Leadtek Research has announced its latest hybrid TV capture card, the WinFast PxDVR3200 H adopting a PCI Express interface. With the combination of the latest technology and hardware interface, the card can provide users with a stunning visual experience, said Leadtek.The WinFast PxDVR3200 H adopts a chip from Conexant which supports analog TV, DVB-T, FM radio and full screen stereo/SAP with HDTV/AC3 support. Users can also choose from MPEG-4/2/1, WMV, VCD, DVD and SVCD formats when recording.The card features technologies including DirectBurn, Time Shifting, Scheduled Power-up, Power on/off by Remote and Twin View, and also comes with an all-in-one sensor remote control.Leadtek WinFast PxDVR3200 H hybrid TV capture cardPhoto: Company

Texas Instruments (TI) recently announced the introduction of a new chipset, the DarkChip 4, for DLP (digitial light processing) products. The new chipset is reported to deliver up to a 30% increase in native contrast ratio depending upon the application. The new DarkChip 4 will be available in a number of products in 2008. All DLP product lines, including DLP HDTVs, DLP 1-chip projectors and DLP 3-chip projectors currently feature products with various chipset iterations of DarkChip technology. DLP uses a streamlined optical system that efficiently reflects light to the screen, resulting in crisper whites, ultra-rich blacks and images that "pop" on-screen, according to TI. DLP-based products are known for their native contrast ratio levels, which ultimately sets minimum product contrast ratio level for all scene content. Native contrast ratio also sets the "black level" of the system. TI is demonstrating the capabilities of the new chipset during the CEDIA EXPO 2007 (at booth 620) in the US. The DLP DarkChip 4 Theater featuring the new chipset produces trillions of colors combined with a native contrast ratio of 15,000:1. Additionally, there is a demonstration of a DLP HDTV with DarkChip 4 and LED illumination with a native contrast performance beyond 100,000 to 1. TI latest Darkchip 4 for DLP productsPhoto: Company

Silicon Integrated System (SiS) has announced that the Fujitsu Siemens' Esprimo Mobile V5515 notebook based on the SiSM672/SiS968 chipset has entered volume production and is available in the market.The Esprimo Mobile V5515 supports Intel Core 2 Duo, Core Duo and Celeron M processors and DDR2 667 memory up to 2GB. It also features the Mirage 3+ graphics engine and a 15.4-inch TFT LCD display.The SiS968 chipset (southbridge) is paired with the SiSM672 chipset (northbridge) to support various functions on the notebook, including three USB 2.0 connectors, high-definition audio, and Gigabit Ethernet. Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo Mobile V5515 notebook specification Item Detail CPU Intel Core 2 Duo, Core Duo, Celeron M processors Memory DDR2 667 up to 2GB VGA Mirage 3+ Chipsets Northbridge: SiSM672 Southbridge: SiS968 Display 15.4-inch TFT LCD Source: Fujitsu Siemens, SiS, compiled by Digitimes, September 2007Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo Mobile V5515 notebook based on SiSM672/968Photo: Company

The hype and expectations of a revamp of Apple's iconic iPod product line came to a head with the company's unveiling of a touch screen version of the ubiquitous multimedia player and a video version of the iPod nano as well as a refresh of the company's classic iPod and the announcement of the ability to wirelessly purchase music, at a press event on September 5. The company also announced that the price of its 8GB iPhone will be slashed to US$399.Apple unveiled it's new 8mm-thin iPod touch, which features a widescreen display with a multi-touch user interface that was first introduced on Apple's iPhone. The device includes Wi-Fi wireless networking, the first on any iPod, allowing Internet surfing with the included Safari web browser and the ability to wireless watch videos on Apple's YouTube application. Users are also able to wirelessly browse, preview and buy songs and albums from Apple's iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store.The new iPod touch is scheduled to be available later in September in 8GB and 16GB versions and will retail for US$299 and US$399, respectively.Aside from the new iPod touch, the iPod nano got a makeover and now features a larger two-inch display with 204 pixels per inch, allowing users to play back video at a 320×240 screen resolution. Apple says its revamped iPod nano delivers up to 24 hours of audio playback or five hours of video playback on a single charge. Still sporting a click wheel, the new iPod nano does get a new software interface in the form of Cover Flow.If listening to music and playing back videos wasn't enough to occupy your time, the new iPod nano comes pre-loaded with a number or games with additional games to be available later from Apple's iTunes Store.The new iPod nano is encased in anodized aluminum and polished stainless steel and comes in five new colors. Available immediately worldwide, the 4GB iPod nano comes in silver for US$149 while the 8GB model is available in silver, black, blue, green and a red special edition for US$199.In addition to the announcements of the new iPods, the old iPods did not get left out of the limelight either. Apple unveiled its "iPod classic," which features either 80GB or 160GB of storage. Apple says the 160GB model allows for 40 hours of music playback and seven hours of video playback, while the 80GB model allows up to 30 hours of music playback and five hours of video playback.Now in its sixth generation, the new iPod classic now has an enhanced user interface featuring Cover Flow and a new thinner all-metal enclosure. The iPod classic is now available worldwide at US$249 for the 80GB model and US$349 for the 160GB model.Besides new hardware, Apple also announced its Wi-Fi Music Store, offering music fans the ability to browse, search, preview, purchase and download songs and albums from the iTunes Music Store over a Wi-Fi network directly onto an iPod touch or iPhone.With the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, people can start enjoying music they purchase immediately on an iPod touch or iPhone with no computer required. Once they connect their iPod touch or iPhone back to their PC or Mac, downloaded music will automatically synchronize back into their iTunes library, said Apple. If users have only partially downloaded a song or album onto their iPod touch or iPhone, their computer will complete the download automatically. Prices and selection on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store are the same as on the regular iTunes Store.In addition, iTunes customers will now be able to create custom ringtones from select songs purchased on iTunes for US$0.99 per ringtone. Both the new iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store and custom iTunes ringtones for the iPhone will be available later this month.If the ability to wirelessly preview and purchase songs through Wi-Fi wasn't convenient enough, Apple and Starbucks announced a partnership to make grabbing music while grabbing a cup of java, easier. Customers can now wirelessly browse, search for, preview, buy and download music from the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store at Starbucks onto their iPod touch, iPhone or PC or Mac running iTunes while at a participating location.Capable devices will automatically recognize the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store using a high-speed Wi-Fi wireless network with no connection fee or hotspot login. Customers will be able to browse, search and freely preview millions of songs, including a new "Now Playing" service which displays the name of the song playing in the Starbucks store at that moment, then easily buy and download songs or albums directly to their device, according to Apple. The service will make its debut at more than 600 Starbucks company-operated locations in New York and Seattle on October 2.Apple announced that it is on track to sell its one millionth iPhone before the end of September, and is chopping US$200 off the price of the 8GB model to US$399. Apple stated that the 4GB version of the iPhone will be discontinued but will continue to be sold until supplies run out.The Apple iPod touchPhoto: CompanyApple's new iPod nano familyPhoto: Company

Apparently Asustek was not satisfied with the minimalist appearance of its previous microATX chassis, the TM-21, and so has refined its design to create the TH-22.Of course to preserve the spirit of minimalism Asus could not make excessive changes – so it limited itself to just one. According to the press release, "[T]he TM-22 brings about all the advantages of its predecessor with one small change in the power button area – a metal-like decoration instead of whole mirror-polished plastic."Such a masterstroke in minimalist design is not the only thing the chassis has to offer, the release goes on to assure us, as the TH-22 also includes a blue LED on/off button and hard drive indicator.Amused commentary aside, the TH-22 seems to be an adequate microATX package. If you like the external design then inside there is space for two fans (80 or 90mm at the rear and 80mm at the front), four expansion slots, and a total of seven drive bays (two 5.25-inch external, two 3.5-inch external, and three 3.5-inch internal). The chassis also includes the usual set of front I/O ports as well as a lock. Asustek TM-22 series chassis specification Item Detail Dimension w/bezel 170×55×395 mm (W×H×D) Motherboard form factor support microATX System fans Rear: 80mm or 90mm Front: 80mm Expansion slots 4 Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, September 2007Asustek TM-22 series chassisPhoto: Company

Asustek has announced the Silent Knight 2 CPU cooler that utilizes 100% copper for its fins, base and heat pipes; and dynamic fan speed control to deliver efficient heat dissipation for the latest quad-core processors. The Silent Knight 2 is an all-copper CPU cooling solution that utilizes the natural heat conducting properties of copper. With its large heat exchange area, lightweight design to relieve stress on the motherboard, and six curved heat pipes to transfer heat to the fins, processor temperature is maintained at levels most suitable for high-performance and reliable computing, said Asustek. Additionally, the Silent Knight 2 also incorporates a PWM function fan that automatically modulates fan speeds according to the CPU temperature.The Silent Knight 2 supports the Intel Core 2 Extreme series, Pentium D and Pentium 4 processors; as well as the AMD Athlon 64-FX, Athlon and Sempron processors.The voltage regulation shield inside the cooler directs airflow created by the 9cm LED fan to surrounding VRM (voltage regulation modules) that are critical to processor operations and overall system reliability. This unique design effectively reduces VRM temperature by 10-15-degrees Celsius. Asustek Silent Knight 2 CPU cooler specification Item Detail CPU support Intel Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Quad, Intel Core 2 Duo, Pentium D, Intel Pentium 4, Celeron D processors and AMD Athlon 64 X2/ FX, AMD Athlon 64 and Sempron processors Cooler dimension 115(L) × 140(W) × 110(H) mm Connector 4-pin with PWM control Heat sink material Copper base + copper fins + 6 copper heat pipes Fan dimension 92 × 92 × 25mm Fan speed 2,300 rpm ± 10% Bearing type Sleeve bearing Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, September 2007Asustek Silent Knight 2 CPU coolerPhoto: Company

GeCube is shipping the HD2600XT X2 Gemini 3 offering dual ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT performance in a single card.The HD2600XT X2 Gemini 3 also features built-in HDMI with HDCP decoder to support UVD (Universal Video Decoder) video processing plus ATI Overdrive and quad-CrossFire technologies. The HD2600XT X2 Gemini 3 Simultaneous Quad DVI display also dramatically increases the productivity of enterprise and high-end workstation users. The Quad DVI multi-display configuration permits working with multiple full-screen documents or applications simultaneously.The graphics card is available in two versions – 1GB onboard memory at US$279 and 512MB onboard memory at US$259. GeCube GC-D26XT2-F5 graphics card specification Item Detail GPU ATI Radeon HD 2600XT (RV630XT) × 2 (65nm) Core/Memory 800MHz / 1.0GHz Unified shader Yes Shader model 4.0 Memory bus 128-bit Memory type GDDR2 1GB or 512MB Interface PCI Express x16 TV-out S/HDTV-out DVI Quad DVI (Dual Link, HDCP) D-Sub Yes (by dongle) Integrated audio Multi-channel audio (5.1 surround) by DVI to HDMI dongle Lots HDTV by S to YPbPr cable (Optional) Multi-VPU Support Self CrossFire enable Cooling Dual-slot Fansink Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, September 2007GeCube GC-D26XT2-F5 graphics cardPhoto: Company

Samsung Electronics recently announced new F9 series LCD TVs including one 52-inch and one 70-inch model, which use LED backlighting technology. The two models are being shown at IFA 2007 (Aug 31- Sep 5) in Berlin, Germany.The full HD TVs feature a dynamic contrast ratio of 500,000 to 1 and brightness of 450 nits. In addition, because the TVs use LED technology, they are some of the most environmentally friendly TV options available, claimed Samsung. Samsung was also able to achieve significant reductions in power usage, more than 30%, according to the company.The F9 line also comes with Wiselink USB 2.0 for handy connections to digital cameras and digital music players, and three HDMI connections that allow the users to take advantage of the Full HD capability of their various components, such as Blu-ray players, game consoles, and HD camcorders.The 52-inch versions come equipped with Samsung's Auto-wall mount feature, allowing the viewer to easily change the viewing angle up to 20-degrees side to side and 15-degrees down using the remote control. Specification of Samsung LED-based TVs Screen Size (inch) 52 70 Panel Resolution 1920×1080 1920×1080 Brightness 450 nit 500 nit Contrast ratio 500,000 : 1 500,000 : 1 LED smart lighting O O Wide color enhancer O O MoviePLUs O O Sound Sub-Woofers (2.2 Ch.) O O Sound Output (RMS) 15W × 2 15W × 2 Sound effect system SRS TruSurround XT SRS TruSurround XT Convenience HDMI Rear/Side 2/1 2/1 Wiselink USB 2.0 USB 2.0 HDMI Version 1.3 1.3 Anynet+ O O Wall-Mount Support O (Auto Compatible) O (Manual Only) Source: Samsung Electronics, compiled by Digitimes, September 2007Samsung new F9 LCD TV seriesPhoto: Company

Taiwan-based industrial PC (IPC) maker Axiomtek unveiled a new low power EPIC form factor single board computer (SBC), the EP821, which has a built-in Intel Pentium M compliant chipset, the Intel 915GME/910GMLE with ICH6M.The EP821 is equipped with a PCI-104 slot for 32-bit PCI interface add-on cards. Additionally, the board offers the option of four COM ports and dual LVDS LCD output, which allows for popular display solutions for transaction terminals such as those used in self-service gas pumps and point of sale (POS) terminals.The EPIC board supports low voltage Intel Pentium M and ultra low voltage Intel Celeron M processors running at 400MHz and 533MHz FSB (front side bus) for fanless capability. Under the Intel Product Dealer (IPD) commitment, the EP821 is guaranteed to be shipped for the long term. Axiomtek EP821 single board computer specification Item Detail CPU support Intel Pentium M/Celeron M processor with 400/533MHz FSB Output DualView with different content and resolution Network Dual Gigabit LAN Interface Four USB 2.0 ports Four COM ports supported PCI-104 expansion Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, August 2007Axiomtek EP821 single board computer based on EPIC form factorPhoto: Company

Edimax Technology recently introduced new products based on the IEEE 802.11n Draft 2.0V specification (Wi-Fi draft-n), an Internet broadband router BR-6504n paired with a wireless USB adapter EW-7718Un.The router features 2T x 3R technology to support multiple wireless transmissions with data transmission rates up to 300Mbps, said the company. The machine also supports WPA and WPA2 encryption technology and includes a DHCP server for functionality and Anti-Dos firewall to protect the network safety. Edimax BR-6504n Internet broadband router specification Item Detail Ports 1WAN and 4LAN with 10/100Mbps UTP Flash 4MB NOR Flash RAM 16MB SDRAM Button For WPS / Reset Antenna RP - SMA detachable antenna (3dbi) Size 30 × 187 × 100mm Certified by CE, FCC, NCC Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, September 2007Edimax BR-6504n Internet broadband routerPhoto: Company