Shuttle XPC SB86i BTX

Shuttle Inc, the leading designer and manufacturer of small form factor (SFF)computers and accessories, today introduces the XPC SB86i, the first commercialapplication of the pico-BTX design specification. The latest in a long line ofmarket and industry firsts for Shuttle, the XPC SB86i once again resets the barfor performance, style and value in the highly competitive home, SOHO andbusiness desktop market segments.

“Shuttle’s reputation for design excellence and build quality is unmatched,”said CK Hung, CEO, Shuttle. “With XPC SB86i, Shuttle has once again reset thebar for mainstream integration, build quality and value.”

Built around the Intel® 915G + ICH6-R chipset, the Shuttle XPC SB86i deliversaffordable, performance-based computing to the market segments where it’s neededmost. With Intel® Pentium® 4 processor compatibility, and performance-enhancedIntel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900 (the only integrated solution to supportMicrosoft® DirectX® 9) and x16 PCI Express graphics cards, this fantasticbarebone computer offers unprecedented power and value.

Enclosed in a fresh-look chassis, the “i”, this model uses standardized,recyclable materials to deliver superior structural integrity, as well as “SuperQuiet” operation. Designed to conform to established industry standards, the XPCSB86i provides new levels of scalability through support for standardizedcomponents, such as PSUs, heatsinks and motherboards.

The XPC SB86i is expected to ship by the end of Q4.

Sony Mobile Communications unveils Xperia U and Xperia P

Xperia P – ultra-bright viewing experience

The Xperia P has a full aluminium unibody design and incorporates WhiteMagic technology which boasts to deliver the brightest viewing experience in any situations. it also comes with Smart power efficiency that can automatically adjust the brightness of the screen to the surroundings to conserve battery life. With the new SmartDock, built exclusively for the Xperia P, you can easily connect to multiple screens, turning the smartphone into an entertainment hub for the living room. Users can also navigate their smartphones media content to watch their high definition videos, the latest movies or favourite TV shows on the big screen with a TV remote control. The SmartDock has USB support, which means you can hook up a wireless keyboard and mouse to write your messages or post on Facebook on the TV.

Xperia P Specifications

- 4-inch Reality Display with WhiteMagic technology
- Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine
- 1GHz dual-core processor
- 8-megapixel camera with fast capture and HD recording
- 16GB flash storage
- NFC enabled with HDMI and DLNA connectivity
- Launches on Android platform 2.3 (Gingerbread); will be upgraded to Android platform 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) during Q2 2012.

Xperia U - powerful Sony entertainment in a stylish and compact design

The Xperia U combines powerful Sony entertainment in a stylish and compact design. Music lovers can enjoy crips and loud audio experience with the xLoud and Sony 3D surround sound technologies integrated into the music player. On top of that, you can enjoy improved sound quality with the new stylish Smart Headset designed for Android smartphones. You can also stream music from the Xperia U to wireless speakers with a single touch via Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). The phones transparent element illuminates to match the colour of photos viewed in the gallery or the album art of music tracks currently playing. You can also personalize your Xperia U with exchangeable caps and themes to your liking.

Xperia U Specifications

- 3.5-inch Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine
- 1GHz dual-core processor
- 5-megapixel camera with fast capture and HD recording
- xLoud and 3D surround sound audio technology
- Launches on Android platform 2.3 (Gingerbread); will be upgraded to Android platform 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) during Q2 2012

*image courtesy of chinese.vr-zone.com

Sony reportedly quot;earnest quot; in preparing a PlayStation tablet PC...with Android, of course

The PlayStation might be Sonys bundle of joy when it comes to video game consoles, but it seems that the Japanese electronics giant is starting to see that there are many ways in which the PlayStation brand might be able to prove beneficial for its line of consumer electronic devices. After all, the recent scenario of Sony managing to generate a large deal of hype over the supposed PlayStation Phone without having to do anything should be a testament as to how powerful the PlayStation brand really is.

However, it would seem that the Japanese electronics giant is not about to stand still, especially when it has the infamous distinction of being one of the few big-name OEMs that has yet to hop onto the current tablet PC bandwagon. The good news though, is that reports from various sources seem to indicate that Sony intends to remedy that situation with a new multimedia tablet that can reportedly do more than just connect to the Internet and watch movies. And yes, that same tablet will sport the PlayStation branding that gamers have come to know and love.

Very few details about the upcoming PlayStation-branded tablet have been revealed, but what we do know is that the tablet is currently known by its codename of S1 from within Sony, and that the company in intending to outsource the devices production to Quanta Computer.

In addition, the information that we have managed to gather seems to indicate that the device will sport the Android Honeycomb operating system which Google claims has been specially optimized for larger-than-smartphone displays, while the hardware consists of NVIDIAs Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip, a 9.4-inch display and dual cameras. And of course, the PlayStation branding means that the tablet will be fully capable of playing games released for the new PlayStation Suite platform.

Last but definitely not least, it seems that Sony does not intend to compete on price with the tablet: it will reportedly be released for retail in September this year for US$600.

Source: Digitimes

Tyan Tomcat i7221 (S5150)

With the widespread use of rackmount systems for single processorconfigurations, an inherent need has surfaced for platforms which can providecustomers with the flexibility to configure their system for many differentkinds of applications. For that purpose, Tyan is introducing the Tomcat i7221(S5150), a fully-adaptable single processor server platform for the rackmountspace.

In order to deliver powerful single processor server performance, the Tomcati7221 uses the Intel(r) E7221 "Copper River" chipset, and supports Intel's nextgeneration Pentium 4 "Prescott" processor for LGA775 configurations. Alsointegrated into the Tomcat i7221 platform are PCI Express(tm), PCI-X and PCIexpansion slots, 4-port Serial ATA with RAID options, dual Broadcom(r)-basedGigabit Ethernet LAN ports, and an SO-DIMM expansion port designed to supportTyan's low-profile TARO(tm) storage add-on card products for additional SATA orSCSI functionality. Add the capability to support up to 4GB of UnbufferedDDR333/400 memory and integrated server-quality video, and the Tomcat i7221becomes a compelling choice for any entry to mid-range single processor serverapplication.

"The wide range of usage for single processor server platforms has increased theexpectations for those platforms in numerous IT solution designs," said DonClegg, VP of Marketing and Strategic Programs at Tyan. "With the introduction ofthe Tyan Tomcat i7221, customers will be able to take advantage of enhancedfeatures and benefits for their server applications and integrated builds."

The Tomcat i7221 (S5150) is currently sampling to select customers, and willreach mass availability in late Q3 of this year.

Sparkle Calibre P850LV Card w Temperature Display

SPARKLE Computer Co., Ltd., the professional VGA card manufacturer andsupplier, today announces Calibre P850LV graphic card with elaborate designeddaughter card to entry level market. Calibre P850LV graphic card bringscutting-edge DirectX 10 gaming and HD video playback experience to entry levelusers with lower prices.

Based on NVIDIA’s next generation G86 architecture, the Calibre P850LV graphiccard adopts innovative unified architecture, dynamically allocates processingpower to geometry, vertex, physics, or pixel shading operations, delivering upto 2x the gaming performance of prior generation GPUs. Built upon technologiessuch as NVIDIA Lumenex Engine, providing support for DirectX 10 Shader Model4.0, NVIDIA Quantum Effects technology for physics computation and GigaThreadTechnology for extreme processing efficiency in advanced, next generation shaderprograms.

The Calibre P850LV graphic card is powered by NVIDIA's Unified ArchitectureGeForce 8500 GT GPUs which are first batch of GPUs to Support Microsoft DirectX10 Games and Applications. Helped with 650MHz core speed, 1300MHz shader clockand 128bit 128MB 1600MHz GDDR3 video memory, The Calibre P850LV graphic cardfully supports for both Microsoft DirectX 10 and DirectX 9 for unparalleledlevels of graphics realism and performance. Using NVIDIA latest PureVideo HD VP2technology, the Calibre P850LV graphic card provides unsurpassed Blu-ray and HDDVD movie picture quality and free CPU from burdensome H.264 and VC-1 decodingtasks. The Calibre P850LV graphic card is also essential for hardwareaccelerating the best Microsoft Windows Vista's 3D Glass experience for entrylevel users.

In order to bring additional value for end users, the Calibre P850LV graphiccard is equipped with a specially designed daughter card, which can showreal-time GPU temperature or real-time PCB temperature on Graphics Display Port(GDP) with 3bit digital tube display. User can manually switch between real-timeGPU temperature shown and real-time GPU temperature shown. User can alsomanually set the temperature unit (/). Powered by this tiny and helpful tool,user can easily master the working temperature of his Calibre P850LV graphiccard. The attached sub card reflects SPARKLE's customer-oriented concept. Besidethis innovative daughter card, the Calibre P850LV graphic card uses SPARKLE VGARectifier Technology (VRT) Technology, which set a iron bar on top side of thegraphic card to enhances PCB and VGA card Shape.

“The Calibre P850LV is an outstanding DirectX 10 graphic card, which bring bothDirectX 10 and DirectX 9 realistic gaming experience to entry level market withlower prices." Said Kevin Wang, sales director of SPARKLE Computer Co., Ltd."Entry level DirectX 10 graphic card users pay much attentions to the HD videohardware acceleration capability. At this point, the Calibre P850LV graphiccard, which is powered by second generation PureVideo HD VP2 technology, is thebest choice for entry level users to watch HD DVD and Blue-ray movies on theircomputers with minimum CPU usage."

TwinMOS Twister X - 2 x 512MB PC2-6800

It's been a while since we've taken a look at Twinmos Memory modules. Thistime, we take a look at their DDR2 Twister X series:

Twinmos Twister X 2x512MB PC2-6800

From the label on the kit, the RAMs are rated PC2-6800 and I was curious aboutthe rated clock speed as most of the manufacturers rate their memory as PC2-6400(DDR2 800mhz) for easy reference and identification. 6800 means it is ratedto run at 425MHz, DDR2 850MHz, though at what timings and voltage - this isnot stated. No worries we will see what settings work well with this pair lateron.

Black heatspreaders, though a retail set may come in heatspreaders of a different color.

Instead of showing you what RAM chipsets lie below the heatspreaders now, I'lllet you guess as we go through the results - see if you make a correct guessat the end of it.