Western Digital Caviar RAID Edition Drives

WD has begun shipping the WD Caviar RAID Edition (RE) drives, a family of three 3.5-inch, 7,200-RPM drives ranging in capacity from 120GB to 260GB. The drives are specifically designed to challenge competitors like the Maxtor MaxLine drives, which are rated for non-I/O-intensive low-duty cycles. By contrast, the WD Caviar RE drives are rated at 1 million hours mean time before failure (MTBF), running nonstop. WD set out to minimize recovery time with a technique called time-limited error recovery, which takes into account the ability of modern drives to do self-diagnostics and repair or exclude damaged sectors. Using the WD technology, a drive will typically drop off the RAID array for about 30 seconds to adjust its sectors; the maximum time is about five minutes. The three-platter design will offer lower power metrics than its five-platter competitors. The drive consumes 8.2 watts reading and writing, 11.5 watts seeking data, and 16.2 watts spinning up. Acoustic power will range between 28 and 33 dB, depending on the function.

Sony New amp; Faster Memory Stick PRO-HG

SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK - News) and Sony Corporation todayannounced the development of the "Memory Stick PRO-HG" format expanded from the"Memory Stick PRO" format.

The continuing increase in the capacity of IC recording media has broadened itsusage as a practical way to store high-resolution digital photos, music andvideo content (from the Internet or TV programs) on portable devices that aredesigned to handle digital entertainment content. The demand for real-timerecording and transfer of multiple gigabytes of data using IC recording media isexpected to increase rapidly, due to the growing popularity of high resolutionvideo and digital still image applications.

"Memory Stick PRO-HG" media offers high performance to meet the stringentdemands of end users. This new media format uses an enhanced, 8-bit parallelinterface in addition to a conventional serial and 4-bit parallel interface. Theinterface clock frequency also increases to 60MHz from 40MHz. This means thatmaximum data transfer speed increases up to 480Mbps, or 60MB/s (theoreticalvalue), three times as fast as that of "Memory Stick PRO" media. The minimumwrite speed at 8-bit parallel transfer is 120 Mbps, or 15MB/s(1). Theseenhancements allow large data amounts of up to several gigabytes to be quicklytransferred, as well as the real-time recording of high-resolution video andstill images.

Since "Memory Stick PRO-HG" is an extended format of the "Memory Stick PRO"format, "Memory Stick PRO-HG" compliant host devices support the conventional"Memory Stick PRO" media as well as "Memory Stick PRO-HG" media. In addition,the "Memory Stick PRO-HG" media can be used conventional "Memory Stick PRO"compliant host devices as well as "Memory Stick PRO-HG" compliant hostdevices.(2)

Licensing for the development of "Memory Stick PRO-HG" compliant host devices isscheduled to commence in January 2007.

"Sony and SanDisk share the common goal of providing exciting new digital audioand video applications to consumers," said Eli Harari, Chairman and CEO ofSanDisk Corporation. "This is the driving force that is behind our relentlessefforts to leverage our expertise and extensive intellectual property in flashmemory cards to develop the Memory Stick PRO-HG. I am proud of the closecooperation we have with Sony over the years and look forward to seeing theexciting new products that Memory Stick PRO-HG media enable."

Akira Kubota, president of Core Component Business Unit, Sony Corporation said"Sony has successfully collaborated with SanDisk Corporation in promoting theMemory Stick formats. Significant milestones have been the Memory Stick PROformat in 2003 and the Memory Stick Micro in 2005. I am delighted by today'sjoint announcement of the Memory Stick PRO-HG format. This new IC recordingmedia allows the speedy sharing of high definition video and digital stillcamera data between products." Through the introduction of this new format,Memory Stick will greatly expand its entertainment applications.

Since the September 1998 market introduction of Memory Stick, cumulativeshipments of media have achieved 200 million units as of September 2006(3). TheMemory Stick PRO-HG Duo media will be made available in 2007.

Major Specifications of Memory Stick PRO-HG

Dimensions Duo size (31 x 20 x 1.6) mm
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Connector Pin 14-pin
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Capacity 32GB(a) (format maximum)(4)
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Max. Data Transfer Rate 480 Mbps (theoretical)
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Min. Write Speed 120 Mbps(1) (As of 8-bit parallel transfer)
40 Mbps(1) (As of 4-bit parallel transfer)
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Operating Voltage 2.7 to 3.6 V
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Interface 8-bit / 4-bit parallel I/F and Serial I/F
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Max. Clock frequency 60MHz(5)
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Copyright Protection Technology MagicGate
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The Gift From Hell...

....As.....

Hellas....

Hipro-Tech.com

For those not in the know, Hipro is one of the most famous electronic guru overclocker from Greece :).

Maximizer for your DDR1/DDR2 Memory. Put it simple: MemoryVoltage Booster!

Your Memory's new room-mate, this will go into the DIMM Slot beside your Memory:

Bare-backed PCB:

A 3.5" Monitor panel to fit into your Floppy Drive Bay:

Much thanks to the friend who shipped it over. I'm going toread through the manual next to learn more about this gift from Hellas.

Razer Debuts Sphex, The World's Thinnest Mousing Surface

Carlsbad, Calif. –May 27th, 2009 – Razer™, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, today announced the release of the Razer Sphex™, the first Gaming Grade Desktop Skin with a distinctive ultrathin form factor.

“The Razer Sphex is a gaming surface that doesn’t compromise tracking ability or durability even with its slim figure,” says Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff, President of Razer. “We wanted to offer gamers a simpler and less expensive gaming-grade mouse mat alternative, while retaining extreme precision and a smooth consistent glide comparable to traditional gaming mouse mats.”

About the Razer Sphex™

The Razer Sphex is currently the world’s thinnest gaming-grade mousing surface which boasts of an ultrathin profile. It is specifically engineered to perform at the highest precision for both Optical and Laser mice. Made of high-grade durable material, the Razer Sphex allows gamers to wipe or wash the product repeatedly without compromising its quality or tracking performance. The Razer Sphex can adhere and detach from any desk surface without any extra effort making it fully reusable.

Razer Sphex™ Features

Adhesive bottom to stick to any surface
Midsized mouse mat suited for most gaming environments at 320mm by 230mm
Extra thin to avoid any restrictions to your gaming experience
Excellent tracking quality for both Laser and Optical mice

COST: US: $14.99, Europe €14.99
AVAILABILITY: Worldwide

Xeon MP Server on Optical Interconnects in July

Beginning in July, a startup plans to ship a server using optical interconnects to improve the overall system performance. The Lightfleet "Beacon" server will connect multiple Intel Xeon processors using an array of mirrors, that will beam data using light, a system that Lightfleet calls "Corowave." The company demonstrated a 16-node server in 2006 as a proof of concept. In its initial implementation, Beacon will have 32 simultaneous transmitters operating at 2.5 Gbit/second each. As you add nodes to a Corowave technology-based system, system latency remains flat while overall system bandwidth increases linearly. This is a feature that is unique to Lightfleet's technology. Specifically, the technology is being touted as one that's especially applicable to parallel computing technology, although the company has not provided benchmarks to prove its superiority.

Soldam, the PC case manufacturer is bankrupt

The Japanese PC Case maker Soldam, well-known for is ALU based case branded with the name "Windy" is now bankrupt and stop manufacturing, selling of shipping any kind of product they were used to carry.... This is very sad news to the premium chasis aficionados since Soldam was among the best case manufacturer in Japan. Their casings have always been top-notch!

Sony Introduces New PIIQ Headphones

Groove in Style with New PIIQTM Headphones by Sony

For the edgy and expressive, the PIIQTM series offers bold and innovative design combined with Sony’s superior sound quality

(Singapore, 21st September 2010) – Sony Singapore today introduces the new PIIQTM[pronounced ‘peek’] headphone series, featuring five distinctive headphones and in-earheadphones that make a bold and unique fashion statement.Drawing inspiration from artists, skaters and urban street culture, PIIQ headphones are meticulously designedwith great attention to style, and combined with Sony’s sound performance and comfort.

Bold urban design, solid audio performance

PIIQ offers a look that is starkly different from typical, monotone headphones. Theunconventional design and styling of the new PIIQ headphones are influenced by the bold andactive lifestyles of today’s youth with its bright, neon colour combinations. Users will also noticecertain design features that are reminiscent of items in urban street culture – from the use ofcomfortable cushioning material similar to that of knee guards, to uniquely shaped ear buds thatlook like gas masks. However, the PIIQ series does not scrimp on audio quality. Dependingon one’s music preferences, the five headphones offer Sony technologies that deliver crystalclear sounds as well as solid treble and bass performance.The PIIQ series comes in five different variations to suit different audio and style preferences:

MDR-PQ1

Inspired by snowboard boot binders, the pink MDR-PQ1 features two velcro-linedadjustment tabs with a lock-down mechanism that ensure the headphones givea comfortable fit. For those who like to groove to strong beats, the MDR-PQ1 isequipped with 40mm driver units for deep, powerful bass tones. The MDR-PQ1 isalso well padded in its headband and ear cups to offer a superior “cush feel” andeliminate any sense of discomfort from long time wear. In addition, the flat cord issecured by an elastic loop to avoid tangling.

MDR-PQ2

The MDR-PQ2 features a more organic design with flushed edges, and is available in three colour combinations. The 30mm driver units are made of Neodymium magnets, one of the strongest permanent magnets in the world, delivering crystal clear and powerful sound. Like the MDR-PQ1, the MDR-PQ2 is ergonomically designed as well with its well-padded headband and ear cups.