Samsung outs second-gen Series 9 Ultra-thin Notebooks

Samsung has just debuted its second generation of Series 9 notebooks at a media event in Korea today - these ultra-slim units coming in 13.3-inch and 15-inch sizes with a single-piece aluminum body thats only 12.9mm thick.

The 13.3-inch NT900X3B-A74 works out to about US $2,376 if you opt for the higher configuration which comprises a Core i7-2637M CPU, 4GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. The notebook depends on integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics and has dual 1.5W speakers, a 4-in-1 card reader, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, a single USB 3.0 port, mini-HDMI output and a 6-cell (40 Wh) battery. Its weight is said to be just 2.5 pounds.

Little detail was shared about the 15-inch Series 9 model at this time apart from the mention of weight at 1.59Kg / 3.5 lbs, although it was indicated that the 15-inch model also has a SuperBright LED-backlit display with 1600 x 900 resolution not unlike the 13.3-inch model. Both will also sport backlit keyboards.

Base prices for the 13.3 and 15-inch models will be $1,399 and $1,499, respectively with global shipments expected to take place later this month.

Prometia is back

Everyone has been pondering about the fate of the PrometeiaMach1s and Mach2s since the collapse of Nventiv. Who will manufacture the modkits? Where do I get my warranty? There is now hope......

Extreme Cooling Technologies (ECT)is a Danish refrigeration and cooling company, purchased the assets of nVENTIVA/S, formerly known as Chip-con. ECT was the company that was involved withthe development of all versions of the Prometeia cooling units. And now theyare continuing with the development and the manufacture of the Prometeia units.E.C.T will soon commence distribution of the Prometeia cooling units to itsdistributors for sale around the world.

I talked with Garry Schnell of Hardwaregods(hardwaregods.net),one of the main distributors for ECT, he said under ECT the typical 3 week waitfor your Prometeia will be reduced as the units will be stocked in the US bythe distributors. Now they are even working to get technicians to fix the brokenunits of Mach1s and Mach2s which are under warranty as well as those whose warrantyhas expired in East and West coast of North America. RMA will also no longerbe an expensive affair since there is no need ship it to Denmark anymore.

ECT has already announced the Intel LGA775 CPU kit, which willbe in the hands of the distributors around Christmas time. So if you have aPrometeia and have been stuck with socket 478, now is your chance to migrateto socket T!

Partners Released GeForce 9800 GTX OC Editions

BFG Technologies®, Inc., the leading North American and European supplier ofadvanced NVIDIA-based 3D graphics cards, power supplies and other PC enthusiastproducts, announced today the BFG NVIDIA® GeForce® 9800 GTX OC™, OC2™, and OCX™512MB PCI Express® 2.0 graphics cards.

BFG GeForce 9800 GTX OC, OC2, and OCX graphics cards offer customers a choice ofthree different levels of factory overclocked Graphics Processing Units (GPU)which are all thoroughly tested and backed by the company’s famous lifetimewarranty.

“Any company can push clock speeds to the limit—but operating a graphics card atthose excessive clock speeds over time can result in all kinds of problems”,said John Malley, senior director of marketing for BFG Technologies. “We put ourOC, OC2, and OCX overclocked graphics cards through an extensive testing processto find the highest stable clocks. This gives users an increase in performanceand ensures that their investment will operate smoothly for many years to come.”

BFG GeForce® 9800 GTX OC™
Bus Type: PCI Express® 2.0
Memory: 512MB GDDR3
Core Clock: 700MHz (vs. 675MHz standard)
Shader Clock: 1728MHz (vs. 1688MHz standard)
Memory Data Rate: 2200MHz

BFG GeForce® 9800 GTX OC2™
Bus Type: PCI Express® 2.0
Memory: 512MB GDDR3
Core Clock: 715MHz (vs. 675MHz standard)
Shader Clock: 1782MHz (vs. 1688MHz standard)
Memory Data Rate: 2250MHz (vs. 2200MHz standard)

BFG GeForce® 9800 GTX OCX™
Bus Type: PCI Express® 2.0
Memory: 512MB GDDR3
Core Clock: 755MHz (vs. 675MHz standard)
Shader Clock: 1890MHz (vs. 1688MHz standard)
Memory Data Rate: 2300MHz (vs. 2200MHz standard)

Eligible for the BFG Trade Up program
Within 100 days of purchase, any BFG GeForce 9800 GTX graphics cards can betraded up to a BFG GeForce 9800 GX2, and the customer only pays the differencein price, plus applicable taxes. Additionally, if a customer is within 100 daysof purchasing a BFG GeForce 9600 GT, they may also choose to Trade Up to eithera BFG GeForce 9800 GTX, 9800 GTX OC/OC2/OCX, or a BFG GeForce 9800 GX2. Learnmore at www.bfgtech.com/tradeupprogram.aspx.

Availability
BFG NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX OC graphics card will be available at leading retailoutlets throughout North America and Europe beginning April 16. The BFG GeForce9800 GTX OC2 and OCX graphics cards will be available at leading online e-tailoutlets beginning April 16. Visit www.bfgtech.com for more information.

Phenom 8400 amp; 8600 Triple-Core On DFI 790FX

We took 2 screenshots of the Phenom 8600 and 8400 Triple-Core processorsrunning on the DFI 790FX board. The Triple core processors are slated for launchin Q1 this year and will be based on B2 stepping initially.

Third part MHL adapters with added functionality start to appear

If you wonder what MHL stands for, then were not surprised, as its still a fairly new standard and it might potentially die a pre-mature death, although this isnt very likely considering the industry backers. MHL stands for Mobile High-definition Link and it looks just like a micro USB connector, but beyond delivering USB connectivity, it also carries an HDMI signal and power.

The tricky thing here is that there are extremely few devices that feature an MHL connector on the receiving end and as such youll need an adapter to hook up to your MHL touting smartphone or tablet. The neat thing with MHL is that a single cable can in theory provide data connectivity, 1080p video, 7.1-channel HD audio, remote control support and the ability to charge the connected device. Well, thats the theory at least, but with as far as were aware, a single MHL sporting TV set currently on its way into the market, well all have to rely on said adaptors for now.

Some of the early adaptors have been very basic and just being a simple dongle which is connected to the port on the device. On the other end of the dongle youll find an HDMI port and a micro USB port in general, as the dongle requires power to work which it can receive via the micro USB port. In general these dongles are quite cheap at US$10-30, even from the device makers themselves.

Today we spotted a new model from a company called DVDO and the device in question is simply called the DVDO Mobile. Beyond being just a standard dongle, the DVDO Mobile adds an integrated 50cm USB cable and a 20cm micro USB cable, both of which can be wrapped around the DVDO Mobile for storage. What makes this a really neat solution though is the built in AC charger, which means that you get an all-in-one device that will allow you to charge your USB device while being able to take advantage of the MHL connectivity on your smartphone or tablet as well. On top of that, the DVDO Mobile doubles up as a standard USB to micro USB cable for when you need to access your mobile device from a computer.

As neat as this all sounds, theres no word on pricing or availability, but wed expect this to be the start of what is likely to be a growing market of peripherals that arent likely to have a huge appeal for most consumers, as its just as easy, if not easier, to plug in a notebook to a TV or projector than a smartphone or a tablet. We should also add that the USB-IF is non-too keen on the MHL standard either, as it claims that it breaches the USB standard by sending video over its connectors (as the USB-IF owns the patent for the USB connectors) and as such violates the USB standard. Well see how things play out, but despite its drawbacks, wed rather have a single port for video and data on our smartphone, than a pair of ports, as most people arent very likely to make use of that micro HDMI connector anyhow.

Source: DVDO

Sapphire launches the Pure Platinum A55V

Having chatted with Sapphire back at CeBIT a couple of weeks ago, we knew the company is planning on taking a slightly different direction for its future motherboard products and the Pure Platinum A55V looks like its a step in that direction. What were looking at is a fairly basic motherboard for AMDs APUs, without being a feature stripped board like what many of Sapphires competitors are offering when it comes to the A55 chipset.

The slot layout is fairly basic with a single x16 PCI Express slot, two x1 PCI Express slots and three PCI slots, but as AMDs APUs dont support more than one discrete graphics card, this is unlikely to be an issue for those considering this motherboard. The standard six SATA 3Gbps ports are all present and its the only area where Sapphire hasnt added anything in terms of functionality.

Were quite surprised to see features like dual BIOS, a POST80 debug LED, power, reset and clear CMOS buttons on a board at this price point. One feature we cant quite figure out is the inclusion of a front USB 3.0 pin header, yet we can only locate one USB 3.0 host controller and it appears to be connected to the rear USB 3.0 ports and the board isnt sharing the same PCB as one of Sapphires other models.

The rear I/O isnt overwhelming, but its got enough ports for your average user with a PS/2 port, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 5.1-channel audio and a D-sub, DVI and HDMI port. Overall not bad for what should be a fairly affordable board and if Sapphires new strategy is one of offering more affordable motherboards with an improved feature set, this isnt a bad first step in that direction.

Source: Sapphire

Philips launches new range of audio products

Usman Qureshi, marketing manager, audio/video multimedia and TV, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand,Philips Consumer Lifestyle, gave an opening speech and talked about the companys "Obsessed with Sound" slogan whereby customers like the sound created in their living room or bedroom, the way artists made it in the studios.

"This year, we will offer solutions for each and every settings in the house. You can have a Fidelio to fit each and every needwhether it is a living room or bedroom, or have a compact product thatfeatures Bluetooth.We are expanding our promiseon our Obsessed with Sound. Moving ahead, we will deliver the best sound quality with the best value for money," said Qureshi.

The Philips Fidelio DS9000 is a docking speaker that can dock a iPhone, iPad andiPod, and lets you enjoy your favorite music without any disruption. It features advanced intuitive remote control and boasts superb performance and accuracy, along with bass management technology for deep bass. The Fidelio DS9000 is available now at S$699.

The Philips Harmony Hi-Fi DCD8000aims to deliver the most authentic sound experience to users in the comfort of their living room. Even though the 8000 series supports onlyDVD playback (and not Blu-ray), at the rear, it has a HDMI connector that can output DVD video to full high definition resolution. It is available now at all leading electronics retailers with a price tag of S$1,099.

The Philips Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W integrated seamlessly with your iTunes, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch tooffer a hassle-free experience and superb audio quality. You can also play your favorite music over a home Wi-Fi network from iTunes on Mac and PC and other mobile devices. The Fidelio SoundSphere DS9800W will be available from September at S$1,299.

And if you are into portable docking speakers, check out the Philips Fidelio Docking Speakers DS7700. It features a robust aluminium finish and a cover case for protection while you are on the move. According to the company, the speakers can withstand drops of up to 2m and weight pressure of 10kg. The DS7700 is selling in stores now at S$299.