Not to be outdone by the likes of Dell with its XPS and Alienware enthusiast PC systems, Acer has jumped into the high-margin "gaming PC" market with the announcement of its new Predator series, part of its Aspire G range of desktop and notebook PC systems.As is common for this market, Acer has thrown subtlety out of the window and colored the case of the new Predator a deep metallic copper which is, for better or worse, at least distinct. The case designers also appear to think doors that open to the side are too common and so have decided to fit the Predator with one that lifts upward. It looks impractical for day-to-day use, but again the design is more about drawing crowds at LAN parties, and so Acer is probably on to a winner here too.With the door (eventually) out of the way, the Predator offers a multi-card reader and optical drive – a Blu-ray SuperMulti burner is standard – and Acer even offers a Blu-ray/HD DVD SuperMulti option although this is unlikely to be very popular.Also at the front of the case is an Acer Easy-swap hard drive bay which allows up to four drives to be installed or removed from the system even when it is running. A feature like this is more often found in server class systems, and so its inclusion here helps the Predator stand out from most of the competition. It also makes the system's built-in support for multiple RAID types more useful.Internally, the Predator is based on an Nvidia nForce 780i SLI motherboard which supports 3-way SLI, but Acer is currently only offering dual-GeForce 9600 GT, 9800 GTX or 9800 GX2 options.CPU options include 133MHz FSB Intel Core 2 Extreme or Core 2 Quad series, and Acer has opted to include a liquid cooling system which it says reduces system noise and lets users push the system to the limit. Memory capacity goes up to 8GB DDR2.Other features include dual-Gigabit LAN, onboard audio (with Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum optional) and a choice of either Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate.Pricing and availability are subject to region, but it is safe to assume that the Predator will be nothing less than "very expensive." Acer Aspire G Predator G7700 specifications Item Description CPU Support Intel Core 2 Extreme or Core 2 Quad up to 133MHz FSB Chipset Nvidia nForce 780i SLI System memory Up to 8GB DDR2 1066/800MHz Hard drives 4x SATA HDD up to 1TB RAID 0, 1, 5, 1+0 Acer Easy-swap Optical drives Blu-ray SuperMulti burner Blu-ray/HD DVD SuperMulti burner (optional) SuperMulti burner(optional) Graphics 3-way SLI ready 2x GeForce 9600 GT 2x GeForce 9800 GTX 2x GeForce 9800 GX2 Audio Onboard HD 7.1 audio Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum (optional) Dimensions 490×430×190mm (L×H×W) Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, May 2008Acer Aspire G Predator G7700Photo: CompanyA deep copper color and a door that opens up make the Predator G7700 stand out from the crowd Photo: CompanyThe Predator G7700 includes a four-drive Easy-swap bayPhoto: Company

Taiwan-based SkyTraq has introduced its Venus634LP GPS receiver, a single-chip GPS receiver using the company's low-power Venus6T GPS architecture.Measuring 10×10×1.2mm, the Venus634LP integrates LNA, SAW filter, RF front-end, GPS baseband, 0.5ppm TCXO, RTC crystal, LDO regulator and passive components, according to the fabless semiconductor company. A complete GPS receiver requires only an antenna and Venus634LP, noted the company.Featuring high integration, a one square centimeter footprint, ultra-fast TTFF, high sensitivity and low current consumption, the Venus634LP GPS receiver enables low cost embedding of location awareness into portable applications without compromising size, performance and battery life, stated SkyTraq, adding that the GPS solution is compatible with both active and passive antenna.The receiver consumes 50mA during signal acquisition and 30mA during full power continuous tracking. The dedicated signal parameter search engine within Venus634LP is capable of performing eight million time-frequency hypothesis tests per second, and offers one-second hot start and 29-second cold start times, according to SkyTraq. The advanced track engine allows tracking sensitivity of -158dBm, enabling continuous navigation in harsh environments such as urban canyons and under deep foliage, SkyTraq added.Venus634LP is housed in a 44-pin LGA package. Volume delivery to customers begins in the third quarter of 2008. Engineering samples, datasheets, reference designs and evaluation kits will be available in June 2008.SkyTraq Venus634LP GPS receiverPhoto: Company

Samsung Electronics will launch two digital music players, the pebble-shaped S2 in 1GB/2GB capacities and slim S3 in 2GB/4GB/8GB capacities, in the Taiwan market at the beginning of June 2008, with retail prices yet to be determined, according to Samsung Electronics Taiwan.S2 has dimensions of 42(W)×42(H)×16(D)mm and a weight of 17.2g, while the respective figures for S3 are 44×95×9.8mm and 53g, Samsung Taiwan noted. S3 is equipped with a 1.8-inch LCD screen for video/photo playback, Samsung Taiwan added.Samsung S2Photo: CompanySamsung S3Photo: Company

Motorola, on May 14, launched its ROKR E8 in the Taiwan market as the first leg of a global launch for the new music handset.Mark Shockley, corporate vice president and general manager, mobile business unit, Asia Pacific at Motorola, presided over the launch ceremony in Taiwan. Shockley's presence was in line with Motorola's recent reorganization to switch the business jurisdiction for Taiwan from the Greater China area to the Asia-Pacific division.Since Taiwan is a mature market for handsets, the launch of the ROKR E8 aims to bring a better handset experience for consumers, said Bill Chen, general manager of mobile device business at Motorola Taiwan.The ROKR E8 will be available for NT$12,500 (US$403) at retail channels in Taiwan, according to market sources.Mark Shockley (left) and Bill Chen (right) and singer Jay Chou jointly launch the ROKR E8 in TaiwanPhoto: Terry Ku, Digitimes, May 2008

Ergotech Technology, a Taiwan-based maker of portable multimedia players for own-brand sale, will launch the DeeJay ET-UC26 2GB digital media player in cooperation with online music platform StarMusic in the Taiwan market at a recommended retail price of NT$2,399 (US$78) later in May 2008, according to the company.ET-UC26 will come with popular Chinese-language songs and music videos provided by StarMusic pre-loaded on the device, Ergotech pointed out. All songs provided by StarMusic are used under license from the publishers or music creators, Ergotech said.In the Taiwan digital media player market, international vendors such as Apple, Sony and Samsung dominate the high-end segment while white-box vendors have the largest share of the low-end segment due to much lower prices. The remaining area between the two segments is open for competition among second-tier international and local brands including Ergotech, Ergotech indicated.As white-box vendors are not willing to pay royalty fees for pre-loaded songs, Ergotech has adopted this strategy to differentiate itself in the market, the company noted.ET-UC26 digital media player available in two colorsPhoto: Company

Cooler Master has announced the Hyper Z600, noiseless CPU cooler.The cooler's X shape design retains rapid heat transfer and creates a lower backpressure, forcing air to pass through quickly, according to the company. Optimized fin spacing along with interlaced fins presents an ideal method to maximizing surface areas. Cooler Master Hyper Z600 CPU cooler specifications Item Detail Dimension 127.28×127.28×160mm Material Aluminum fins with copper-base Heat Pipe Dimensions φ6mm×6 Weight 1045g Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, May 2008Cooler Master Hyper Z600 CPU coolerPhoto: Company

Biostar Microtech International has announced its TPower motherboard series, which it claims offers performance, stability and overclocking potential.TPower N750 features Hybrid SLI technology to deliver multi-GPU benefits when combined with an Nvidia discrete GPU. Hybrid SLI technology increases graphics performance with GeForce Boost and provides intelligent power management with HybridPower, highlighted the company. Biostar TPower N750 motherboard specifications Item Detail CPU Support Supports AMD Phenom/Athlon 64 X2/64/FX/Sempron processors Chipset Nvidia nForce 750a SLI Socket AM2+ HT 3.0 Up to 5.2G PCIe x16 2.0 Two (SLI x8) PCIe x1 2.0 One PCI Three GbE One SATA Six RAID 0,1,5, 0+1 USB 2.0 Ten Integrated Video NForce 750a SLI chipset Integrated Audio 8+2 Channel HD Audio DVI One Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, May 2008Biostar TPower N750 motherboard Photo: Company

Transcend Information recently introduced its StoreJet 35 Ultra eSATA/USB 2.0 external storage device with active cooling.The StoreJet 35 Ultra measures 197.5×127.5×48mm and features an aluminum case designed specifically for modern 3.5-inch SATA hard drives. The device features a 3Gb/s eSATA interface and 480Mb/s USB 2.0 connection interface. Transcend's StoreJet 35 Ultra also features an efficient active cooling system that includes an extra-quiet 80mm high-flow fan.The StoreJet 35 Ultra is bundled with software that offers intelligent backup scheduling, security and file compression functions. Transcend's StoreJet 35 Ultra supports all commonly used operating systems, including Windows 2000 / XP / Vista, Mac and Linux. Now available with either a pre-installed 500GB SATA hard drive, or without a drive as a high-performance external enclosure for installing your own 3.5-inch SATA hard drive.Transcend StoreJet 35 Ultra eSATA/USB 2.0 external storage devicePhoto: Company

Transcend Information recently announced that its T.sonic 840 digital music player is now available with an 8GB capacity and new burgundy red housing.The device features a 1.8-inch high-resolution full-color TFT-LCD screen and supports audio and video formats such as JPG, BMP, MTV, MP3, WMA, DRM10, and WAV. On a full charge, the T.sonic 840 supports up to 30 hours of continuous audio playback, according to the company. The T.sonic 840 can also function as a digital voice recorder, FM radio, FM recorder, world clock and has a 13-language user interface.The T.sonic 840 is available now in three capacities: 2GB (white), 4GB (black) and 8GB (burgundy).Transcend T.sonic 840 8GB digital media playerPhoto: Company

Transcend Information has revealed new Extreme Speed 300X CompactFlash cards.Transcend's Extreme Speed 300X CompactFlash cards operate in dual-channel Ultra DMA mode 5, the fastest speed available for CF cards, according to the company. This interface allows Transcend's 300X CF cards to achieve read/write speeds of up to 45MB per second on average, ideal for consecutive shooting and non-stop video recording with today's high-performance digital single lens reflex cameras, highlighted the company.To ensure reliable, glitch-free data communication and prevent data corruption or missing files, Transcend's 300X CF cards are built with an advanced ECC (error correction code) that automatically detects and corrects errors during data transfer.Transcend's Extreme Speed 300X CF cards are available now in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities.Transcend Extreme Speed 300X CompactFlash cardPhoto: Company