Lanner Electronics has announced the addition of the FW-6440 and FW-6490, two entry-level network communication platforms designed for rapid deployment in low-power and cost-sensitive security applications. "Our customers have been demanding this technology, and today we are happy to deliver," said Lawrence Chao, Executive Vice President. "With VIA C3 platforms quickly reaching end-of-life, Lanner is pleased to offer system integrators a superior migration option with rich integrated features." The competitive small business market requires hardware that performs well and is cost effective, said Lanner. Based on VIA CN700 architecture, the FW-6440 and FW-6490 deliver a value-proposition for small business security solutions.With an onboard VIA C7 processor up to 2GHz which features the integrated PadLock Security engine, software engineers can leverage hardware acceleration engines to increase system performance. Furthermore, since these two models share a common architecture, customer's can interchange between both desktop and rackmount form factors, without modifying application code.Both models include four integrated Ethernet ports with one pair supporting abnormal state packet bypass, allowing easy deployment in front-line security applications where reliability is a key concern. Moreover, these products include optional networking modules inclusive of a 4-port switch or extra Ethernet port, allowing you to deliver innovative and value adding solutions, right out of the box, highlighted Lanner. More information about the Lanner FW-6440 and FW-6490 are available on the Lanner website.Lanner FW-6490 network appliancePhoto: Company

SiS has announced that its Windows Vista ready chipset, SiS671FX, has been adopted by NEC Computers Asia Pacific for the company's latest desktop PC L1030.Using the SiS671FX chipset as the core of the system, the NEC L1030 desktop PC supports Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs up to 1066MHz FSB, and DDR2 667/533 memory up to 4GB. The built-in SiS Mirage 3 graphics engine enables the NEC L1030 to fully release the potential of Windows Vista, and deliver excellent animation or gaming performance, said SiS. In addition, the SiS671FX equips a PCI Express x16 slot for an extra add-on high-end graphics card. The NEC L1030 PC also features the SiS968 southbridge chipset. NEC L1030 specification Item Detail CPU Intel Core 2 Duo CPU up to 1066MHz FSB Memory DDR2 667/533 up to 4GB VGA SiS Mirage 3 or PCI-Express x16 slot for discrete graphics cards Chipsets Northbridge: SiS671FX Southbridge: SiS968 Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, May 2007NEC Desktop PC L1030Photo: Company

Kingston Technology has announced two USB microSD reader-plus-card bundles designed to enhance the moving of data between multiple mobile phones, PCs and digital devices. Available immediately, the new USB readers ship with either a 1GB or 2GB capacity microSD card. Designed with a USB connector and memory expansion slot that accepts the microSD card format, the mobile device-ready reader bundle eliminates the need to carry additional USB cables and reduces wait times typically associated with Bluetooth transfers between cell phones and PCs. The new USB microSD reader/card bundle features a red reader for the 2GB card combo and black for the 1GB version. When in use, the USB microSD reader appears as a separate drive letter (for example E:\) and data transfer is as easy as drag and drop. The USB microSD reader/card is ultra portable and with the included key loop, can be hung from a mobile phone as a convenient digital data moving solution. Kingston USB microSD reader plus card specifications Part number Product description MSRP (US only) FCR-MRR+SDC/2GB USB microSD Reader (Red) + 2GB microSD Card US$37.00 FCR-MRB+SDC/1GB USB microSD reader (black) + 1GB microSD card US$19.00 Source: Company Kingston USB microSD reader Features and specifications: Dimensions: 1.29" x 0.60" x 0.30" (32.89mm x 15.3mm x 7.66mm) Speed rating: Up to 13MB/sec read; 3.5MB/sec write Compliant standards: USB 2.0, SD 2.00 (reader); SD Association specification standard (card) Weight: 0.010 lbs. / 4.6g Operating temperature: 32° to 140°F (0° to 60°C) Storage temperature: -40° to 185°F (-40° to 85°C) System requirements: USB (1.1 and above); Windows Vista (ReadyBoost not supported), XP (SP1 and above), Windows 2000 (SP3 and above); Mac OS (10.x and above) Guarantee: Two-year warranty on USB microSD reader; lifetime on microSD memory card. Source: CompanyThe Kingston 1GB microSD card combo (black reader) or a 2GB card version (red reader). Photo: Business Wire

Fujitsu has announced that it has updated its lineup of hard disk drives (HDDs) for enterprise applications. The new product line includes 2.5-inch drives running at 15,000-rpm which support the mainstream Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and Serial ATA interfaces, providing a one-stop solution to meet an increasingly diverse array of market needs.Enterprise customers are looking for HDDs that deliver better I/O performance, lower heat levels, lower power consumption, more sophisticated processing performance, and higher reliability. With its new line of 2.5-inch drives running at 15,000-rpm and 2.5-inch drives supporting the SATA interface, Fujitsu can meet all of these needs, said the company. Supporting SAS and other traditional interfaces, the new line-up includes the MBB2 series of 2.5-inch drives running at 10,000-rpm, as well as Fujitsu's first 2.5-inch drives running at 15,000-rpm, the MBC2 series, and the MBA3 series of 3.5-inch drives running at 15,000-rpm. Each of these series boasts best-in-class specifications and are ideal for server and storage implementations, said Fujitsu.Fujitsu is also introducing the MHW2 BK series of 7,200-rpm 2.5-inch drives that are SATA compatible and designed for 24-hour continuous operation. Available in capacities up to 120GB, they are Fujitsu's first SATA-compatible HDDs that also include built-in functions designed to minimize the adverse effects of Rotational Vibration. All four new series of HDDs are RoHS-compliant, according to Fujitsu.For Fujitsu's fiscal year 2007 the company aims to sell 500,000 units of its MHW2 BK; two million units of its MBA3; two million units of its MBB2; and one million units of the MBC2 drives.Fujitsu's updated enterprise hard drivePhoto: Company

Dell has unveiled three consumer systems – the XPS 410n and Dimension E520n desktop PCs and the Inspiron E1505n notebook – that are now available with Ubuntu 7.04 Linux as the factory installed operating system.Dell is offering hardware options on each system that have the most mature and stable Linux driver support, according to the company, which added that these hardware options have been thoroughly tested and certified by Canonical (the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu). For hardware options not offered with this release, Dell is working with the vendors of those devices to improve the maturity and stability of their associated Linux drivers, and expects to have a broader range of hardware support with Linux over time. Model Inspiron E1505n Dimension E520n XPS 410n CPU Intel Pentium Dual Core T2080 Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Memory 512MB shared memory 1GB shared memory 1GB shared memory VGA Intel Media Accelerator 950 Graphics 256MB Nvidia GeForce 7300LE TurboCache 256MB Nvidia GeForce 7300LE TurboCache Price Starting at US$599 Starting at US$599 Starting at US$849 LCD 15.4-inch TrueLife WXGA display 17-inch flat panel display 19-inch flat panel display Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, May 2007Dell XPS 410n Photo: Company

Pioneer High Fidelity Taiwan (Pioneer Taiwan), Pioneer's marketing subsidiary in Taiwan, on May 23 debuted two new Blu-ray Disc (BD) optical drives for the PC, BDC-S02, a Blu-ray Disc combo drive, and BDR-202, a BD burner. The products are tentatively scheduled to launch in the Taiwan market in June and July or August respectively.BDC-S02 supports reading/writing of DVD+R/-R SL (single-sided single-layer), DVD+R/-R DL (single-sided double-layer), DVD+RW/-RW, CD-R and CD-RW as well as reading of BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE (rewritable), DVD-ROM and CD-ROM according to Pioneer Taiwan. BDR-202 supports all of the capabilities of BDC-S02 and adds support for the writing of BD-R and BD-RE (the difference between combo and burner), Pioneer Taiwan indicated. For the Taiwan market, BDC-S02 will be sold at the current global market recommended retail price of US$299, while the retail price for BDR-202 is tentatively set at NT$21,000 (US$631), Pioneer Taiwan pointed out.In related news, Pioneer adjusted the marketing organization of its optical disc drive business in April by assigning Pioneer Taiwan as its Asia Pacific (except Japan and South Korea) operational center for such products. This makes the office responsible for marketing in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, according to Shannon Yu, general manager, optical disc drive business division, Pioneer Taiwan. Pioneer aims to sell four million optical disc drives of various types in these markets in 2007, Yu pointed out. Pioneer BDC-S02BK BD Combo drive, (BK is the suffix for black color)Photo: CompanyPioneer BDR-202BK BD BurnerPhoto: Company

Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS) announced that Dell has adopted its SiSM661GX chipsets in the Dell EC280, the computer giant's MoDT (mobile on desktop) PC solution for the China market, which was introduced on March 21. However, concerning the EC280, some makers believe that MoDT solutions should not be pushed in emerging markets, as it will drive down prices for the platform. Although most MoDT systems are targeted at the high-end, the Dell EC280 features much lower specifications, and is being offered in China at prices ranging from Chinese yuan 599-3,999 (US$339-522).The system features an Intel Celeron M 205 processor with a 400MHz FSB (front side bus), DDR 256/512MB memory, 40/80GB HDD options, CD-ROM or DVD-ROM options and the Windows XP Home Edition operating system (OS). The whole system only consumes 65 watts, according to SiS.The systems are also being offered with two hard drive options and three monitor choices – 17- and 15-inch LCD displays and a 17-inch CRT option. Customers may also choose to not include a monitor. With most makers using a strategy of low-volumes and high-profits in the MoDT PC segment, sources at MoDT makers noted that Dell's strategy is quite different and the PC vendor is unlikely to see any profits with its entry-level pricing strategy. However, some PC vendors believe Dell's strategy is to expand its share in emerging markets. Dell EC280Photo: Company

Dell expanded its line of desktop gaming systems by introducing the XPS 720 H2C, which is designed for overclocking.The XPS 720 H2C pushes the performance with Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP) memory technology. The system ships with 800MHz Corsair DOMINATOR EPP memory modules (factory overclocked to 1066MHz) combined with Intel multi-core processors (factory overclocked up to bin+3). Additionally, BIOS switches allow users to manipulate the speed of the FSB (front side bus) and chipset through the Windows operating system and third-party applications such as Nvidia's nTune.Systems configured with dual SLI-enabled Nvidia GeForce graphics cards will be ideally suited to take on this year's highly anticipated DirectX 10 gaming titles, as well as next-generation OpenGL titles. Hard-core multi-taskers can set up dual or even quad-display stations to combine game play with productivity applications. With a starting price of US$5,999, the XPS 720 H2C features Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core processor QX6700 at 2.66GHz (factory overclocked to 3.46GHz) combined with Nvidia nForce 680i SLI MCP, 2GB 800MHz Corsair DOMINATOR DDR2 memory featuring EPP (factory overclocked to 1066MHz) and SLI-enabled dual 768MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX graphics cards.The XPS 720 H2C is available immediately in the US and will be available the next few weeks in Europe. Dell XPS 720 H2C Edition specifications Item Detail Processor Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 Chipset Nvidia nForce 680i SLI MCP Memory Up to 4GB dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM (667MHz or 800MHz, 2 or 4 DIMMs) Up to 8GB when 64-bit operating system is installed VGA Dual 768MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX graphics cards - SLI enabled Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, May 2007Dell XPS 720 H2CPhoto: Company

OCZ Technology Group announced their official crossover into DDR3 memory to coincide with the recent launch of the Intel Bearlake chipset. OCZ's hand-tested DDR3 solutions enable ardent enthusiasts to take advantage of the highly-anticipated P35 platform while experiencing the legendary quality and reliability of OCZ memory, according to OCZ.OCZ's DDR3 products will accommodate standard JEDEC specifications for third generation DDR. OCZ is offering its Gold Series memory kits in PC3-8500 (1066MHz) and PC3-10666 (1333MHz) speed grades.OCZ Gold DDR3 modules will be initially available in 2x512MB and 2x1024MB dual channel kits. These modules are currently available in limited quantity and OCZ has been working closely with leading platform providers to ensure optimal performance and compatibility on all the next generation computing platforms that will be introduced later this year.Each module is 100% hand-tested for quality assurance and compatibility and feature proprietary gold-mirrored XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatspreaders for the most effective heat dissipation, stated OCZ. As part of OCZ's line-up of premium memory, the DDR3 series is backed by a Lifetime Warranty and industry-leading technical support, stated the company.OCZ Technology's DDR3 memory modulesPhoto: Company

Panasonic expanded its Lumix family of digital cameras with the introduction of the compact Lumix DMC- FX100, a 12.2-megapixel resolution camera with a 28mm wide-angle lens.The newly developed and exclusive 28mm wide-angle Leica DC lens on the DMC-FX100 features a 3.6x optical zoom, f/2.8 brightness, 1/1.72-inch large CCD and Intelligent Image Stabilization with Mega O.I.S. and Intelligent ISO Control. The Lumix DMC-FX100 will be equipped with a 2.5-inch LCD screen, stated Panasonic.Intelligent Image Stabilization is a feature across the Panasonic's entire 2007 Lumix digital camera line, and provides countermeasures against blurring. This system comprises two features – MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) and Intelligent ISO Control.The DMC-FX100 also introduces a more powerful flash with reach up to 16 meters, high-speed burst shooting, which allows consecutive shooting at a lightning-fast eight shots per second and a new high sensitivity mode in which ISO 6400 recording is realized, according to Panasonic.The DMC- FX100 can also record 1920×1080 high-definition still pictures and 1280×720 at 15 frames per second motion pictures.The Lumix DMC-FX100 also includes an Easy Zoom feature that shifts the lens instantly to full 3.6x zoom power. A second touch of the button activates the Extra Optical Zoom function and extends zoom all the way to 7x, but recording at this zoom level is limited to a 3-megapixel resolution.The camera has 27MB of built-in memory and will be available in silver and black colors. The Lumix DMC-FX100 will be available in July 2007.The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100K digital cameraPhoto: CompanyThe Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100S digital cameraPhoto: Company