Asustek Computer has launched the GTX 560 DirectCU II TOP graphics card, based on Nvidia's GTX 560 GPU. The GTX 560 DirectCU II Top is pre-overclocked and combines exclusive features such as DirectCU II cooling and Super Alloy Power technology.The GTX 560 DirectCU II TOP comes in factory-overclocked at 925MHz, 115MHz more than the reference design for enhanced performance, while the card also sports a 1GB of GDDR5 memory. Asustek also offers its exclusive Voltage Tweak utility for users to tune up the card with 50% faster performance.The DirectCU II dual-fan design, which directly contact the copper heat-pipes and the GPU core, allows the card to function 20% more efficiently at transferring heat to the two large fans for cooling, the company said. The efficient dual-fan design generates twice the air flow over paddle fan designs. This effectively dissipates heat generated, keeping the card running both cool and quiet.The GTX 560 DirectCU II TOP uses Super Alloy Power technology, which is constructed using a specially formulated alloy that increases power efficiency. It delivers a 15% performance boost, while also reducing operating temperatures up to 35-degrees for an overall increase in lifespan by 2.5 times, the company claimed.Asustek GTX 560 DirectCU II TOP graphics cardPhoto: Company

Taipei, Taiwan – May 20, 2011 – TE Connectivity announced today its iTouch Plus multi-touch touchscreen technology meets the Windows 7 multi-touch additional qualification requirements. The TE Touch Solutions business unit, a global leader in touchscreen technology, is exhibiting both the iTouch and iTouch Plus touchscreen technologies along with its extensive product portfolio at the 2011 Computex Taipei Exhibition May 31-June 4 at Taipei World Trade Center, hall# 1 booth# C732.Continuous Innovation"The TE surface acoustic wave (SAW) touchscreen technology has been a reliable and proven technology for over 20-years," says Bruno Thuillier, CTO TE Touch Solutions, "and we are continuously leveraging our core technologies to bring new, innovative solutions to market. These new zero-bezel SAW technologies join our extensive portfolio of touchscreen technologies, components, products and solutions developed to meet the changing needs and demands of our customers." "These new technologies are examples of our company's drive to develop key solutions that help our customers create better solutions for their customers. We've always put the needs of the customer first," Thuillier states, "and our success in responding to those needs creates new innovative technologies. We developed IntelliTouch SAW touch technology over twenty years ago, IntelliTouch Plus SAW multi-touch in 2010 because of customer demand, and now we've added iTouch zero-bezel SAW and iTouch Plus zero-bezel multi-touch SAW technologies to our portfolio for the same reason. Customers are looking for economical solutions that incorporate sleek, true-flat, frameless industrial designs while delivering state-of-the-art multi-touch performance."iTouch and iTouch Plus Touchscreen TechnologiesAccording to TE Touch Solutions Senior Product Line Manager Abul Nuruzzaman, iTouch and iTouch Plus zero-bezel SAW touchscreens are the result of optimizing tried and true technologies to enhance industrial design, touch performance and reliability, ease of touchscreen system integration, and bill of material cost. "Zero-bezel SAW offers a seamless, flat, frameless design coupled with customization capabilities where logos, clear icons and other enhancements can be added during the design cycle. Industrial designers are not limited by a bezel or frames that are inherent in other touch technologies such as camera or optical" says Nuruzzaman.The SAW iTouch and iTouch Plus zero-bezel solutions offer a simple bill of material, a less complex manufacturing and touchscreen integration process, and less capital investment than projective capacitive technologies. This results in a more cost competitive touchscreen solution that is attractive to commodity managers. The iTouch Plus touchscreens have passed the Microsoft Windows 7 multi-touch additional qualification (AQ) testing. The same electronics can scale across a wide range of screen sizes, without performance degradation, which contributes to the iTouch touchscreen technologies being the choice of electrical and system engineers - without concern of design-in touch performance issues. Nuruzzaman confirms, "TE iTouch and iTouch Plus touch technologies are extremely reliable, providing peace of mind for quality engineers. SAW technology is proven in the industry for long-life applications with a near zero field return rate on touch technology related issues." This new technology is available today to OEMs who are looking for a reliable, frameless, cost competitive custom touchscreen solution.

Nvidia has introduced the GeForce GTX 560 GPU, the latest addition to the company's Fermi architecture-based product family, which brings performance and enhanced features such as Nvidia's PhysX, 3D Vision, SLI and Surround technologies.Starting at US$199, the GeForce GTX 560 joins the previously launched GTX 560 Ti GPU.The GeForce GTX 560 GPU is available starting today from the company's add-in card partners, including ASL, Asustek Computer, Colorful, ECS, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision 3D, Jetway, Leadtek, MSI, Palit, Point of View, PNY, Sparkle, Zotac and others.Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 graphics cardPhoto: Company

Coby Electronics, a US-based firm that produces consumer electronics, has announced the launch of new tablet PCs, the Coby Kyros series, available with 7-inch and 8-inch touchscreen LCDs and powered by Android 2.2 or 2.3, depending on model. A new 10-inch model featuring a touchscreen for advanced gesturing will also be launched later in May, according to Coby.All models enable users to access the Internet through Wi-Fi and feature more than a dozen built-in applications. Among the included apps are an alarm clock, a browser for surfing the Web, calculator, calendar, email client, and multimedia players. In addition, the Coby Kyros tablets offer several pre-installed unique apps: Aldiko E-book for downloading and reading thousands of e-books, e-music for a collection of music and AppsLib for browsing, downloading and installing more apps.The Coby Kyros models feature 4GB of built-in internal memory, expandable to 16GB or 32GB, dependent on model, 1GHz processor, (Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g) and HDMI support. Selected models feature a front facing camera and built-in microphone and speakers.Coby Kyros 10-inch tablet PCPhoto: Company

Adata Technology has announced the release of the S511 solid-state drive (SSD) which employs the latest SATA 6Gb/s specification to raise performance of the SSD over conventional SATA 3Gbps products.The S511 utilizes the new generation SandForce SF-2200 series chip, with native support for the SATA 6Gb/s platform. Read and write speeds are twice that of SSDs using the older SATA2 specification, and in real world test simulations reach 550/520MB read and write speeds respectively, with 4K random write speeds as high as 60,000 IOPS, the company claimed. For consumers, this means transferring 5GB media archives can be completed in as few as 15 seconds. In actual testing of Windows 7 boot speed, the S511 enabled a 25 second system boot time, according to the company.Currently, the major processor platforms are gradually making the changeover to native SATA 6Gb/s chips. However, traditional mechanical drives are not capable of the corresponding high-speed read and write tasks. The result is that some newly-purchased computers can only utilize a fraction of the performance available when equipped with a traditional hard drive. The S511 SSD provides vibration-free running and low power consumption while taking full advantage of the 6Gb bandwidth transmission capability. In both desktop and notebook computers, and in a broad range of computing environments.The S511 will be available in 60GB, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB capacities. The new drive is distributed through designated agents and resellers.Adata S511Photo: Company

Taipei, Taiwan, May 9, 2011 – Today people have higher expectations to live more convenient, comfortable, and preferably energy-efficient lives. Imagine while you walk out of the office, you are switching on your household air-conditioner and running the bath water in advance by tapping your cell phone, and when you get home, you just play music in your handset through DLNA wireless speakers without leaving your cell phone in a speaker-dock. You also have a control device automatically check the status of all the appliances and alert you in case of trouble no matter where you are with the auto adjustments on all the lights and electric appliances so to save the electrical bills without any hassle.Smart life is no longer a fantasy, it already exists. Wireless sensing technologies have been widely adopted in several applications including smart energy, home entertainment, healthcare, security, etc, and your personal devices or even home can be connected, interactive, secure, and intelligent.Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is an embedded sensing platform with computing and communication capabilities. A large variety of industrial and personal applications are increasingly impacted by WSN technologies as people desire everything to be simple. For example, WSN with motion detectors can switch off unnecessary lighting if nobody is detected in the office and, easily be able to sense and report temperature for air conditioning or heating system for optimal ambient control and so as saving electric bill. WSN can also harvest vibration energy to power up the GPS and wireless network functionality for location tracking of containers or trucks. According to ABI Research, 2010 WSN IC shipment grew more than 300 percent over the previous year and it is expected to keep growing strongly with 2011 almost doubling 2010 shipment numbers. "Smart life is to keep daily life simple and intuitive. We believe the technology behind it is simple wireless connectivity with smart sensors, " commented Charles Lee, GM of Toumaz Asia."The concepts of smart life open up new and lucrative market opportunities for both existing and new use cases and devices. We will soon see low energy wireless sensors to be incorporated everywhere from consumer electronics like connected multimedia entertainment, ambient monitoring, Smart Meter, remote controls to more complex mobile healthcare," Lee continued. "Most importantly, the money spends on having a smart wireless sensor enabled system can at last justify its existence by saving electric bill, insurance charge or medical expanse for its users. On the other hand, adding wireless connectivity into home stereo is not at extremely high cost, but it will give the end user much more appealing experience because it makes the user's life much easier and enjoyable."In healthcare and wellness industry, the trend has shifted from reactive to proactive. Increased adoption of connected technologies is enabling mobile health to a much wider scale. ABI Research estimates that the market for wearable wireless sensors is set to grow to more than 400 million devices by 2014. Toumaz's market leading licensable smart sensor interface and transceiver platform, Sensium, is designed for non-intrusive, real-time wireless monitoring systems and applications. Sensium offers the potential to transform medical monitoring and reduce the cost of healthcare by wirelessly connecting individuals to healthcare providers simply, affordably and unobtrusively.Smart Meter is another good example of smart life. With the rise of environmental awareness and increasing energy costs, IDC Energy Insights estimated accumulated shipment of Smart Meter between 2010 and 2015 will reach 460 million units with yearly growth compound rate of 13%. Foreseeing the revolution of wireless sensing and interactions between the digital and real world, Toumaz also invests its ultra low power expertise in designing silicon devices for wireless connectivity and internet-connected consumer products. XENIF, all-in-one internet connected and broadcast audio SoC, and TELRAN, recently launched ultra-low energy wireless SoC, bring in low cost audio rich WiFi connected platform and low power consumption wireless link to all sort of sensors, which meet the needs of a variety of connected products and systems - highly integrated, easy-to-use, flexible and energy-efficient.For connected entertainment, XENIF is a versatile single chip solution that brings Wi-Fi, DAB, FM and DTV audio altogether. It is capable of running Linux and processing Wi-Fi baseband and DAB/FM broadcast demodulation simultaneously. XENIF comes with a completed peripheral set including a full audio sub-system, 5.1ch audio capability, multistandard demodulation (i.e. FM/DAB/ISDB-T/T-DMB/DVB-H/DVB-T/ATSC), USB and SD card as well as LCD display interface. Manufacturers will be able to benefit from XENIF's flexibility and high integration to create innovative "Connected" home entertainment system, electrical appliances, multimedia player and DLNA wireless speakers.TZ1053 TELRAN, an ultra-low energy (ULE) wireless single chip radio, is a complete ultra-low power radio modem comprising transceiver, media access controller (MAC) and an 8051 sub-1 GHz compatible microprocessor consuming a maximum of 4mW from a lowest 1.08V voltage supply. TELRAN is an easy-to-use and energy-efficient solution for wireless sensor networks, green energy solutions, Smart Meter, environmental monitoring, and RF remote control for TV, air conditioner, lighting system, security system, 3D TV glasses etc."Toumaz is long pioneering low cost, ultra-low power wireless telemetry technologies, and we strive to offer the market with the most cost-effective Wi-Fi connected solutions, the critical enablers, for new products and services in a range of commercial and personal sectors." said Lee. "Toumaz is taking a step forward towards the future of the connected world with the focus of ultra low energy wireless link." During 2011 Computex (31 May – 4 June), Toumaz will be demonstrating its latest wireless technologies and potential applications and share its outlook on smart life in Grand Hyatt Taipei Room 1148.Toumaz ultra-low energy solution for longer battery life, lower costs and smaller form factorPhoto: Company

Sematech, the global consortium of chipmakers, has announced Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) decision to join it as a core member.TSMC will join Sematech to collaborate on semiconductor R&D for IC process technologies for 20nm generation and beyond, including extreme ultra-violet (EUV) lithography, 3D interconnects, metrology, novel materials and device structures, and to develop critical infrastructure vital for next-generation manufacturing, including the transition to 450 mm wafer size."This relationship further reflects our commitment to push the boundaries of innovation and deliver leading-edge technology to our customers," said Jack Sun, VP and CTO, Research and Development of TSMC. "This complementary cooperation leverages Sematech's collaborative approach to lead critical industry technology transitions, with TSMC's position as an industry leader in advanced technology development and manufacturing."Sematech's other core members include Globalfoundries, Hewlett-Packard (HP), IBM, Intel, Samsung Electronics, United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE).Sematech manages an international network of world-leading collaborative partners, including foundries, IDMs, fabless, packaging and assembly companies and material and equipment suppliers, to provide industry-wide solutions to the challenges of chip manufacturing.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. May 10, 2011 - HDMI Licensing, LLC, the agent responsible for licensing the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Specification, today announced the launch of the HDMI Associate Program, a marketing program that officially recognizes and supports companies who are selling compliant HDMI products obtained from certified HDMI Adopters. Eligible products will bear an HDMI Associate emblem so that consumers can easily identify licensed products that are fully compliant with the HDMI specification and are sourced from a licensed HDMI Adopter."As more and more HDMI-enabled products make their way to the market, there are more choices available to the consumer," said Charlene Wan, director of marketing and operations at HDMI Licensing, LLC. "But it is not always easy to know which products have been fully tested and are compliant with the HDMI specification. This program is designed to allow those companies that sell fully compliant products sourced from licensed Adopters to designate their products as such."Currently, all HDMI Adopters listed on the www.hdmi.org website, are required to test their products for compliance. However, in cases where brand-name companies source their products from Adopters, the brand-name companies do not appear on the HDMI Adopter list. The HDMI Associate Program addresses this by offering an Associate Membership to those companies who are not Adopters, but who source their HDMI-enabled products from a licensed Adopter."The HDMI Associate Program makes it easier for consumers to identify compliant products, a major differentiator for resellers and one of the key reasons we joined the program," said Sven Schulz of in-akustik, a major European cable brand. "We are pleased to be one of the first members of this new program that recognizes non-Adopter companies whose products are fully tested and compliant."An annual program membership fee of US$3,000 entitles the Associate Member to use the HDMI Associate emblem in marketing and packaging. Associate Members will also be listed on the www.hdmi.org website and have the opportunity to participate in potential co-marketing opportunities with the HDMI Consortium, including the HDMI TechZone at CES 2012, industry trade shows, developer conferences, and worldwide road shows.For more information on the Program or to become an HDMI Associate Member, visit http://www.hdmi.org/associate/associate_registration.aspx.

Gigabyte Technologies has announced that the G1. Assassin motherboard has received the Design and Innovation award from Taiwan External Trade and Development Council (TAITRA), the organizers of Computex 2011, in cooperation with iF International Forum Design. The G1.Assassin motherboard is the first ever motherboard product to be awarded the coveted Design and Innovation award, and was selected as the best example of unique component design, addressing the needs of elite gamers, a growing niche within the PC gaming market."At Gigabyte, we are both excited and proud to accept this award as recognition from our peers in the industry for the work we have done in developing the unique G1.Assassin motherboard," commented Richard Chen, VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at Gigabyte. "This accolade underlines our commitment to offering elite gamers and system builders the absolute best PC gaming experience possible, delivering unique features you simply cannot find on any other motherboard product."Featuring several state-of-the-art onboard solutions from industry leaders including Creative and Bigfoot Networks, as well as several unique Gigabyte features, the G1.Assassin motherboard is unlike any current gaming motherboard on the market.Gigabyte has also equipped the G1. Assassin motherboard with features such as 4-way CrossFireX and 3-SLI to offer strong graphics flexibility and enhancement capability.The G1. Assassin motherboard is one of the world's only gaming motherboards to feature Creative's top-of-the-line Soundblaster Digital Audio Processor (20K2) onboard with X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity and EAX Advanced HD 5.0 technologies, allowing you to experience sound in your gaming world exactly as you would in real life.The G1. Assassin motherboard implements the Bigfoot Networks Killer E2100 Game Networking Platform directly onboard, utilizing a unique combination of dedicated Network Processing Unit (NPU) and exclusive Game Networking DNA technology. This gives gamers the best possible online gaming experience, bypassing the Windows Network Stack to deliver tremendous speed benefits which allow you to move quicker, shoot faster and win bigger.The Gigabyte G1-Killer series features a brand new heatpipe that was designed to be as deadly to heat as it looks. By effectively spreading the heat from the critical areas of the motherboard such as the CPU VRM zone and quickly dissipating it, the Gigabyte G1. Assassin remains cool, even when the battle heats up.Gigabyte G1. Assassin motherboardPhoto: Company

When we (attempt to) digitalize everything, there are always things left to the human senses – emotion, morality, aesthetics, and aesthesia... Well, there's something we can do about aesthesia with analog to digital conversion (ADC) technology.Light sensor is a perfect example of how ADC technology has been adopted for people to access and utilize the digitalized world. Being at the vanguard of technology innovation, uPI provides the most advanced and extensive analog digital conversion (ADC) solutions by incorporating the advantages of silicon design, foundry-based process fine-tuning and manufacturing capacity. Highly efficient, designer-friendly, varied and with a cladding filter-free technology, these solutions are part of the uS family of products that include: a full range of ambient light sensors (ALS), proximity detectors, multi-functional sensors, and UV sensors.Cladding Filter-Free: Closest Spectrum to Human-Eye SensitivityUnlike traditional wafer-coating methodology, the uS series of light sensors incorporate photon sensor, amplifiers and analog/digital circuits into a single chip by CMOS process. Such innovative cladding filter-free technology provides not only lower production time and cost, but also provides the closest spectrum to human-eye sensitivity in the market!Variety of ChoicesuPI's uS510x and uS515x series products, in both analog (current / voltage) and digital I2C output types, are designed to dynamically adjust the brightness of LED/LCD display to best suit human-eye visibility and ambient light.uS513x and uS518x series products showcase multiple combination among analog/digital output ambient light sensors, proximity sensors, and IR LED drivers. The compact all-in-one solution fulfills the complex need of ambient light sensing and proximity detection for smart phones, digital cameras or monitors/laptops with presence-detecting features. Variety of Choices Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor ALS+PS+LED Driver ALS+PS+LED Driver + IR LED UV Sensor Analog uS510x series uS511x series uS513x series uS512x uS514x series Digital I2C uS515x series uS516x series uS518x series uS517x uS519x series High Efficiency and Designer-friendlyThe built-in shut-down function and low shutdown/supply current effectively optimizes the efficiency, which benefits the battery-powered devices. Selectable current/voltage output gain (uS510x), I2C programmable shutdown control (uS516x) and adjustable ambient light sensitivity (uS510x, uS515x, uS513x, uS518x) provides designers best flexibility in designs. uPI Light Sensors Line-ups Part Number Description Min VDD (V) Max VDD (V) Peak Wave Length (nm) Gain Setting Package uS5101 Analog Current Output Type ALS 2.4 5.5 550 I/O High/Low VDFN1.6x1.6-6L uS5131 Analog Current Output Type ALS with Short Distance PS 2.4 5.5 550 (ALS) 830 (PS) external resistor OPLGA-6L VDFN2*2-6L VDFN2.35*1.8-6L uS5151 9bits Digital Output Type ALS with I2C Interface 2.4 5.5 550 I2C VDFN2x2-6L OPLGA-6L uS5181 9bits Digital I2C Output type ALS+PS+IR LED driver 2.4 5.5 550 (ALS) 830 (PS) I2C OPLGA-6L VDFN2.35*1.8-6L VDFN2*2-6L uS5161 9bits Digital I2C Output type PS +IR LED driver 2.4 5.5 830 I2C VDFN2x2-6L OPLGA-6L uPI has done it once again! With the introduction of this set of light sensor solutions, uPI yet again stays ahead of the competition by simplifying complex hi-tech solutions through the integration of easy-use, efficiency, and variety.