Storage and networking solution provider LSI has launched a new generation of MegaRAID SATA+SAS RAID controller cards based on 6Gb/s SAS technology and announced its new channel strategy for worldwide customers.Compared with 3Gb/s predecessors, the 6Gb/s SAS RAID-on-chip (ROC) system provides more video streams, more database transactions and faster backups, so the MegaRAID 9200 series controllers can double the data transfer rate and deliver up to 2.88 GB/s in sequential reads and 1.87 GB/s in sequential writes, the company claimed. The 9200 series controllers also provide channel customers with a low-cost upgrade that is designed to easily integrate with existing 3Gb/s SATA and SAS infrastructure, the company said.The controllers also support both high-performance SAS hard drives and cost-effective, high-capacity SATA drives, as well as energy-efficient solid state drives (SSDs) and bring standardized zoning which improves storage efficiencies by allowing multiple servers to share storage devices. They come with four ports and eight ports to reach up to a storage capacity of 480 terabytes, indicated Suresh Panikar, senior manager of worldwide channel partner marketing and communications at LSI.The new LSI MegaRAID controllers include five models - MegaRAID 9260-8i (eight internal ports), MegaRAID 9260-4i (four internal ports), MegaRAID 9280-8e (eight external ports), MegaRAID 9260DE-8i and MegaRAID 9280DE-8e. The 9260-8i is available now while the rest will be available by September.In addition to the next-generation product, the company announced it has teamed up with channel partners include vertical OEMs (VOEMs), direct market resellers (DMRs), resellers, and distributors to service its customers worldwide. LSI also provides forward looking fundings to those channel partners quarterly in advance for them to have more sufficient resources in promoting and selling LSI products."LSI's strong channel partnerships are a key strategic advantage in the marketplace and central to the company's business strategy," said Phil Bullinger, executive vice president and general manager of the Engenio Storage Group at LSI. Panikar also expects this strong channel base to bring a lot more revenues to the company.LSI MegaRAID controllersPhoto: Company

Amid a shortage of DDR3 memory and a resulting rise in pricing, iSuppli has upgraded its rating of near-term conditions for DRAM suppliers to positive. The research firm had maintained its negative rating since September 2008 until it upgraded the condition to neutral two weeks ago."The improvement in circumstances is a welcome relief to a DRAM market that has been stuck in a state of oversupply for nearly three years," said Nam Hyung Kim, chief analyst for iSuppli. "The oversupply has been a disaster for the global DRAM industry, with revenues dropping from US$34 billion in 2006 to US$23.6 billion in 2008." During this period, the profitability of DRAM suppliers evaporated completely, and the combined operating loss for the entire DRAM industry amounted to US$15 billion during the last three years."With rising demand and limited supply for DDR3, the global DRAM industry is set for a sustainable recovery that will extend into the fourth quarter and pave the way for a robust annual increase in 2010," Kim continued.DRAM revenues plunged by 19.5% in the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter of 2008, according to iSuppli. However, with the rise in DRAM pricing, revenues increased by 37.5% in the second quarter compared to the first. Revenues are set to continue to rise on a sequential basis by more than 20% each in the third and fourth quarters, the research firm forecast.In addition, Kim observed a shortage of DDR3 chips during his visit to Asia. "The suppliers reported PC OEMs are making a rapid shift from DDR2 DRAM, which has been the industry standard for nearly three years, to DDR3. However, they have not yet ramped up production of DDR3 enough to meet this new demand," according to Kim.DDR3 captured only 8.4% of total bit shipment in first-quarter 2009 and is estimated to reach 15% of total bit shipment in the second quarter, iSuppli indicated. The research firm now predicts the DDR3 shortage will persist during the third quarter because suppliers won't be able to meet current demand.While the limited investment of DRAM suppliers is slowing their 50nm migration—a process necessary to ramp up DDR3 production quickly—the DDR3 shortage will cause supplies of DDR2 to tighten as first-tier suppliers continue to convert production from DDR2 to DDR3, iSuppli noted.However, if DDR2 prices rise, Taiwan-based suppliers are likely to increase their utilization rates limiting price increases, iSuppli warned. Thus, a recovery in DDR2 prices could be limited, widening the price gap between DDR2 and DDR3. The price crossover between DDR2 and DDR3 is likely to arrive near end-2009 or in early 2010, iSuppli expects."Prices are rising in the third quarter, a time when DRAM buyers typically begin to make purchases for the holiday season," Kim noted. "Adding to the current tight supply for notebook LCD panels, the increase in DRAM prices will result in lower profitability for the PC makers in the second half of the year."Source: iSuppli, compiled by Digitimes, July 2009

ARM has announced the availability of ultra low-power physical IP libraries to drive the next generation of energy-efficient microcontroller unit (MCU) devices.The ARM 0.18-micron ultra low-power libraries (uLL), coupled with the inherent power management advantages of the ARM Cortex processor family and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)'s 0.18-micron embedded flash uLL/HDR "high data retention" process provides SoC designers with additional reduction in power leakage up to 10x compared to 0.18-micron G implementations, ARM said.The ARM libraries, combined with the ARM Cortex-M and Cortex-R profile processors, provide an alternative to companies that are accustomed to a multiple MCU system approach. Utilizing an advanced ultra low-power, single 32-bit MCU and optimized ARM libraries for the TSMC 0.18-micron uLL embedded flash/HDR process, designers can increase their design efficiency and lower overall system cost, ARM said. This combination of physical IP, processor architecture and leading-edge manufacturing technology enables the development of enhanced 32-bit MCUs for automotive, consumer appliance, sensor, lighting, e-metering, smart control and gaming devices, the company said.

The Taipei Computer Association (TCA) expects its upcoming Taipei Computer Application Show (TCAS), which will be held from July 30 to August 3 at Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1, to bring in business opportunities worth NT$8.8 billion (US$268.9 million).TCA cited a survey that showed around 80% of the expected visitors are willing to making purchase at the show.Notebook vendor Asustek Computer will launch its 11.6-inch Eee PC 1101HA netbook and UX30 ultra-thin notebook at the show, while Hewlett-Packard (HP) will also launch its 11.6-inch Mini 110 netbook.Asustek recently introduced two new Eee PC seashell models – the Eee PC 1101HA and Eee PC 1005HA – sporting 11.6- and 10.1-inch LED-backlit screens, and with claimed battery lives of 11 and 10.5 hours on a single charge.Asustek 11.6-inch Eee PC 1101HA and 10.1-inch Eee PC 1005HA netbooksPhoto: Company

Intel has announced a new lineup of NAND flash-based solid state drives (SSDs) that utilize 34nm multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory, and said the move to the more-advanced process will help lower prices of the SSDs by up to 60% thanks to the reduced die size and advanced engineering design.The Intel X25-M mainstream SATA SSDs come in standard 2.5-inch and 1.8-inch sizes, and are available in 80GB and 160GB versions. The new SSDs will begin shipping on 34nm flash memory later in the third quarter of 2009, according to the company."Our goal was to not only be first to achieve 34nm NAND flash memory lithography, but to do so with the same or better performance than our 50nm version," said Randy Wilhelm, Intel vice president and general manager, Intel NAND Solutions Group.Intel said its new X25-M on 34nm is drop-in compatible with the current 50nm version, and offers improved latency and faster random write inputs/outputs per second (IOPS). Compared to approximately 4,000 microseconds for a hard disk drive (HDD), the new 34nm SSD operates at 65-microsecond latency and provides a 25% reduction in latency.Random write performance increases twofold, further separating the X25-M from other competing SSDs, according to Intel. It delivers up to 6,600 4KB write IOPS and 35,000 read IOPS, compared to HDDs that only operate at several hundred IOPS.New channel prices for the X25-M 80GB are US$225 for quantities up to 1,000 units (a 60% reduction from the original introduction price of US$595 a year ago), and the 160GB version is US$440 (down from $945 at introduction), according to Intel.In addition, Intel noted its new SSD will also support Microsoft Windows 7 with a firmware update. The upcoming OS is scheduled to release in October.Intel X25-M SSD on 34nmPhoto: Company

VIA Technologies has announced its VIA Eden ULV processor is powering the Fujitsu Futro S100, a fanless and silent thin client and virtual workplace solution.Based on the VIA CoolStream Architecture, the VIA Eden ULV processor is capable of speeds up to 500MHz while maintaining a low power consumption of only one watt at peak and 100mW during idle.The CPU integrates VIA's StepAhead Technology Suite, which boasts an extensive array of performance-enhancing features to ensure the processor's low power consumption does not come at the expense of performance.The Fujitsu Futro S100 thin client is designed for server-based computing and virtual workplace solutions. The S100 supports 1GB of DDR2 system memory, and features two USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, fast Ethernet networking and internal compact flash-based storage.The VIA Chrome9 HC3 integrated graphics core brings full DirectX 9.0 support while the VIA Chromotion video engine offers hardware acceleration of MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9, VC1 video formats.Fujitsu Futro S100 thin client powered by VIA Eden ULV processorPhoto: Company

Lenovo has launched its first ultra-thin notebook, the U350, positioned under its consumer IdeaPad brand in Taiwan along with its 10-inch S10-2 and 12-inch S12 netbooks, the in-mold roller (IMR) treated G450 notebook and the 20-inch C300 series all-in-one PCs.The U350 adopts Intel's Core 2 Solo SU3500 processor and a 13.3-inch widescreen panel, while weighing only 1.6kg.Lenovo Taiwan president Benjamin Ou has noted that the company is also set to launch a 14-inch model in the future. Ou pointed out that the notebook market will be separated by three segments in the future: Netbook, which will account for 30-40% of total notebook shipments; ultra-thin notebook also 30-40%; and traditional notebook, which will account for the rest of the market.The company's C300 series all-in-one PCs adopt either an Intel Atom 230 or 330 processor and integrated Intel GMA 950 GPU or ATI Radeon HD 4350 graphics. The PCs will be priced at around NT$23,000 (US$700).Ou has noted that the penetration rate of all-in-one PCs in Taiwan is around 5%, less than the 17-18% in Hong Kong, and the double digit percentage rate in several first-tier cities in China, however he has forecast the rate will pick up to 10-15% by the end of 2009 with the price of all-in-one PC continueing to decline.Benjamin Ou, president of Lenovo TaiwanPhoto: Terry Ku, Digitimes, July 2009Lenovo IdeaPad U350 ultra-thin notebookPhoto: Terry Ku, Digitimes, July 2009Lenovo C300 series all-in-one PCsPhoto: Terry Ku, Digitimes, July 2009

eMachines has launched an new all-in-one PC, the EZ1601-01, for a price of US$399.99.The EZ1601-01 is available in black, and is accented with green LED lighting and silver trim. The PC also features Windows XP, an 18.5-inch widescreen LCD with integrated speakers, and matching keyboard and mouse.The EZ1601-01 adopts Intel's Atom processor with a fan-less design. eMachines EZ1601-01 all-in-one PC specifications Item Detail CPU Intel Atom N270 processor Chipset Intel 945GSE Express Memory 1GB DDR2 533MHz VGA Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 Display Integrated 18.5-inch widescreen LCD with 16:9 aspect ratio Price US$399.99 Sources: Company, compiled by Digitimes, July 2009eMachines EZ1601-01 all-in-one PCPhoto: Company

LG Electronics on July 14 unveiled the BD370 network Blu-ray Disc (BD) player for immediate launch in the Taiwan market at a recommended retail price of NT$12,900 (US$391). A special discounted price of NT$9,900 is offered for purchases during July 15-20, LG Taiwan indicated.BD370 features direct web link to YouTube for video sharing, full HD resolution, and dimensions of 430 (W) × 54 (H) × 245mm (D) and weight of 2.7kg.LG network BD player BD370Photo: Company

Micro-Star International (MSI) has launched its AMD 760G chipset-based 760GTM-P33 motherboard, with integrated ATI Radeon HD 3000 GPU.The motherboard also features MSI's Active Phase Switching (APS) technology, which is an IC chip that can automatically control various power supply demands to reduce total power usage, Easy OC Switch technology can help users to turn on overclocking with a click of the button, and TPM technology offers a more secure way to store files, highlighted the company.The motherboard uses solid capacitors to ensure working stability.MSI has also released its ATI Radeon HD 4890 GPU-based R4890 Cyclone series graphics cards, featuring 800 built-in stream processors and 1GB GDDR5 256-bit memory.MSI R4890 Cyclone series adopt military class components, including Hi-c CAP, SSC (Solid State Chock), and long-life solid capacitors, and a 10cm PWM fan, noted MSI.The MSI R4890 Cyclone series uses a 8mm heatpipe, which is 60% thicker than traditional heatpipes to help increase cooling efficiency by 90%. MSI 760GTM-P33 motherboard specifications Item Detail Socket AM2+ CPU support AMD Phenom processor HyperTransport bus Up to 5200MT/s for AM2+ CPU 2000 or 1600MT/s for AM2 CPU Chipset AMD 760G+SB710 Memory support Dual-channel DDR2 667/800/1066 memory, support up to 8GB Sources: Company, compiled by Digitimes, July 2009 MSI R4890 Cyclone series graphics cards specifications Item Detail Graphics engine ATI Radeon HD 4890 Bus standard PCI Express x16 2.0 Memory type GDDR5 Memory size 1024MB Memory interface 256-bit Core clock speed 880MHz Memory clock speed 3900MHz Memory bandwidth 124.8GB/s Texture fill rate 34 billion/sec Display output (Max resolution) 2560×1600 RAMDACs 400 Sources: Company, compiled by Digitimes, July 2009MSI 760GTM-P33 motherboardPhoto: CompanyMSI R4890 Cyclone series graphics cardPhoto: Company