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Monday 21 October 2013
Introducing the GIGABYTE BRIX Projector: An illuminatingly innovative compact PC
GIGABYTE Technology, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards and PC systems, is proud to announce the latest addition to the GIGABYTE BRIX range of ultra compact PC kits, the GIGABYTE BRIX Projector. Featuring a 75 lumen LED backlit mini projector and stereo speakers, the GIGABYTE BRIX Projector packs a 4th Generation Intel Core i3 processor, HDMI and Mini-DisplayPort options, 4 USB 3.0 ports and plus digital optical audio - all in an ultra compact and portable chassis design."Adding a powerful mini-projector to a device that is extremely portable and compact, opens up a wealth of possibilities and usage scenarios," commented Henry Kao, Vice President of GIGABYTE Motherboard Business Unit. "The BRIX Projector is pushing the boundaries of innovation further than ever, creating a device that breaks the mould in almost all respects."The GIGABYTE BRIX Projector: illuminatingly innovativeThe BRIX Projector from GIGABYTE is a simple and elegantly integrated device that combines a full high-performance PC with a mini projector that can be deployed in almost any situation, needing only a blank wall. Despite its integrated projector, the device retains its ultra compact and portable form factor, making it one of the most versatile PC devices on the market.The GIGABYTE BRIX Projector can also be used with an independent input source via its rear panel HDMI-in port, this is because the integrated projector can be independently powered on and used much as regular mini projector. In this way content can be conveniently displayed from any HDMI compatible device such as laptop PCs or tablets. The BRIX Projector integrates a DLP mini-projector from Texas Instruments which features multi-color processing for accurate and vibrant on-screen colors.An ideal solution for users in a broad range of scenarios, the GIGABYTE BRIX Projector kit comes complete with a GIGABYTE compact form factor motherboard and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 4.0 module, requiring only an mSATA SSD, SO-DIMM memory and OS. Great for business users on the go, sharing a presentation, spreadsheet or website with colleagues or customers in an instant, the GIGABYTE BRIX is also ideal for students living away from home, using the BRIX Projector as their main PC for assignments and course work, employing the mini-projector to enjoy movies and other entertainment during down time. Families will also appreciate being able to conveniently use the BRIX in any room in the home. Young children can enjoy cartoons in the bedroom, while older children can use it for everything from homework to PC gaming.With a headphone jack on the front panel that also doubles up as an optical digital output, the BRIX Projector also features integrated speakers and Dolby audio making it a great option for enjoying online content any place, any time.Projector feature highlights:-75 lumen DLP (LED Backlit) Mini Projector-WVGA 854 x 480 Resolution-16:9 Aspect Ratio-900:1 Contrast Ratio-Variable 7" - 85" Projected Image Size-Adjustable Focus-1.5 watt Integrated Dolby Stereo Speakers-HDMI Input PortTechnical highlights:-Intel Core i3 4010U Processor (Haswell)-Intel HD Graphics 4400-Up to 16GB SO-DIMM DRR3L (1.35v)-1 x mSATA SSD slot (up to 256GB)-Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth v4.0 Mini-PCIe Module (included)-1 x HDMI, 1x Mini-DisplayPort-4 x USB 3.0-1 x Gigabit LAN-1 x Headphone / SPDIF-OutNote: product model may vary based on local distribution.To learn more about the GIGABYTE BRIX Projector and other devices in the GIGABYTE BRIX range, please visit this webpage: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/list.aspx?s=47&ck=104GIGABYTE BRIX Projector
Monday 21 October 2013
Advantech Introduces a new range of WebOP with Level 4 ESD Protection: WebOP-3000T series
Ideal for use in machine manufacturing industries such as semi-conductor manufacture, Advantech's Industrial Automation Group has launched an exciting new range of Web operator panels. These newly designed models, with flat panel IP66 certified aluminum edging, include the latest Intel Cortex-A8 processor which is not only faster but also consumes the minimum amount of power, and also support CANopen, Modbus and Ethernet protocols to ensure that they'll connect to your existing network.Unique in their class, the new WebOP 3000 series have dual Level 4 Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection and fully meet IEC-61000 requirements. This level of protection makes them ideal for work in semi-conductor factories where ESD is a major concern.To protect the models from sudden spikes in the electricity supply, the WebOP-3000T series is equipped with power and terminal I/O port isolation protection so that in the event of power surges the panel's components will not be affected. This level of protection not only prevents immediate damage to the devices but also increases the life of the products.In the event of power failure to the WebOPs, they are protected against immediate data loss by the inclusion of 128KB FRAM (Ferroelectric RAM) which doesn't require a battery to operate. Storage memory is 512MB SLC flash memory, which provides faster access times and 100,000 read-write cycles making it ideal for heavy use industrial applications that also require lower power consumption.To further enhance these models' specifications they have been designed to work in temperatures as low as -20oC and as high as 60oC so they'll continue to work in the harshest of environments.With their powerful features, the WebOP 3000 series are latest operator panels to be used in restricted environments such as: automated parking, bottling plants, semi-conductor manufacturing, petrochemical plants and many more.The WebOP-3070T and WebOP-3100T are available immediately and the WebOP-3120T and WebOP3150T will be available this quarter. To find out more, contact your local sales representative or go to http://www.advantech.com/.WebOP-3000T series
Monday 14 October 2013
Indium introduces high-reliability low-voiding flux coating for solder preforms
Indium Corporation introduces a new, high-reliability, low-voiding flux coating for solder preforms. LV1000 reduces false failures while increasing productivity, throughput yields, and component performance. This new halide-free (ROL0) material is especially suited for assembly processes in which the components don't allow for proper outgassing of volatized flux.LV1000 provides a durable, level, clear coating that does not clog pick and place equipment, even in automated assembly processes. It offers complete coverage, even with a weight percentage as low as 0.5%.Flux coatings provide consistent, uniform amounts of flux every time, with excellent control over the flux volume/weight percentage. Indium Corporation flux-coated solder performs come in a variety of packaging and can be color coded. The company's flux coatings are applied to the outside of the preform where the flux is required, rather than in the core.Indium Corporation is a premier materials manufacturer and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, solar, thin-film and thermal management markets. Products include solders, preforms, and fluxes; brazes; sputtering targets; indium, gallium, and germanium metals and inorganic compounds; and NanoFoil. Founded in 1934, Indium has global technical support and factories located in China, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the USA.For more information about Indium Corporation, visit http://www.indium.com or email abrown@indium.com.Indium introduces high-reliability low-voiding flux coating for solder preforms
Monday 14 October 2013
MSI launches R9 and R7 Graphics cards
MSI is pleased to announce its new Graphics Cards based on AMD's new R9 and R7 200 series GPUs. Featuring new models in the OVERCLOCKING, GAMING and CLASSIC segments, MSI is catering to the needs of everyone gearing up for Q4's most anticipated gaming titles such as Battlefield 4. MSI's new R9 270X HAWK is an engineering masterpiece. Redefining the performance segment with high-end design, components and features packed into a card that wows with its excellent cooler and overclocking performance. MSI's GAMING graphics cards get a boost with no less than three models based on the R9 280X, R9 270X and R9 270. Applauded for their excellent all-round performance, the GAMING line-up takes the hassle out of overclocking thanks to the MSI GAMING APP making it an excellent choice for anyone that wants to get right down to what's important for them, play games with more FPS.MSI R9 270X HAWK - Stay coolerThe new MSI R9 270X HAWK, featuring the popular Twin Frozr IV Advanced cooler is setting a new standard for thermal performance. Sound Chamber testing showed the R9 270X HAWK nearly inaudible during benchmarking. In fact, measurement has shown that the sound level of the card barely increased from idle 20.64 dBA to full load (Furmark burn-in testing) 21.35 dBA. This excellent cooling performance puts the R9 270X HAWK in an great position for overclockers to overclock their graphics card to get more performance. The R9 270X HAWK comes with a powerful 13 Phase setup to allow anyone to overclock the R9 270X GPU to the max.MSI GAMINGMSI's GAMING lineup gets a big expansion with all new AMD SKUs in the shape of the R9 280X GAMING, R9 270X GAMING and R9 270 GAMING. Kept cool by the familiar Twin Frozr IV Advanced, the MSI GAMING graphics cards come bundled with the MSI GAMING APP, which is an easy tool that takes all of the fuzz out of overclocking and gives a simple one-click solution to get more performance out of your graphics card. Stability and lifetime are never an issue either. With custom PCBs designed for higher efficiency the GAMING cards remain cooler while the Military Class 4 components used ensure high stability while gaming.CLASSIC quality you can rely onMSI CLASSIC lineup now includes PropellerBlade Fan Technology on all models. Cooled by a large 10cm or 9cm fan, these new R7 260X, R7 250 and R7 240 cards come in the traditional MSI black and blue, and besides the Thermal upgrade they feature Military Class 4 components and MSI Afterburner support.MSI R9 280X GamingMSI R9 270X
Wednesday 9 October 2013
Clientron introduces new thin client F800 based on new Intel Celeron SoC to optimize virtual desktop experience
Clientron Corp., a world-leading supplier of thin client and embedded systems, is proud to unveil its new F800 thin client, which is based on the next generation Intel Celeron processor SoC with 22nm Silvermont microarchitecture, enabling a significant performance improvement over previous generation Intel Atom processors to deliver a better end-user experience.Aimed at boosting performance for graphics in virtualized environments, F800 thin client provides outstanding media experience, power value features and high security for server-based and cloud computing Virtual Desktops solutions."We believe that the Clientron's new F800 Thin Client model, which is designed with the latest Intel Celeron processor SoC, will create significant values for our partners and customers," said Robert Chin, the Chairman and CEO of Clientron Corp."The new Intel Celeron SoCs deliver excellent processing, graphics, and energy efficiency," said Sam Cravatta, product line manager, Intel Intelligent Systems Group. "This enables vendors like Clientron to deliver new capabilities and features to customers implementing virtualized, embedded solutions."The Clientron F800 thin client, based on the Intel CeleronR J1900 SoC processor, includes a 2.0GHz quad-core CPU, media processing, image co-processor, video HD technology, and the support of the major VDI protocols, including VMWare, Citrix HDX, and Microsoft RemoteFX, to optimize the user's virtual desktop experience. The Clientron F800 thin client provides dual HD display output on a single SoC and supports up to 8GB DDR3L memory capability. The Clientron F800 thin client supports rich I/O and expansion options, including dual DVI displays, one Gigabit LAN, four USB2.0 ports, two USB3.0 ports, one parallel port, two COM ports, audio ports, and optional smart card reader and WiFi module.For more F800 details, please contact our sales representative service@clientron.com or visit our website http://www.clientron.com/The Clientron thin client F800 based on the new Intel Celeron SoC to optimize the virtual desktop experience.
Tuesday 8 October 2013
Apotop to showcase high performance external SSD and accessories designed for MacBook at Hong Kong Electronics Fair
Apotop, a Carry Technology Co. Ltd. global consumer brand, will showcase the company's latest accessories designed for the MacBook, a high performance portable external solid state drive, and portable multi-functional wireless devices at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair Autumn Edition from October 13th through October 15th.Apotop has become one of the portable networking and wireless industry's product innovation leaders, continuously launching waves of new technology solutions and products to the marketplace. This extensive range of user friendly portable networking and wireless solutions is another example of Apotop's commitment to support this extremely fast growing market segment."The team at Apotop continues to expand our product line and at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, we are excited to showcase several new cutting edge products", said Taron Chang, President of Carry Technology Co. Ltd. "The external solid state drive, the portable wireless camcorder and the latest accessories designed for the Macbook Pro and Macbook Air are state of the art solutions targeted at the modern mobile technology user. We are committed to this market and ready to support our channel and customers every step of the way".Accessories designed for your MacBookThe Apotop Magnetic Cooling Stick and Magnetic Cable Organizer help increase air circulation and keep your cables organized for your MacBook Air. With an elegant and simple design, the Cooling Stick also lifts the MacBook Air to a comfortable angle for typing. The Magnetic Cable Organizer keeps your cables neatly stored when not in use and easily accessible to ensure trouble free docking of your Macbook device.Instantly expand the storage of your MacBook or MacBook Air with the AP-U6 or AP-U2 USB drive. Available in 32GB and 64GB (AP-U6), these ultra portable and rugged USB drives with an aluminum unibody are design to fit perfectly in your MacBook or MacBook Air.High performance external Solid State DriveDesigned for professionals who need high performance and capacity on the go, the Apotop USB 3.0 external SSD provides exceptional input/output per second (IOPS) performance with enhanced reliability and ruggedness over traditional portable hard drive solutions. The Apotop USB 3.0 External SSD features an all aluminum casing and is available in 256GB capacity.ApoEye portable wireless camcorderIn an ultra compact form factor, the wireless ApoEye can shoot videos and take photos whenever, wherever. It is a perfect companion for outdoor activities like bicycling, hiking, sightseeing, mountaineering, and even walking!With live streaming technology, you can watch the live video on up to 4 ApoEye devices through the free app on your iOS or Android smart phone or tablet. The ApoEye also supports 2-way voice communication, which makes it ideal for baby monitoring.Portable multi-functional WiFi devicesDesigned for business travelers, Apotop multi-functional WiFi devices such as the Wi-Reader Pro and the Wi-Copy are ultra portable. They can be used as a wireless router, power bank, or a file transfer hub.With the free iOS or Android app, the Wi-Copy or the Wi-Reader Pro can view, share, transfer and playback files between your smart phone or tablet and a SD/USB drive wirelessly and without an internet connection. You can also stream videos, photos, and music to up to 5 devices simultaneously.Apotop at Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition): Business Centre, 1/F, Renaissance Harbour View HotelPricing & availability: for detailed product specifications or questions on product availability and pricing, please contact your nearest Apotop office or retailer.
Friday 4 October 2013
Intel announces collaboration with Arduino for new Galileo board
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich has announced a collaboration agreement with Arduino, an open-source hardware platform in the maker and education community. Krzanich also unveiled the Intel Galileo board, the first product in a new family of Arduino-compatible development boards featuring Intel architecture.Arduino development kits and software programming interface allow artists, designers and other do-it-yourself enthusiasts - who often don't have technical backgrounds - to create interactive objects or environments.Krzanich also announced a large-scale donation of 50,000 Intel Galileo boards to 1,000 universities worldwide over the next 18 months.The development board runs an open source Linux operating system with the Arduino software libraries, enabling scalability and re-use of existing software, called sketches. Intel Galileo can be programmed through Mac OS, Microsoft Windows and Linux host operating software. The board is also designed to be hardware and software compatible with the Arduino shield ecosystem.Intel Galileo features the Intel Quark SoC X1000, the first product from the Intel Quark technology family of low-power, small-core products. Designed in Ireland, the Quark SoC X1000 is a 32-bit, single core, single-thread, Pentium instruction set architecture (ISA)-compatible CPU, operating at speeds up to 400MHz.Helping to expand native usage and capabilities beyond the Arduino shield ecosystem, the Intel development board comes standard with several computing industry standard I/O interfaces, including ACPI, PCI Express, 10/100Mb Ethernet, SD, USB 2.0 device and EHCI/OHCI USB host ports, high-speed UART, RS-232 serial port, programmable 8MB NOR flash, and a JTAG port for easy debug. Intel Galileo will be available by the end of November.Intel Galileo boardPhoto: CompanyIntel Quark X1000 SoCPhoto: Company
Thursday 3 October 2013
Indium soldering products meet new IPC J-STD004B
Indium Corporation introduces a full line of soldering products that satisfy IPC's J-STD004B. The IPC's new 004B has stricter requirements for measuring halogens and electromigration risk. Indium Corporation's full line of PCB assembly products were specifically designed to meet these new international standards, which help to improve both first pass yields and long-term reliability.Users' existing solder products may meet the existing J-STD-004, but could fail to meet the more environmentally-realistic and challenging requirements of the 004B electromigration test.Included in the new assembly products that are "B" compliant are:*Wave Solder Flux WF-9948*Flux-Cored Wire Series CW-807Wave Solder Flux WF-9948 is a high-activity, no-clean wave solder flux designed for use with through-hole and mixed-technology assemblies. It performs well with both tin-lead and lead-free solders. WF-9948 is very heat stable and has been thoroughly tested for selective soldering and wave soldering applications. Even with the high degree of activation, WF-9948 passes all known reliability requirements.The CW-807 Flux-Cored Wire Series has been fully tested to J-STD-004B. The series includes:*CW-807 (halogen-free, ROL0)*CW-807M (slightly more active, ROL1)*CW-807HMP for high-temperature applications, such as automotive and downhole survey equipment (ROL0)For more information about Indium Corporation's full line of flux products, visit http://www.indium.com/flux-and-epoxy
Thursday 3 October 2013
Photo-imageable coverlays can replace polyimide films
Photo-imageable coverlays (PICs) provide a solution for mass production of flexible HDI (high-density interconnect) boards. PICs are similar to solder masks used in rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs), but as a material for flexible PCBs (FPCBs), they must have certain levels of flexibility.There are two types of PIC: liquid photo-imageable ink (LPI) and dry film. In the wet process, the LPI is evenly coated on the circuits using screen printers, bake-dried, exposed and developed to obtain soldering point patterns. In the dry process, the dry film is coated with a layer of ductile solder mask and then laminated onto the FPCB using low-temperature vacuum pneumatic thermal laminators. The general manufacturing process of flexible HDI is complicated - which involves material cutting, CNC drilling, through-hole plating, dry-film lamination, exposure, etching, hole pre-punching, AOI (automated optical inspection) testing, pre-lamination, LPI screen printer coating, electric treatment, surface mounting, punching, function testing and quality control. However, using PICs can significantly simplify the process.Dry-film lamination solves problems of clogged through-holesFor double-side and multi-layer PCBs that need BGA insertion, LPI has to be used to meet precision requirements. However, the use of LPI unavoidably causes a problem, that is, through-holes in BGA areas will be clogged with ink. The problem can be easily solved by using dry-film PIC lamination, which can also significantly increase yield rates and production efficiency. Why are PICs important? It is because the use of PICs will change the way of producing FPCBs and therefore the ecosystem of Taiwan's FPCB industry. It will enhance Taiwan-based makers' competitiveness in the face of Japan- and US-based competitors in high-end FPCB market.Taiwan-based makers developing materials for FPCB coverlaysThere must be a cover layer to protect the circuit of a FPCB from the impacts of temperatures and humidity, as well as pollutants and corrosive substances. There have been three major types of cover layer: polyimide (PI) film, thermal laminated solder mask and photo-imageable solder mask. But now PICs are new materials that can replace both PI films and photo-imageable solder masks. The concept of PIC is not new, though. US-based DuPont developed such a prototype more than 10 years ago and then other firms in Japan and the US, including Hitachi Chemicals and Morton, also attempted to develop similar products but failed. However, FPCB makers have maintained a strong interest in PICs simply because the use of PICs provides a simpler and more efficient way of attaining high precision required for FPCBs.PICs feature high precision and flexibility and offer a better solution than PI films in terms of flexibility and circuit precision on FPCBs. Taiwan-based Teamchem Materials has developed PICs and cooperated with FPCB makers in southern China. Teamchem is renowned for specialty chemical materials and has worked with various major FPCB makers in successfully developing specialty ink tailored made for the clients' needs. Teamchem is a champion in developing PICs, and Yeh says his company is ready to work with FPCB makers to jointly develop products that cater to their specific needs.PICs developed and produced by TeamchemFPCB makers in southern China replace PI films with PICs
Tuesday 1 October 2013
Intelligent and Interactive Digital Signage Spurs Retail Sales Boom
In the past, digital signage only provided one-way information playback. As technological development and Internet of Things (IoT) have advanced the graphics and sensing technology, digital signage are moving towards intelligent and interactive applications, bringing unlimited business opportunities for the retail and related industries.Digital signage applications emphasize dynamic playback ability. Under the influence of intelligent and interactive technologies, digital signage are moving to a turning point where it can help businesses to provide targeted advertisements and entertaining interactions to engage customers, allowing customers to learn more about the products through intelligent interactions, stimulating their interest, shopping experience, and purchase intent, and ultimately increasing sales.Intelligent + Interaction: The Key Elements for Digital Signage ApplicationsSteven Wu, General Manager of NEXCOM's Vertical Industry Platform (VIP) division, states, "The continuous advancements in digital signage technology have ended the days of electronic posters and introduced a new generation of intelligent and interactive applications. These intelligent digital signage can integrate anonymous video analytics (AVA) to provide personalized viewing content. For example, Japan has deployed beverage vending machines with digital signage that can display product recommendations based on the consumers' age and gender, as well as the current weather conditions. This was a trial run which delivered impressive preliminary results. Sales more than tripled when compared to using traditional vending machines.""An intelligent digital signage can also connect to the sales and inventory system and automatically adjust its content based on current stock levels, displaying special promotions for overstocked items to help reduce inventory. Not only this can stimulate sales, it can also serve as a tool for market analysis. For example, it can track view counts and dwell time of a particular advertisement, enabling owners to analyze traffic flow and customer demographics to measure the effectiveness of an advertisement. Businesses can also use this information to establish a clear basis for billing advertisers," Wu explains.In recent years, touch and gesture-based controls have become the standard for user interaction and helped digital signage deliver interesting applications including virtual fitting rooms and virtual gaming. In addition, interactive digital signage can integrate mobile and social media, such as text message voting and Facebook video sharing to increase exposure, popularity and view counts, creating opportunities for viral marketing. Promotional content can also be sent to customers' mobile device through Bluetooth for real-time proximity marketing, turning the digital signage from passive to active displays.Digital Signage Players: The Key Foundation for Intelligent and Interactive ApplicationsDigital signage players are the key components behind intelligent and interactive digital signage displays. Thus, they need to provide accurate and real-time image analysis, interactive technologies and support a range of communication protocols. Furthermore, to provide high clarity images, they need to support a high resolution of 4K x 2K.Mechanical wise, there is also a close connection between the player and display. With increasing miniaturization of displays, digital signage players need to trim down in size while keeping all the functionality intact. Even so, the players still need to maintain high reliability, low power consumption and fanless design to ensure noise-free operation, dust-free protection and long term stability.Since an intelligent and interactive digital signage is connected to a network, remote management can be performed to help increase system availability. Signage content, operating system updates and hardware troubleshooting can be effectively managed in real-time to reduce digital signage downtime. Even when an onsite visit is required, engineers can analyze the root cause of problem in advance and prepare the necessary tools to resolve the issue, allowing the digital signage players to resume operation quickly. These features will continue to improve as digital signage evolves.To respond to the digital signage trends, NEXCOM has employed an integrated development strategy for both hardware and software components. All NEXCOM's digital signage players are evolved in sync with Intel's processor cycles, and include SDK for gesture control, built-in Ethernet for wired connectivity and expansions for wireless connectivity including 3G/LTE and Wi-Fi. NEXCOM's digital signage players are designed to fulfill the needs of video analytics, graphics and connectivity for intelligent and interactive applications.In addition, NEXCOM has released digital signage players that is compliant with open pluggable specification (OPS) and can be slotted inside OPS-compliant displays through a common plug-in connector. Combining the unified display output interfaces of HDMI, wiring and installation time can be reduced to allow faster time to deployment and lower cost implementation. With integrated IntelR Active Management Technology and embedded controller, the players can be remotely managed.About NEXCOM: Founded in 1992, NEXCOM has five business units which focus on vertical markets across industrial computer, in-vehicle computer, multimedia, network and communication, and intelligent digital security industries. NEXCOM serves its customers worldwide through its subsidiaries in seven major industrial countries. NEXCOM gains stronghold in vertical markets with its industry-leading products including the rugged fanless computer NISE series, the in-vehicle computer VTC series, the network and security appliance NSA series and the digital signage player NDiS series. http://www.nexcom.com/Interactive digital signage can integrate such as text message voting and Facebook video sharing to increase exposure, popularity and view counts