Lanner Electronics has announced the new LEC-7020, an Intel Atom-based industrial computer with 3G, GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities. The small form factor (SFF) computer has a VGA, COM, DIO, four USB ports, and an optional LVDS output, and also boasts a new simplified design allowing quick component installation, the company highlighted.With an on-board SIM card socket and mini PCI Express 3G/GPS mini-card module, the LEC-7020 can send GPS signals and communicate via a 3G modem, in addition to connections via the two built-in Gigabit Ethernet and optional Wi-Fi module, Lanner said.To drive digital content the LEC-7020 has an integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics engine and features a VGA port and optional LVDS port. The addition of an LVDS port allows for a direct computer to panel connection and reduces deployment costs for system integrators, Lanner noted.The LEC-7020 is also designed to allow easy access to the motherboard for rapid hardware installation, Lanner added.Lanner LEC-7020 digital signage computer with 3G communications and GPSPhoto: Company

AMD has introduced the ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card that fully supports DirectX 11, as well as ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology. This latest offering completes a full DirectX 11 refresh of AMD discrete graphics products, bringing customers a choice of graphics cards to match every budget and form factor, AMD highlighted.In addition to ATI Eyefinity and DirectX 11 support, the ATI Radeon HD 5570 also delivers full 1080p HD playback and supports ATI Stream technology, helping to boost performance for video playback and productivity applications, all while enabling a full Microsoft Windows 7 experience.AMD ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics cardPhoto: Company

Intel has introduced the Itanium 9300-series processor, previously codenamed Tukwila, which the company claims delivers more than double the performance of its predecessor, boosts scalability and adds reliability features to the Itanium platform that is already running mission-critical applications for 80% of the global 100 corporations.With Gartner predicting a 650% growth in IT data over the next five years, the two-billion transistor Itanium processor 9300-series can meet the need head on with twice as many cores as its predecessor (four versus two), eight threads per processor (through enhanced Intel Hyper-Threading Technology), more cache, up to 800% the interconnect bandwidth, up to 500% the memory bandwidth, and up to 700% the memory capacity using-industry standard DDR3 components.Critical corporate workloads also demand high-availability features across all platform components. The Itanium processor 9300-series adds to the architecture's resiliency with new reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) features that extend across the processor, its Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) technology, and the memory subsystem, Intel said.The processor's machine-check architecture coordinates error handling across the hardware, firmware and operating system, and improves system availability by enabling recovery from otherwise fatal errors.The Itanium 9300 processor employs the second generation of Intel Virtualization technology to improve performance and robustness. Its Intel 7500 chipset can directly assign I/O devices to virtual machines, further boosting efficiency.OEM systems based on the Intel Itanium processor 9300-series will be binary-compatible with existing software and can provide major performance improvements without the need for additional software optimization.Poulson, codename for the next Itanium processor, will add an advanced multi-core architecture, instruction-level and hyper-threading enhancements, new reliability features and more.An enhanced form of Demand-Based Switching (DBS) lowers power consumption when utilization is low. Intel Turbo Boost Technology automatically senses and adapts to provide the right performance boost when needed, and to conserve power when it is not. The Intel Itanium processor 9300 series ranges in price from US$946 to US$3,838 in quantities of 1,000. OEM systems are expected to ship within 90 days.

AMD has announced the introduction of the ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics chip, the latest addition to the line-up of ATI Radeon HD 5000 series GPUs.The ATI Radeon HD 5450 delivers a state-of-the-art HD multimedia and game experience at a value price, claimed AMD. Sharing the same features found in the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series (support for DirectX 11, ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology and ATI Stream technology) the ATI Radeon HD 5450 provides an uncompromising Microsoft Windows 7 experience.The ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics card offers great performance, allowing users to get the true Windows 7 experience with full DirectX 11 support, for less than US$60 for a 512MB memory configuration.The ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics enable high quality, high-definition home theater experiences with features such as HDMI 1.3a with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio for media PC.The ATI Radeon HD 5450 is available immediately from a number of partners, including Asustek Computer, ASK, Club 3D, DMM, GBT, HIS, LDLC.com, Micro-Star International (MSI), Sapphire, TUL (PowerColor), VT and XFX.AMD ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics cardPhoto: Company

Gigabyte has launched a new flagship motherboard for the Intel P55 chipset platform, the GA-P55A-UD7, which continues the tradition of the company's UD7-series of packing as many extra features on the board as it can find space for. In the case on the GA-P55A-UD7 value-added extras not seen on common P55-based boards include support for Nvidia 3-Way SLI. USB 3.0 with Power Boost, and SATA 6Gbpss, as well as a 24-phase power design to increase overclocking potential.Although Intel has licensed both Nvidia SLI and AMD CrossfireX for its Core i7 and i5 CPUs, in order to ensure there is enough PCI Express bandwidth to meet the demands of even the fastest GPUs (perhaps for example Nvidia's upcoming Fermi range) running together at the same time, Gigabyte has also added the Nvidia NF200 chip to the GA-P55A-UD7 board.Gigabyte has also included a chips from NEC to add support for SuperSpeed USB 3.0, an upgrade from the P55's native support for USB 2.0, and a SATA 6Gbp controller from Marvell, meaning owners will not find themselves limited to the current standard transfer rates once components and peripherals supporting the new faster standards become readily available on the market. Of course, USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbps maintain backwards compatibility with existing devices.Some might question the logic behind adding so many extra features, which increase the selling price of the board, to what is essentially a mid-range platform (Intel has its X58 chipset for the high-end segment). But with the potential for overclocking, the wider choice and more affordable pricing of LGA 1156 CPUs versus LGA 1366 models, as well as future-proofing thanks to USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbps, the GA-P55A-UD7 could make a better long-term investment providing near enthusiast performance without the premium price.Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD7 motherboardPhoto: Company

San Jose, Calif., February 1, 2010 - Building on its history of technology leadership, Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: ALTR) announced today new innovations that will be incorporated into upcoming 28-nm FPGAs. Embedded HardCopy Blocks, a new method for partial reconfiguration and embedded 28Gbps transceivers will dramatically improve the density and I/O performance of next-generation Altera FPGAs and further strengthen their competitive position versus ASICs and ASSPs. The rapid growth of bandwidth-intensive applications such as high-definition (HD) video, cloud computing, online data storage and mobile video has created a challenge for both infrastructure and end-user equipment developers. How can they quickly increase system bandwidth while staying within strict power and cost budgets? Altera has developed its latest innovations to solve these challenges. The new Embedded HardCopy Blocks are customizable hard intellectual property (IP) blocks that leverage Altera's unique HardCopy ASIC capabilities. They are used to harden standard or logic-intensive functions such as interface protocols, application-specific functions, and proprietary custom IP. The Embedded HardCopy Blocks offer customers faster time to market for their designs while also reducing cost and power. For Altera, this innovation allows the company to quickly create variant products and target specific market segments. Partial reconfiguration allows designers to reconfigure part of the FPGA while other sections remain running. This is extremely important in systems where uptime is critical because it allows designers to make updates or adjust functionality without disrupting services. Lowering power and cost, partial reconfiguration also improves effective logic density by removing the necessity to place in the FPGA functions that do not operate simultaneously. Instead, these functions can be stored in external memory and loaded as needed. This reduces the size of the FPGA by allowing multiple applications on a single FPGA, saving board space and reducing power. To date, partial reconfiguration solutions have been time-intensive tasks that required designers to know all of the intricate FPGA architecture details. Altera is simplifying the partial reconfiguration process by building the capability on top of the proven incremental compile design flow in its Quartus II design software. Extending its leadership in embedded transceiver technology, Altera has developed 28Gbps embedded transceivers, which will also be implemented in upcoming 28nm FPGAs. These high-speed transceivers will enable customers to implement next-generation designs such as 400G systems on a single chip without the need for costly external components. "Two years ago, Altera introduced the industry's first 40nm FPGAs, and continued delivering industry firsts such as embedded 11.3-Gbps transceivers," said John Daane, president, chairman and CEO of Altera. "As we move to the next process node, these new innovations from Altera will take the industry beyond the benefits of Moore's Law to solve bandwidth challenges while staying within cost and power requirements."

Intel and Micron Technology have jointly introduced a 25nm NAND flash production process technology, which provides a more cost-effective path for increasing storage capacity in today's consumer gadgets including smartphones and personal music and media players (PMPs), as well as SSDs.Manufactured by their joint venture IM Flash Technologies, the 25nm process produces 8GB of storage in a single NAND device. It measures 167mm-square.The new 25nm 8GB device reduces chip count by 50% compared to previous process generations, allowing for smaller, yet higher density designs and greater cost efficiencies, according to their joint statement. For example, a 256GB SSD can now be enabled with just 32 of these chips (versus 64 previously), a 32GB smartphone needs just four, and a 16GB flash card requires only two.The flash alliance expects to begin mass production of the 25nm, 8GB device in the second quarter of 2010.Intel and Micron formed IM Flash in 2006 and started production with a 50nm process, followed by 34nm in 2008.25nm NAND flash waferPhoto: Company

DURHAM, N.C., January 20, 2009 — Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE), a market leader in LED lighting, announces the demonstration of a new 6-inch LED downlight designed for the residential market. The Cree CR6 LED downlight is being shown this week at the 2010 International Builder's Show in Las Vegas."By delivering the beautiful, warm light created by Cree TrueWhite technology in an affordable, energy-efficient LED residential fixture, we're providing consumers with an alternative to energy-wasting incandescents and the poor color-rendering of compact fluorescent bulbs," said Neal Hunter, president of Cree LED Lighting. "There is no residential LED downlight on the market today that can come close to matching the value and performance of the CR6. This product builds on the success of the award-winning LR6, which has shipped more than 350,000 units to date."The Cree CR6 LED takes the technology at the heart of the LR6 family and redesigns it to deliver maximum value for residential lighting. The CR6 downlight, planned for availability in mid-2010, is being designed to meet Energy Star criteria and for an end user price of approximately $60.As demonstrated in residential applications at the Builder's Show, Cree TrueWhite technology can deliver the warm light and beautiful color rendering that consumers should expect from energy-efficient lighting.Cree LED downlight - CR6Photo: Company

AMD has introduced the ATI Radeon E4690 Mobile PCI Express module (MXM) for the graphics-intensive embedded systems at the Digitimes Tech Forum (DTF) 2010 in Taiwan.The ATI Radeon E4690 MXM features more than triple the 3D graphics performance of previously available solutions with low CPU utilization and enhanced picture quality. With its massively parallel, programmable architecture, the ATI Radeon E4690 MXM is designed for compute intensive, embedded applications such as digital signage, image recognition, signal processing and surveillance, arcade and casino games, and medical imaging, the company detailed.Working in collaboration with ALT Software, AMD is able to offer customers an alternative to custom programming by developing a standards-based parallel processing API, helping them to improve performance in embedded computing systems by leveraging the power of the GPU, the company said.The E4690 MXM features 512MB of on-board GDDR3 memory, 320 shader processors, a set of display output options and adjustable system clocks for exacting power and performance requirements.As the industry's only embedded graphics chip to offer support for both Microsoft DirectX 10.1 and AMD's Unified Video Decoder 2 (UVD 2), the E4690 MXM enables competitive advantages for AMD's embedded customers by providing graphics support coupled with high quality video playback performance, AMD pointed out.Incorporating ATI PowerPlay intelligent power management technology, the E4690 MXM is designed to optimize power consumption and enable exceptional performance per watt for power sensitive embedded applications.System designers have flexibility with a comprehensive selection of outputs including dual-independent display controllers, integrated DisplayPort, integrated single- and dual-link LVDS, integrated single- and dual-link DVI /TMDS/HDMI and analogue outputs.Supported by ATI Stream technology, the E4690 MXM can replace numerous system hardware components, helping to reduce overall system power, size, and cost, AMD added.

VIA Technologies has announced the VIA EPIA-T700, the first motherboard based on the recently announced Mobile-ITX form factor. Measuring 6×6cm, the VIA EPIA-T700 is a compact computer-on-module designed for a range of ultra-compact embedded devices in medical, military and in-vehicle applications, said VIA.The VIA EPIA-T700 can be used with a variety of carrier boards that can be adapted and customized to meet the needs of a range of applications and is powered by a specially miniaturized 1GHz VIA Eden ULV processor and the compact VIA VX820 media system processor that together offer I/O flexibility, said VIA.The VIA EPIA-T700 features 512MB of DDR2 on-board system memory.The VIA VX820 media system processor adds several key features including a VIA Chrome9 DirectX 9 integrated graphics core, VIA Chromotion video engine with hardware acceleration for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, and VC1 video formats, and VIA Vinyl HD Audio supporting up to eight-channel HD audio.An integrated multi-configuration transmitter enables display connections to TTL LCD panels and CRT monitors. Added flexibility is provided through carrier board configurations that integrate a DVP interface to include LVDS and DVI support. Other integrated data bus technologies include PCI Express and Ultra DMA.The VIA EPIA-T700 uses two high-density, low profile connectors on the under side of the module that can also withstand vibrations of up to 5Gs making Mobile-ITX systems suitable for in-vehicle and industrial machining applications, VIA said.VIA EPIA-T700 Mobile-ITX motherboardPhoto: Company