HP has introduced the MediaSmart Server ex485/ex487, the home media server compatible with both Macs and PCs. The MediaSmart Server is based on the Microsoft Windows Home Server platform.

These home servers offer automatically backing up and accessing digital music, videos, photos and documents from multiple computers on a home network. It can remotely stream photos and music to any Internet-connected PC or Mac.

The server includes HP Media Collector, which conveniently schedules the MediaSmart Server to copy and centralize digital files and libraries from networked PCs. iTunes music libraries can be centralized on the server for playback to any networked computer running iTunes.

The server also includes HP Photo Publisher to upload photos to Facebook, Picasa, and Snapfish. These can also backs up networked PCs using the Windows Home Server backup feature, or Macs running Leopard using Apple Time Machine software.

Each server runs an Intel Celeron 2GHz processor with 2GB of RAM. HP MediaSmart Server ex485 offers 750 GB of hard disk storage while the ex487 offers 1.5 TB of storage. Additional drives can be added for up to 9 terabytes.

HP MediaSmart Server ex485 costs $599 while the HP MediaSmart Server ex487 is $749. These can be pre-ordered beginning January 5 from online stores such as Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, Buy.com. The shipment is expected to start in February.

I’m not one for hyperbole, but clearly a fact: red-hot gymnast, Alison Carroll – the latest babe to take on the bra-filling mantle of video game star, Lara Croft – is better than anything in existence, and also (I’m told) makes my pants look fantastic.

Asus has announced AIR3, which integrates an iPod speaker with Internet radio. The AIR3 is equipped with HDSS (High Definition Sound Standard) certified speakers, and the ETL (Embedded Transmission Line) module within the chambers that provide natural, real and clear sound quality.

The AIR3 is compatible with all iPods (except iPod shuffle) and charges the iPod concurrently while playing audio files. It includes S-Video and composite video outs to display movies and photos from the iPod on TVs and LCD monitors connected. Multimedia players can be connected to the AIR3 via an Aux-In jack located at the back of the AIR3 and the bundled cable.

The internet radio feature is accessed over Wireless LAN 802.11b/g and gives users access to about 10,000 radio stations worldwide with a wide range of categories. It supports UPnP sharing, and thus allows for easy sharing of music with connected computer or users. It also provides weather forecasts for major cities around the world via the Internet.

We are yet to hear about the release date or the price of AIR3.

LG has announced a 14.1 inch LCD panel for notebook PC that is illuminated by sunlight instead of the backlight unit when used outdoors.

LG says the use of selective reflection plates in existing backlight panels enables the switch from reflective mode in a high luminance setting (sunlight) to transmissive mode in a low luminance setting (indoors and at night). The LCD panel allows users to easily switch from backlight use (transmissive mode) to outdoor reflective mode with the touch of a button.

It also provides a significant increase in battery life as the display’s outdoor energy consumption falls to one fourth the level of indoor energy consumption. The display also resolves visibility issues with a contrast ratio exceeding 9:1 when used outdoors in reflective mode.

LG Display will showcase its new 14.1 inch sunlight Illuminated LCD at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2009.

Toshiba has expanded their line up of NAND-flash-based solid state drives with the 2.5-inch 512-GB SSD. Toshiba says the new drives provide a high level of performance and endurance for use in notebook computers, gaming and home entertainment systems.

Toshiba's new line of 43nm NAND SSD family also includes 64GB, 128GB and 256GB units in 1.8-inch or 2.5-inch form factors or as SSD Flash Modules. Toshiba claims the second-generation SSDs offer increased capacity and performance for notebook computers. The drives offer maximum sequential read speed of 240MBps and maximum sequential write speed of 200MBps, enabling an improvement in overall computing experience, and faster boot and application loading times. The AES data encryption prevents unauthorized data access.

"The solid state drive market is evolving rapidly, with higher performance drives to meet market requirements, and differentiated product families targeted for appropriate applications," said Mr. Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Vice President of Toshiba Corporation's Semiconductor Company. "This new 43nm SSD family balances value/performance characteristics for its targeted consumer applications, through use of MLC NAND and an advanced controller architecture."

No word on price yet, but Toshiba expects to start mass production in the second quarter in 2009.

Lacie has introduced a new version of its award-winning Ethernet Disk, a network-attached 19-inch rack-mounted storage device, aimed at small and medium business.

The Ethernet Disk features a capacity increase of up to 6TB. It is powered by the Windows XP embedded operating system that provides all the necessary features for data backup, storage and file-sharing through its Gigabit Ethernet connection.

The Lacie Ethernet Disk can support up to 100 users with customizable access rights to different shares, with up to 25 concurrent users. The Ethernet Disk is compatible with Apple Time Machine, allowing Mac users to take advantage of the continuous data protection the software provides.

The Lacie Ethernet Disk ships with Genie Backup Manager ProTM for Windows and Intego Backup Manager ProTM for Mac for scheduled file backups for workstations.

"Backing up data - even mission-critical data - always boils down to making and storing copies of data, located on your primary storage device, onto a secondary device," said Erwan Girard, LaCie Product Manager. "For this reason, the perfect backup companion for your information system should be kept simple and cost-effective. The Lacie Ethernet Disk offers computer backup and recovery, and backs itself up onto a NAS or DAS, all at the best price-per-terabyte ratio in the market. It is therefore an excellent complement to the complex and expensive technology used in front end storage servers."

The 2 TB drive is priced at $749.99, while the 2 TB and 6 TB drives are priced at $1,099.99 and $1,499.99 respectively.

CyberPower has announced Power Video series of custom-built desktop workstations, three models: the XE, XT and high-performance XI. Designed for videographers and video enthusiasts, the Power Video series have been custom-configured to provide a solid platform for high-def video playback, editing and rendering.

All Power Video series feature the Intel’s multi-core processor technology and nVidia or ATi graphics solutions with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of DDR2 or DDR3 memory. The PC can then be further customized with a range of SATA II hard drives or hard drive arrays as well as Blu-ray disc burners.

Standard features on each model include IEEE 1394 (DV iLink) and USB ports, a multi-format media card reader, support for 8.5 Dual-Layer DVD burning capability, and Asetek’s Liquid CPU Cooling System for efficient heat dissipation.

The standard configuration on the Power Video XE offers Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 at 2.4GHz, NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express video card and 500GB SATA-II 7200RPM hard drive.

The Power Video XT features Intel’s Quad-Core 2 Quad Q9550 CPU at 2.83GHz, ATI Radeon HD 4850 PCI-E 16X 512MB video card and a one terabyte, SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM hard drive. An LG Blu-ray burner is included, along with a Sony Blu-ray player.

The pro-model Power Video XI includes a 2.93GHz Core i7 with 12GB of RAM. Both are set on Intel's X58 mainboard with SLI/CrossFireX support. It also offers 12GBs of DDR3 Triple Channel Memory and an ATI Radeon HD 4870 PCI-E 16X 512MB DDR5 video card. It includes a pair of one terabyte SATA II hard drives and a 64 BG 2.5-inch SATA SSD. Standard optical drives include LG’s 6X Blu-Ray Disc Rewriter and a Sony 2X Blu-Ray Player.

All three Power Video systems are available direct from CyberPower, with the XE prices starting at $985, the XT at $1,675 and the XI priced from $2,719.
 

OCZ has unveiled the Flex EX memory series, featuring breakneck speeds demanded by enthusiasts. These premium high-density modules operate at incredibly fast DDR2 and DDR3 speeds to run the latest memory-intensive games and applications.

The Flex EX memory series offer enthusiasts the thermal management necessary for the stability and performance on high-end gaming and overclocking systems. It offers a specifically tailored configuration for all users to maximize the performance for all types of systems. It encompasses the needs of enthusiasts, power users, and gamers with incredible frequencies up to DDR3-2000, and DDR2-1200 as the fastest DDR2 4GB kit available.

The OCZ Flex EX thermal management solution enables high-frequency memory to operate within an optimal balance of extreme speeds and low latencies without the high temperatures that inhibit or damage the module. Each Flex EX memory module features the integrated liquid injection system design. It has a “flexible” all-aluminum design to give enthusiasts the option to run the modules water-cooled or passively via the array of aluminum fins, and the concurrent use of both options promotes maximum heat dissipation.

Backed by a lifetime warranty, the Flex EX modules will be available in 4GB (2x2048MB) dual channel kits.

Asus now offers the stylishly redesigned Eee PC 1002HA featuring a brushed aluminum LCD cover and palm rest, allowing it to feel exceptionally solid despite its thin stature.

Powered by Intel Atom N270 processor, Eee PC 1002HA is available with both Linux and Windows XP Home edition operating systems. It features a 10” LED-backlit display (1024 x 600 pixels), a digital array microphone, 1.3 megapixel built-in webcam and a built-in 4-in-1 card reader capable of reading MMC, SD, Memory Stick and MS-PRO media formats.

In addition to its 160GB of primary storage, Eee PC 1002HA comes with an exclusive 10 GB of file-encrypted online Eee Storage that allows you to store, share and access documents and multimedia easily on the move. It offers the latest wireless technology, including support for Bluetooth and blazing-fast 802.11n wireless connectivity.

A Multi-touch touchpad provides intuitive interactions between users and their multimedia via finger motions. It also offers a F9 Fast Recovery Key providing system recovery at a single touch.

Asus claims the Eee PC 1002HA can provide users with up to 5 hours of unplugged computing time. It weighs just 1.2kg with the battery attached and measures in at only 1-inch thick, thus offering users the legendary Eee PC mobility with ease of use.

The Asus Eee PC 1002HA is now available for $499.99.

OCZ has announced new Gold Series Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC) flash memory cards. These premium memory cards offer photography enthusiasts incredible speeds and capacities to deliver the tailored storage they demand.

OCZ says its Gold Series SDHC cards are ideal for the latest D-SLRs and HD video cameras to deliver exceptional shooting performance, speed, and reliability. The Gold Series is designed and optimized for HD video enthusiasts and photography professionals capturing large volumes of high resolution images and video. These offer Speed Class 6 at 150X write rate.

“The new Gold Series cards make use of premium quality flash and are optimized for shooting large RAW files with the latest D-SLR cameras and exceed the performance requirements of the latest 1080 high definition camcorders,” said Alex Mei, Chief Marketing Officer of the OCZ Technology Group.

OCZ Gold Series SDHC cards are available in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB and come backed with lifetime warranty. There is no word on pricing yet, should be available in stores soon.

VIA Technologies has announced the VIA ARTiGO A2000 barebone storage mini-server. The ARTiGO A2000 packs terabytes of storage capacity within a stylish, compact, low power and low noise system.

The VIA ARTiGO A2000 is powered by a 1.5GHz VIA C7-D processor and supports up to 2GB of DDR2 SO-DIMM 667/533MHz memory. It includes a Gigabit Ethernet port, 3 USB 2.0 ports and supports wireless 802.11 b/g module. A type I Compact Flash socket is located discreetly beneath the motherboard.

It supports up to 3.0 TB of storage on two 3.5” S-ATA hard drives with data transfer speeds up to 3 Gb/s. The VIA ARTiGO A2000 comes bundled with the VIA Security Suite and VIA System Management Tool for dedicated 24/7 system monitoring. The storage monitor utility can be configured to alert the user when free space is below a user-specified percentage.

“The VIA ARTiGO A2000 proves that small can be not only beautiful, but also substantial when it comes to storage capacity,” said Jerry Yuan, VIA Embedded Business Development Manager. “Building on the success of the ARTiGO A1000 Pico-ITX builder kit, VIA has once again broken the mould for barebones, creating a device that embodies VIA’s reputation for innovation and creativity in small spaces.”

The VIA ARTiGO A2000 is expected to be available this month from selected online retailers.

OCZ has introduced a new storage expansion drive in the form of Slate Series ExpressCard, meant for the latest generation of performance notebooks.

The Slate Series ExpressCard is ideal for the on-the-go notebook user. It offers convenience of an internal solution that eliminates peripheral devices such as a USB drive or external hard drive.

It offers read speed of up to 18 Mbps and write speed up to 12.5 Mbps. The Slate series is compatible with all ExpressCard standards, and comes backed by a 2-year warranty. The integrated mini-USB port allows the Slate Series to be connected externally from a hub when transferring data between your primary desktop and mobile system.

The Slate Series line will be available in storage capacities of 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB. The price and availability details are not yet released.

Link: OCZ