Kingmax Group is marking its presence at Computex Taipei 2008 by unveiling its first SSD lineup, as well as showcasing memory module and NAND flash applications that offer increased functionality and support higher memory densities.Channel demand for SSD to emerge in 2H08Foremost among the latest offerings is the company's SSDs. The company is introducing its SSDs in two form factors –ExpressCard and SATA drive formats. Maximum memory density for both the ExpressCard and 1.8-inch SATA drives is 64GB, with the 2.5-inch SATA drive version supporting a maximum density up to 128GB.All SSDs displayed by the company are equipped with NAND flash chips fabricated under 50nm. The company also aims to employ 40nm NAND flash in its SSD lineup once the technology matures, said Kingmax Digital president Lawrence Chang. Most of the chips that are equipped in the SSDs will be supplied by Samsung Electronics, Hynix Semiconductor and Micron Technology, the company stated.SSD in ExpressCard form are designed for upgrade purposes, as the device can easily plug into existing ExpressCard slots in notebooks. Chang anticipates that demand for SSDs in ExpressCard form will start picking up in the second half of 2008 in the channel.Memory card: More and more densityIn addition to SSDs, Kingmax is also featuring an 8GB microSDHC card, produced using die stacking and package-in-package (PIP) technology. The card is connectable with an adapter and compatible with general SD application products. Chang stressed that SDHC, or microSDHC, has already gained a strong penetration in consumer electronics and that consistent memory upgrade is necessary. For the SuperStick memory card, Kingmax has boosted the memory density to 8GB this year.Despite the memory card market facing uncertainty, the migration to DDR3 is well under way. Kingmax is featuring DDDR3-1600 and DDR3-2000 memory modules at Computex. Kingmax noted that the modules are not prototypes and are available for sale in the channel.Kingmax is featuring all these products and more at its booth at TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, J0506.Kingmax 128GB SSDPhoto: CompanyKingmax 8GB microSDHC memory cardPhoto: Company

Hitachi will integrate its seven group companies to participate in Computex Taipei 2008. This year, Hitachi will exhibit with the theme, "Into the Next IT Life," with exhibits spanning a wide range of areas including, communications, storage, security solution, automotive electronics, and high-functional components and materials.Exhibits include the latest Blu-ray Disc recorders, huge-capacity storage devices, high-definition (HD) camera modules, car audio systems, novel portable Internet communication products, high-tech communication components and materials. Visitors can also experience the company's finger vein authentication technology on-site.The Hitachi Group offers system solutions, products and services in various market sectors, including information/communication systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, digital media/consumer products, high-functional materials, logistics and financial services.In the future, based on the foundation of group management, Hitachi aims to fulfill the different needs of clients in creating the best product value and growth by integrating the Hitachi Group's broad range of businesses, technologies and expertise.Hitachi can be found in the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall at the Overseas Exhibitors section at booth N606.Hitachi GA10N slim slot Super Multi DVD rewriterPhoto: Eric Mah, Digitimes, June 2008

Shuttle, a leading designer and manufacturer of small form factor (SFF) computers and accessories has expanded its line of mini PCs with the introduction of classic XPCs, simple-and-smart KPCs and all-in-one digital home appliances.With the long-term success of the XPC product line, Shuttle has been continuously devoted to innovation. The XPC Prima series SX48P2 E and SX48P2 Deluxe feature Intel's latest high-end X48 Express chipset, supporting up to 8GB of memory. Featuring ATI CrossFireX technology, the Shuttle SX48P2 E and SX48P2 Deluxe provide the flexibility to ramp up performance to meet versatile computing demands from video editing to gaming.HD audio effects are also brought to users by 7.1-channel Dolby Digital Live! and DTS Connect. Shuttle technologies such as Speed-Link technology for fast and easy data transfer between two PCs, all solid capacitor designed motherboards and 802.11 b+g wireless LAN and Bluetooth 2.0 are included in the SX48P2 Deluxe.In the Shuttle Glamor series, a silver stripe and mirror band embellish the chassis. The Glamor SN78SH7 features Nvidia's latest GeForce 8200 chipset and supports the newest AMD Phenom X4 quad-core processors, bringing high-definition graphics quality, lower power consumption and fantastic system performance. Shuttle's new SG45H7 offers multimedia entertainment for players seeking to push the limits of graphic performance.The Glamor Series is a quiet platform which produces less than 30dBs when running heavy software loads.The Korporate Perfect Cube (KPC) series provides solutions to simple-task users in the home and corporate market. Following the success of the KPC-K45 launched early this year, Shuttle is now presenting the newest KPC-K48 and K58, targeting home users who require only simple PC functionality in a second PC for the home. Also, Shuttle's unique changeable front panel "MyKover" can be customized to fit each user's personal style.The K48 allows accessing the Internet and enjoying multimedia entertainment at an affordable price. The KPC lineup consumes very little power and is cost effective. When in full-use mode, power consumption is only 55W and 30W when in idle mode. All components are RoHS compliant. The KPC K48 is shipped as a bare-bone PC while the K58 is shipped as a system equipped with Intel Atom processors.The Shuttle D-series D10 is a digital home appliance. The D-series is designed as a standalone media center delivering a complete digital entertainment with a touch screen or a remote control. The D10 comes with an embedded 7-inch touch panel. Users no longer need to rely on a keyboard and mouse to operate the D10 to still enjoy the functionality of a PC. Based on the same hardware and using surveillance software and equipment, the D10 can be utilized for surveillance purposes as a convenient way to secure your home. The D-series can run Linux or Windows operating systems.Shuttle can be found at booth numbers M511, M512, M517 and M518 in the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall.Shuttle K48Photo: CompanyShuttle K58Photo: Company

Biostar Microtech International has announced the launch of a number of Intel 4-series-based motherboards, including its TPower I45.Biostar launched a number of motherboards based on Intel's 4-series chipsets for different user groups at different price points, including the TPower I45, TP45 HP, TP43 HP, TP45D2-A7, TP43D2-A7 and P43-A7 paired with either the ICH10R or ICH10 southbridge chipset.The TPower I45 features a full set of BIO-TEX technologies and the latest TPower utility. The multi-functional TPower I45 uses 100% solid capacitors, while supporting 8+2 channel HD audio, two PCI-Express x16 and Cooler Harbour thermal solution.The TPower I45 supports native FSB up to 1600MHz and dual channel DDR2 memory up to 1200MHz.The motherboard also supports ATI CrossFireX and will be priced at US$179. Biostar TPower I45 motherboard specifications Item Detail CPU support Supports Intel Core2 Extreme/Core 2 Quad/Core 2 Duo/Pentium D/Pentium 4/Celeron 400 Series/Celeron D processor FSB support 1600MHz Chipset Intel P45/ICH10R Socket LGA 775 Memory DDR2 1066MHz x4 PCI-E x16 Gen. 2 x2 (Crossfire 2x PCI-E x8) PCI-E x1 Gen.2 x2 SATA II 3Gb/s x6 e-SATA II 3Gb/s 2 GbE 1 USB2.0 x10 RAID 1, 5, 10 Audio 8+2 channel HD audio Thermal solution Space-pipe, Cooler Harbor Voltage regulators 4 phase power Solid capacitors 100% BIO-TEX Rapid Debug2, Rapid Switch2, EZ-SATA, BIOS-Flasher, BIOS-ReLife, Clean-Tone, M.I.T., 1 Click Tweak, Driver-Genii Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, June 2008Biostar TPower I45 motherboardPhoto: Company

One Laptop per Child (OLPC) announced that work is already underway on a second- generation version of its XO notebook computer. Leveraging new advances in technology, the primary goal of the XO-2 will be to advance new concepts of learning as well as to further drive down the cost of the laptop so that it is affordable for volume purchase by developing nations, according to OLPC.The first generation XO notebook went into production in early November 2007, and there are approximately 600,000 units in deployment in a number of countries including Peru, Uruguay, Mongolia, Haiti, Rwanda, Mexico, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the US and Canada.Set in early 2005, the original target price of the XO notebook was US$100. Although that target has not yet been met, it is clear that OLPC must aim for an even lower target price of US$75. New developments in display, processor and other hardware and software technologies will make it possible to achieve the US$75 target in the future, noted the organization.While the first generation XO notebook already requires just one-tenth of the electrical power necessary to run a standard notebook, the XO-2 will reduce power consumption even further to one watt. This is particularly important for children in remote and rural environments where electricity is scarce or non-existent. Lowering the power consumption will reduce the amount of time required for children to generate power themselves via a hand crank or other manual mechanisms.The XO-2 notebook will be about half the size of the first generation device and will approximate the size of a book. The new design will make the XO notebook lighter and easier for children to carry with them to and from school or wherever they go. The XO-2 will continue to be in a green and white case and sport the XO logo in a multitude of colors that allow children to personalize the notebook as their own possession.Dual-touch sensitive displays will be used to enhance the e-book experience, with a dual-mode display similar to the current XO notebook. The design provides a right and left page in vertical format, a hinged notebook in horizontal format, and a flat two-screen wide continuous surface that can be used in tablet mode. Younger children will be able to use simple keyboards to get going, and older children will be able to switch between keyboards customized for applications as well as for multiple languages. The dual-touch display is being designed by Pixel Qi, which was founded in early 2008 by Mary Lou Jepsen, former chief technology officer of One Laptop per Children and a leading expert on display technology.Availability of the XO-2 is planned for delivery in 2010. XO-1.5 will be released in the spring of 2009 with the same design as the first generation but with fewer physical parts and at a lower cost than XO-1.OLPC XO-2 notebookPhoto: Business Wire

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