UpgraderGuides.com

VIA Launches EPIA-M850 Mini-ITX Board - Brings Serious Multimedia Muscle to Commercial Media Devices

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-M850 Mini-ITX board, the first board to feature the latest VIA VX900 media system processor, creating the ideal solution for today’s HD-intensive, commercial multimedia-centric devices.

The VIA EPIA-M850 is targeted at OEM and ODM manufacturers of commercial multimedia embedded devices. Featuring a 64-bit, high performance VIA Nano E-Series processor and the VIA VX900 unified all-in-one media system processor, the VIA EPIA-M850 delivers a highly optimized platform that boasts comprehensive HD video performance, HD audio and HDMI support in a compact, power-efficient package.

AMD Technology Allows Studio to Slice Through Special Effects Work in New “Machete” Film

AMD today unveiled its close collaboration with Troublemaker Studios to produce the striking visual effects for the action epic “Machete”, a project for the studio that saw the Troublemaker team finalize more than 500 shots, a personal best made possible with AMD graphics and computing technology. Directed and conceived by Robert Rodriguez (director of “Predators”, “Sin City”, and “Shorts”), and featuring an all-star cast including Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba, “Machete” is set to revitalize the action genre.

Intel to Acquire Infineon's Wireless Solutions Business

Infineon Technologies AG and Intel Corporation have entered into a definitive agreement to transfer Infineon’s Wireless Solutions (WLS) business to Intel in a cash transaction valued at approximately $1.4 billion.

WLS, a leading provider of cellular platforms to top tier global phone makers, will operate as a standalone business serving its existing customers. WLS will also contribute to Intel’s strategy to make connected computing ubiquitous from smartphones to laptops to embedded computing.

Viewsonic Moves Entire Display Line to LED

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, today strengthened the company’s commitment to green computing by announcing that all of the company’s PC display products will feature LED technology by early 2011. This is to offer its customers significant energy cost savings and improved performance and contrast from any ViewSonic solution.

“Consumers are rapidly transitioning to LED display products because they allow for lower energy costs while delivering brilliant picture quality,” said Jeff Volpe, vice president and general manager, ViewSonic. “ViewSonic is leading the way towards a greener, more cost efficient future by delivering an array of green LED products for our customers to choose from.”

The announcement comes just a few months after the company’s May unveiling of the VX2250wm-LED, a 22” (21.5” vis.) LED monitor, which solidified the company’s leadership position in LED technology. ViewSonic will continue to announce innovative, energy-efficient display products that use LED lighting in the coming months, including 3D LED displays.

ViewSonic remains committed to commercial partners who have standardized on specific CCFL displays, and will continue to produce those until the demand for them subsides.

Toshiba launches 24nm process NAND flash memory

Toshiba Corporation, reinforcing its leadership in the development and fabrication of cutting-edge, high density NAND flash memories, has announced that it today started mass production of NAND flash memories fabricated with 24nm process technology. This latest technology advance has already been applied to 2bit-per-cell 64-gigabit (Gb) chips that are the world's smallest and offer the highest density on a single chip (8 gigabytes (GB), and which are available from today. Toshiba will also add 32Gb and 3bit per cell products fabricated with the 24nm process technology to its product line-up.

Toshiba leads the industry in fabricating high density, small die size NAND flash memory chips. Application of the 24nm generation process technology will further shrink chip size, allowing Toshiba to boost productivity and bring further enhancements to high density, small sized products. The 24nm process products are also equipped with Toggle DDR, which enhances data transfer speed.

As more mobile equipment, such as smartphones, digital video cameras and tablet PCs, provide support for recording high resolution pictures and video and editing and processing large volumes of data, demand is growing for smaller, higher density, memory products. By accelerating process migration in NAND flash memory, Toshiba aims to reinforce and extend its leadership in the NAND flash memory market.

New Dual-Core Intel Atom Processor-Based Netbooks Hit Shelves Today

Intel Corporation announced today that a dozen of new netbooks based on its new mobile dual-core Intel® Atom™ processors are available in stores today. The netbooks – available now and through the end of the year from manufacturers including Acer, ASUS, Fujitsu, Lenovo, LG, Samsung, MSI, and Toshiba – enable new levels of support for applications like games, as well as Adobe Flash* technology for access to a number of Web pages including online hotel booking systems and multimedia sites such as YouTube and Hulu.

AMD Sets New Mark in x86 Innovation With Two New Core Designs - Low Power Bobcat & High Performance Bulldozer

AMD has revealed new details on its two next-generation x86 processor core implementations, including AMDs unique approach to high-performance, multi-threaded computing, as well as a sub one-watt capable low-power design. The two new designs, codenamed “Bulldozer” for high-performance PC and server markets, and “Bobcat” for low-power notebook and small form-factor desktop markets, were designed from the ground-up to address specific customer requirements and compute workloads. The new cores are central to AMD’s future roadmap, including the AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) products and AMD’s new high-performance server and client CPUs.

OWC Announces 40GB, Sub-$100 Sandforce Based SSD - Most Affordable SandForce-Driven SSD

Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today a new 40GB model to its award-winning OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD line as the most affordable high performance SandForce Processor based Solid State Drive on the market.

TechPowerUp Releases GPU-Z 0.4.5

TechPowerUp today released a timely update to GPU-Z. TechPowerUp GPU-Z is a handy graphics subsystem information, diagnostic, and monitoring utility that lets you see details about the graphics hardware and related system software installed, and monitor various parameters such as clock speeds, voltages, fan-speeds and temperatures, in real-time. Version 0.4.5 of GPU-Z adds support for several new GPUs, fixes detection bugs with certain GPUs (especially the GeForce GTX 460), and fixed a critical stability issue. The PowerColor and TechPowerUp GPU-Z Hardware Giveaway is ongoing and into its second (and final) month. Users can participate from this version of GPU-Z.

Intel to Acquire McAfee for $7.68 Billion

Intel Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire McAfee, Inc., through the purchase of all of the company’s common stock at $48 per share in cash, for approximately $7.68 billion. Both boards of directors have unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close after McAfee shareholder approval, regulatory clearances and other customary conditions specified in the agreement.