Seagate launches the first 3TB external desktop drive

The high-capacity Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk 3TB easily surpasses Western Digital's single-drive offerings, which top out at 2TB. The Seagate 3TB is likely to be four platter design, with each platter packing 750GB worth.

However, we noted that Western Digital has quietly moved to 3-platter designs for its Caviar Green 2TB 3.5-inch internal desktop drives. While we are not sure when would Western Digital respond to Seagate's 3TB announcement (be it a similar external desktop storage drive, or an internal storage drive), a drive larger than 2TB is definitely in the works.

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The following is an overview of the GoFlex Desk drive:

- Automatic continuous backup of your data

- Securing backed up files and protection of privacy with powerful encryption software

- Includes the Seagate® Dashboard management tool for easy management of backup schedules and file encryption, and viewing drive statistics

- Includes the GoFlex Desk USB 2.0 desktop adapter with illuminated capacity gauge

- Offers vertical or horizontal orientation to fit in any desktop environment

There are available upgrade cables and kits that make it easy to move up from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 or FireWire® 800 for up to 10x faster transfer speeds for large files and HD movies.

The Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk 3TB is already available at press time, and is going for about US$250. The USB 3.0 and FireWire 800 bases are available at an additional US$40 and US$50 respectively.

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SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. – June 29, 2010 – Putting more terabytes in the hands of consumers worldwide, Seagate (NASDAQ: STX), the leader in hard drives and storage solutions, today announced the world’s first 3 Terabyte (TB) external desktop drive.

Available immediately, the 3TB FreeAgent® GoFlex™ Desk external hard drive helps to meet the explosive worldwide demand for digital content storage in both the home and the office. With 3TB of capacity people can store up to 120 HD movies, 1,500 video games, thousands of photos or countless hours of digital music.

Soltek GeForce FX5700 Cards

After the successful version of Soltek NVIDIAGeForce FX5600 series graphics cards, Soltek today officially releases its brandnew GeForce FX5700 graphics cards, which are available with OpenGL 1.5 & DirectX9.0 supported. Soltek's GeForce4 FX5700 graphics cards are specially designedfor high-end market, this graphics card provides users with the most advancedgraphics technology, the latest video features, and the most innovativeentertainment solutions.

Right now Soltek has 2 models in the new GeForceFX5700 series:

Model Name

SL-5700-QD

SL-5700-XDGPU

GeForce FX5700

GeForce FX5700Memory Size

256MB DDR

128MB DDRBus Standard

AGP 8x

AGP 8XTV-Out

Yes

YesDVI

Yes

Yes

Upcoming DirectX 9.0c Info

Q1 2004NVIDIANV40 (AGP8X)
NV36X (PCI Express x16)ATiR420 (AGP8X)
R380 (PCI Express x16)
R370 (PCI Express x16)DirectX ClassDX 9.0c (Shader3.0)

The upcoming implementation is likely simply to be calledDirectX 9.0c. It will be matched with the Software Developers Kit 2004 updateand it will have bug fixes that will improve Shaders 3.0. It will enable 3.0’shigher lever shading language (HLSL) support in D3D. No precise timings as towhen it will be released but It should be out really soon. It may match the lateMarch announcements of NV40 and R420.

Rambus buys Unity Semiconductor for next-generation memory

Intellectual property holder Rambus has bought computer memory company Unity Semiconductor for $35 million, a move designed to strengthen its position as a major licensor of memory products.

The deal involves the team behind Unity Semiconductor joining Rambus ranks and continuing to work on next-generation non-volatile memory technology like CMOx, which is intended to replace existing NAND memory products by offering higher density, faster performance, lower manufacturing costs, and greater data reliability.Rambus is currently one of the dominant players in the memory industry, particularly when it comes to NAND, so its not surprising that its preparing for changes in technology that could otherwise upset its position.“At Rambus, we are creating disruptive technologies to enable future electronic products,” said Sharon Holt, SVP and GM of the Semiconductor Business Group at Rambus. “With the addition of Unity, we can develop non-volatile memory solutions that will advance semiconductor scaling beyond the limits of today’s NAND technology. This will enable new memory architectures that help meet ever-increasing consumer demands.”Rambus has gained notoriety in technology circles for numerous lawsuits against chips firms over the alleged infringement of its many patents, including heavweights like Samsung and Nvidia. The acquisition of Unity Semiconductor will give it more ammunition for lawsuits and licensing deals, like the recent one it secured with Broadcom, for the next wave of memory products.Image Credit: Unity Semiconductor

Samsung to unveil new Galaxy Note smartphone this month

Samsung has announced that it will unveil its next Galaxy Note smartphone at an event towards the end of the month, pre-empting Apples expected release of the iPhone 5 a month or two later.

A spokesperson for the company confirmed that the new Galaxy Note will be showcased at the Samsung Mobile Unpacked event in Berlin on 29 August.Samsung has not revealed the spec of the upcoming device, but reports from South Korean media suggest it will have an extra-durable 5.5-inch display, a faster processor, and a better camera.The move will see Samsungs latest model hit the shops before the highly-anticipated new iPhone, widely believed to be announced in September, with a possible launch in October. Samsung has been stealing much of the limelight from Apple in recent months, overtaking it last year as the top smartphone manufacturer in the world and shipping nearly twice as many smartphones in its most recent quarter, while Apple saw a 26 percent decline in shipments as consumers wait for the next model.The two companies are currently embroiled in a bitter legal dispute over who copied who, with a high-profile case currently being heard in the US. The battle has extended beyond just the companies, with Samsungs top lawyer under fire over authorising the release of inadmissible evidence to the media, which he claims was already out in the open.While the future of this case remains unknown, we can be sure that the two technology giants will continue to butt heads as they launch new products in this lucrative market.Source: Reuters

Qimonda Unveils AENEON XTUNE DDR3-1333 Modules

AENEON, a Qimonda AG brand, announced the availability of its new XTUNE™DDR3-1333 CL8 memory modules. DDR3 is the upcoming memory technology which willbe mainly used in high-end desktop platforms. The XTUNE™ DDR3 series is theAENEON solution for these platforms addressing enthusiasts’ highest performanceneeds as well as enabling fast, stable and reliable system operation.

The XTUNE DDR3-1333 memory module is available with a density of 1GByte(AXH760UD00-13G) and the single module is tested to run at 1333 MHz at a latencytiming of 8-8-8-15 at the standard DDR3 voltage value of 1.5 V. The modules canbe organized as 128M x 64-bit DDR3-1333 based on 16 components of 64M x 8-bitDDR3 FBGA components. The XTUNE DDR3-1333 memory modules are offered in dualchannel kits with two identical modules (2x1GB) tested together in dual channelmode at 1333MHz at a latency timing of 8-8-8-15 on several platforms.

“Our new XTUNE DDR3 memory series in combination with leading edge motherboardand processor technology will leverage the enthusiasts’ performance experienceand demonstrate the DDR3 main advantages as one of the first products in themarket: offering high-speed computing as well as limiting power consumption dueto a reduced memory supply voltage of 1.5 V”, said Dr Carsten Gatzke, VicePresident of the Business Unit AENEON at Qimonda.

The 240-pin DIMMs are equipped with gold contacts and a high-quality heatspreader to avoid critical operating temperatures. The XTUNE DDR3-1333 DualChannel Kit 2x1GB is available now through the authorized AENEON salesrepresentatives and distributors for $ 400.

AENEON memory modules are developed, manufactured and fully-tested by Qimonda.The current product portfolio offers DDR and DDR2 SO-DIMMs with densities of upto 2 GB for notebooks and unbuffered DIMMs with capacities ranging from 256 MBto 2GB for desktops. With the XTUNE overclocking and DDR3 series AENEON broadensits portfolio to the 3D gaming and enthusiasts’ market. AENEON products aredesigned to serve the needs of PC system manufacturers, small system integratorsand DRAM upgrade resellers. Further information is available at www.aeneon.com

Pentium 4 6x1 C-1 to D-0 Stepping Change

The boxed Intel® Pentium® 4 processors 631, 641 and 651 will undergo thefollowing changes for the C-1 to D-0 processor stepping conversion:

• CPUID will change from F64 to F65.
• New S-specs for converting products.
• Converting products will change from the 2005 Mainstream FMB (95W) to the 2006FMB (65W)
• TDP will change from 86W to 65W, Max Icc will change from 100A to 65A, MaxIcc_StopGrant will change from 50A to 40A, Max Icc_Enhanced_auto_halt willchange from 40A to 25A, and thermal profile will change from 05A to 06 thermalprofile.
• The Electrical, Mechanical and Thermal Specifications remain within thecurrent specifications. Intel anticipates no changes to current customerplatforms designed to Intel guidelines
• Converting products will ship in the Alternate Equivalent package only. Whilethe packages are visually different, Intel anticipates no changes to customerplatforms designed to Intel guidelines (Please see below)

The Platform Compatibility Guide indicating the processor FMBwill be changing from 05 to 06 to the processor mark as illustrated with thefollowing example: