaller, lighter, and weatherproof. Sony has made a number of improvements to the functionality of the new digital recording binoculars.

Sony is finally ready with the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates for Xperia P, Xperia go and Xperia E dual smartphones. The rollout will start later this week.

EK Water Blocks, premium water cooling gear manufacturer, is working on a new water block for the latest, most powerful gaming pgrahics card in the world - the AMD Radeon HD 7990, codenamed Malta.

Panasonic already has a couple of new ones out, one of them bearing the name of Lumix DMC-LF1.

This is actually one of the two products that we learned a couple of days ago that they were going to be released this week.

We are seeing a lot of good smartphones with a decent price while there has not been too much good budget tablets. Luckily, Ainol has a solution for this with its Novo 7 Crystal 2 tablet. The 7-inch tablet comes with a quad-core processor and is available for less than $100.

Sony has unveiled a compact camera that features quite a bit of eye-catching hardware, including a 20.4-megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor and 30x optical zoom. It offers these in a very light and small body, however, making it the smallest and most lightweight compact 30x optical camera available, according to Sony. The HX50V weighs 9.6-ounces, and measures in at 4.4 x 2.6 x 1.2-inches.

AMD announced its flagship graphics card for this generation of GPUs, the Radeon HD 7990. Although essentially a dual-GPU solution based on two 28 nm "Tahiti" chips, the card is touted to be different from the various HD 7990 "New Zealand" graphics cards launched in Q3-2012, in featuring significantly lower power draw, a 2-slot cooling solution that, according to AMD, is "whisper quiet," and the need for just two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. In comparison, most "New Zealand" cards required three power connectors, and triple-slot cooling solutions.

Today Nokia unveiled the latest addition to its Asha lineup. The QWERTY-packing Nokia Asha 210 featurephone comes in both single SIM and dual-SIM flavors and brings entry level functionality at an extremely attractive price point.

Intel expanded its performance-segment SSD 335 series with a new entry-level 80 GB variant (model: SSDSC2CT080AK5). It joins the 180 GB and 240 GB variants, and occupies a price-point around the 110€ mark (excl VAT), which makes it particularly pricey in comparison to 120 GB drives. SSD 335 combines an LSI-SandForce SF-2281 series controller with Intel-made 20 nm MLC NAND flash.

New HP 23" EliteDisplay business monitor

HP has developed a new monitor for business users, the EliteDisplay E231. This 23-inch monitor has a 1920x1080 pixel Full HD resolution and offers a 1000:1 contrast ratio and 250 cd/m² brightness. More intersting for business users is the power consumption, which maxes out at 36 watts and is just 16.6 watts on average thanks to the LED backlighting.

WD, a Western Digital company and world leader in storage and connected-life products, today announced it is shipping the world's first ultra-slim 2.5-inch, 5 mm hard drives and solid state hybrid drives (SSHD), which are designed for integration into the slimmest devices and space-constrained computing environments. With 500 GB of storage capacity and models with high performance-enabling solid state hybrid drive technology, this slim product line helps to address the tradeoffs system designers often make between capacity, physical size and performance.

Genius today releases the X-G510, the ambidextrous Genius gaming mouse specially designed to give gamers an edge. Offering unparalleled precision, comfort and functionality, this six-button gaming mouse has the features gamers need to excel in battle, but in a straightforward look.

Nokia's new flagship Lumia 928 for Verizon is reportedly scheduled for a launch in May. Verizon will "unveil a plan next month" for the Lumia 928, which reportedly features a "metal body" alongside a 4.5-inch screen, an 8-megapixel camera, and wireless charging. The Verge's own sources have previously indicated that Nokia will not be using an aluminum frame for this particular devices, opting for a thinner polycarbonate body.

Microsoft has just announced new 6 unique designs for its Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 device, all of which will arrive in the official stores in the coming weeks.

NEC Display Solutions of America, a leading provider of commercial LCD display and projector solutions, announced today the additions of the 24-inch MultiSync P242W-BK and P242W-BK-SV, entry-level professional desktop widescreen monitors with LED backlights. The economical MultiSync P242W display joins the MultiSync P Series family, which features standard-gamut monitors designed for web, high-end desktop and photography applications to ensure accurate, consistent and repeatable color performance.

XIGMATEK announced Assassin, a new line of E-ATX full-tower cases, consisting of black and white versions, with windowed and non-windowed variants. The Assassin features a edgy design chrome accents lining the 5.25-inch bay covers, that run the entire height of the front-panel. The cases are made of SECC steel, and ABS plastic, with acrylic windows on the applicable variants.

Western Digital Announces the WD XE 3.5-Inch SAS Hard Drives

WD, a Western Digital company and a world leader in storage, today announced a new 3.5-inch SAS hard drive solution for legacy datacenter storage systems with the release of the WD XE, 2.5-inch, 10,000 RPM SAS hard drive, now available mounted in a 3.5-inch WD performance adapter. Shipping immediately, the WD XE hard drives provide best-in-class performance, low power consumption, and an easier upgrade path for existing 3.5-inch storage systems.

ASUS today announced the ROG (Republic of Gamers) Xonar Phoebus Solo 7.1 PCI Express gaming sound card with precise positional audio and lifelike immersion for gamers. Xonar Phoebus Solo continues to exhibit the previous Xonar Phoebus hardware excellence, including clear 118 dB signal-to-noise ratio, a powerful 600 ohm headphones amplifier, Dolby Home Theater V4, and DTS UltraPC II surround sound.

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