At a little under a year, Walton Chaintech is a relative newcomer in the memory market, but the company's pedigree and unique wafer-in module-out manufacturing capability means that its recently announced Apogee GT memory might just give high-end memory giants such as Corsair, OCZ and Kingston a run for their money.Aimed at gamers and advanced users looking to maximize the performance of their systems, Apogee GT series memory comes with extruded aluminum and high-performance heat sinks and is sold as matched pair kits to increase reliability when running in dual-channel mode. Currently 1GB and 2GB kits are available with 4GB kits scheduled for the second or third quarter, according to sources at Chaintech. Speeds available are 800+ (the plus indicates that Chaintech guarantees overclockability above 800MHz) at 4-4-4-12 CL4 and 1066+ 5-5-5-15 CL5, with prices around US$450 for a 2GB 1066+ kit.So far so ordinary, but what gives Chaintech the potential to become a player in the high-end memory market is the fact that the company is part of the Passive System Alliance (PSA) group, which means that unlike most brand-name memory companies, Chaintech and its sister companies are involved in the entire RAM manufacturing process, from the original wafer, to burn-in and testing, to module assembly and packaging. This means that Chaintech has the opportunity to cherry pick the top samples from each production batch while avoiding premium prices. It also allows Chaintech to guarantee its products with confidence – its memory comes with a lifetime guarantee, and, by the company's figures, has a defect rate of 0.1% compared to the industry average of 0.5%.In other news, Chaintech has also added a third product to its Nvidia GeForce 8 GPU-based graphics lineup. The 8800GTX with 768MB DDR3, 8800GTS with 640MB DDR3, and new 8800GTS with 320MB GDDR3 are all reference design cards but Chaintech also revealed that the company is working on ten more GeForce 8-series cards. Some of these are based on as yet unreleased GPUs (which Chaintech declined to discuss for non-disclosure agreement reasons but it can be speculated that these are the upcoming G84 and G86 parts) while some will be non-reference 8800 based cards which could carry a different cooling solution or higher performing memory produced by Chaintech and its sister companies.Apogee GT series memory comes with high-performance heat sinks and is sold as matched pair kitsPhoto: CompanyFor complete DigiTimes coverage of CeBIT 2007 go here.

Asustek is showcasing its new C1000 HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) broadband data card and several new handsets, including the P735, P526, M530W, V88i, Z802i and J502, at CeBIT 2007, noted sources at Asustek.This is Asustek's first-time to showcase its C1000 card. The card supports the PCI Express interface and SMS (short message service) and MMS (multimedia messaging service), according to the sources.In its 3G lineup, Asustek is showing the P735, V88i and Z802i, while the company is also featuring its P735, P526 and M530W smartphones. The P526 and M530W both support the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 operating system. The Z802i, with a leather case, is targeted at the mid-range and high-end fashion markets, noted the source.The P735 will be first to launch at the end of March, followed by the V88i in April. The P735 is an upgrade of the P535 with support for WCDMA, but does not support GPS functions, while the V88i, an upgrade of the V80, will support WCDMA and multimedia functions, noted the sources.For complete DigiTimes coverage of CeBIT 2007 go here.

RTX Telecom on March 16 announced the launch of its new DUALphone 3058, an integrated ordinary phone and cordless Internet USB phone for use with Skype.The DUALphone 3058 is a cordless USB phone that is connected to a regular telephone socket and works with Skype by using the USB port on a PC. Users are then free to make cordless Skype calls with the handset anywhere in the home or office. The handset's color display shows whether other Skype users on your contact list are available. If they are, users simply have to press the Skype button to talk to them for free, according to RTX.To reach friends or colleagues who are offline or do not use Skype, users can simply use the ordinary landline via the Public Switched Telephone Operator connection as normal. Alternatively, they can make SkypeOut calls to landlines and mobiles anywhere in the world. Skype users can also purchase an optional SkypeIn number that allows them to receive calls from regular telephones via Skype. The DUALphone 3058 product features a hands-free speakerphone, a color display on the handset and supports Windows Vista. In addition, the unit uses DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) technology.The DUALphone 3058 will be available from April 1 at a recommended reseller price of 89 euros.The new DUALphone from RTX TelecomPhoto: CompanyFor complete DigiTimes coverage of CeBIT 2007 go here.

Apollo Display Technologies recently announced its new PRISMA II series of RGB/DVI/video converter boards with analog control for connecting TFT LCDs to standard graphics and/or video interfaces. Input signals such as analog RGB, analog video or DVI are automatically converted into TTL or LVDS signals accepted by TFT displays, according to the company.PRISMA II series boards scale the input signal to the appropriate TFT resolution as needed. A dynamic OSM (on-screen-menu) enables the user to make adjustments to any of the LCD's display attributes, such as adjusting the brightness, contrast, color, auto adjust, etc. An external OSD (on-screen display) control button board is optionally available for all PRISMA II series converter boards, stated the company.All PRISMA II series converter boards support TFT displays from 6.4-inches to 82-inches diagonal with 6-bit and 8-bit color depth, and single- and dual-channel LVDS supported. With the auto-detect/auto-config function, all analog RGB signals are automatically detected and optimally displayed on the LCD screen.The PRISMA II series includes the new PRISMA II board, the next generation of Apollo's standard PRISMA RGB/DVI/Video Converter board, which is optimized for multimedia applications. It provides a range of functionalities and characteristics, including component video-in, support of resolutions up to full HD, WUXGA (1920×1200), improved video quality and de-interlacing, improved auto-adjust, power supply options up to 24V, and a HM-Interface option. With the new PRISMA II, the OSD can be controlled remotely over RS232 and, due to its picture-in-picture (PIP) and picture-by-picture (PBP) functions, two input sources can be displayed at the same time.The PRISMAeco II is the next generation development of the compact, cost-effective PRISMAeco RGB converter board and is equipped with an additional DVI input and improved auto-adjust functionality. It can be used for basic monitor applications connecting TFT displays to RGB analog and DVI standard graphics interfaces. PRISMAeco II supports TFT displays from VGA to SXGA resolution, with TTL and LVDS output, according to the company.The PRISMAeco Slim is the most compact and cost-effective member of the PRISMA II series. PRISMAeco Slim supports TFT displays from VGA to SXGA resolution (1280×1024), with LVDS output, and is the low-cost choice for basic monitor applications connecting TFT displays from VGA to the RGB analog standard graphics interface, said the company.All PRISMA II Series boards are backed by long term availability (3-5 years), product stability, compatibility of subsequent products, and expert technical support, according to Apollo.Pricing for Apollo's new PRISMA II series RGB/DVI/video converter boards starts at US$51 for the PRISMAeco II in production quantities (10K units). Delivery is typically 4-6 weeks for samples.Apollo Display Technologies' new PRISMA II series of RGB/DVI/video converter boardsPhoto: Company

At a press conference at CeBIT 2007, Studio Canal, Universal, Toshiba and Microsoft announced the formation of a new trade organization, the European HD DVD Promotional Group.The new organization will include movie studios, distributors, consumer electronics companies, IT companies, PC makers, disc replication companies and authoring houses companies throughout Europe and around the globe. As the European counterpart to the North American HD DVD Promotional Group and working with the HD DVD Promotion Group originally organized in Japan, the new non-profit organization completes the global promotion structure for HD DVD, working to educate consumers on the quality and value of the format.The existing marketing campaign, which showcases HD DVD as "The Look and Sound of Perfect" will be used to highlight European perspectives, with the launch of country-specific pages to the www.hddvdeurope.com website. The group and its member companies plan to back the campaign with promotions, and trade and consumer marketing through the 2007 holiday season and into 2008. The campaign will promote the format and co-market HD DVD hardware with the more than 300 HD DVD titles already on the market today and the more than 600 expected on store shelves by year-end 2007.For complete DigiTimes coverage of CeBIT 2007 go here.

Garmin International on March 15 announced the nuvi 200, nuvi 250 and nuvi 270. This new family of entry-level GPS devices offers budget savvy consumers the benefit of a premium in-dash system at a fraction of the cost, according to Garmin.The nuvi 200-series incorporates an internal GPS antenna that makes it thinner and even easier to mount in a car, claims the company. The intuitive "where to?" and "view map" welcome screen allows users to quickly find a specific street address or establishment's name, or search for a destination by category, stated Garmin.Those familiar with the "travel kit" feature available on premium nuvis will appreciate the nuvi 200-series' built-in picture viewer, calculator, currency converter, unit converter and world clock. For additional security, Garmin has included the Garmin Lock, a patent pending theft prevention system that disables the unit from performing any functions until the user types in a specific 4-digit PIN or takes the unit to a predetermined secure location.Garmin has also added the ability for customers to augment the preloaded maps with custom points of interest (POI's) from third parties such as school zones and safety cameras. The European versions of the nuvi 200-series come preloaded with speed camera information.About the size of a deck of cards, the nuvi's features a 3.5-inch (diagonal) touchscreen. The unit's only button is an on/off slider bar, which may be locked to avoid being turned on or off accidentally. The nuvi also has a convenient SD card slot for expandable memory, stated Garmin.The nuvi 200, nuvi 250 and nuvi 270 are expected to be available in April at an manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$399.99, US$499.99 and US$599.99, respectively. The nuvi 200 includes preloaded detailed mapping of the contiguous United States (lower 48), Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The nuvi 250 has preloaded detailed mapping of the entire United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada and Puerto Rico. For the ultimate ease in traveling abroad, the nuvi 270 includes preloaded detailed maps of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and over 30 countries in Europe. All map data is provided by Navteq and includes approximately six million POI's.Garmin will also offer nuvi 200-series products with regional specific coverage for Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Brazil. The regional coverage for Europe includes UK/Ireland, Nordics, Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg, France, Italy/Greece, Spain/Portugal, and Germany/Switzerland/Austria/Czech Republic.The Garmin nuvi 200 GPS navigation devicePhoto: CompanyFor complete DigiTimes coverage of CeBIT 2007 go here.

Micro-Star International (MSI) has been keen to show off the motherboards it will be releasing in the coming months at the ongoing CeBIT 2007 IT trade show in Hannover, Germany.The P6N Diamond combines some of the big names in enthusiast hardware; the nForce 680i – the current flagship chipset from Nvidia, and Creative's X-Fi Extreme Audio. This integrated version of the X-Fi series may lack some of the features that the add-in cards deliver, but for many the opportunity to have X-Fi onboard means lower costs and better performance than other integrated audio solutions. MSI mentioned that it has been working closely with Creative for over two years and the co-operation is working well for both parties.MSI indicated that although the P6N Diamond marks the first appearance of X-Fi on its motherboards, the company has plans to feature X-Fi on future boards too, including ones based on Intel's recently unveiled Bearlake chipset family. Regarding the numerous reports that Creative is struggling to deliver X-Fi drivers for Windows Vista, MSI revealed that Creative has recently submitted both 32- and 64-bit drivers for WHQL testing, and it expects certified drivers to be available around the time the P6N Diamond launches.In addition to its above-average onboard audio, the P6N Diamond has a few other features that make it stand out from the crowd of 680i-based boards. As with boards from other manufactures, the P6N features three x16 PCIe Express (PCIe) slots, and then adds a fourth for good measure. The four slots are paired up electrically as two x16 and two x8 and allow the P6N to support SLI plus a couple of PCIe add-in cards now, but MSI also mentioned SLI Physics and Quad-SLI will also be possible in the near future. Additionally, MSI highlighted that the RAID controller on the P6N supports hardware RAID 0 and 1 as well as RAID 5 in software.The P6N Diamond is scheduled to launch in the second quarter and will be priced around US$280.The P6N diamond freatures integrated X-Fi audio and four x16 PCI Express slotsPhoto: CompanyThe second interesting motherboard that MSI has on show at CeBIT is the P956 Neo2. This Intel 965 Express based board has been customized to support ATI Crossfire which is implemented via a PCIe x16 slot and an open ended x4 slot. This means that performance is likely to be slightly lower than boards using high-end chipsets such as the Intel 975X, but the P965 Neo2's low price tag of around US$100 is likely to appeal to many consumers.Additionally, MSI is also is set to release the P6N SLI, an nForce 650i motherboard that will launch in the second quarter priced around US$170.Also spotted were boards based on the AMD 690 chipset and boards based on an Nvidia IGP – likely to be the upcoming MCP 73 for Intel and MCP 68 for AMD. MSI commented that it is impressed with the video quality that the AMD 690 offers, and hinted that it has plans to support high-end AMD chipsets later in the year.MSI's P965 Neo2 delivers Crossfire performance at a mainstream pricePhoto: CompanyFor complete DigiTimes coverage of CeBIT 2007 go here.

Pretec will demonstrate its i-Disk RFID USB flash drive at CeBIT 2007. The company claims that the device is the smallest of its kind in the world.Pretec i-Disk RFID combines a USB flash disk and RFID technology in a small, sturdy and waterproof construction, which can be conveniently incorporated with any system in need of both digital mass storage and easy identification. With the feature of being automatically identified and data remotely retrieved when i-Disk RFID passes within the proximity of a RFID reader, the Pretec i-Disk RFID can be widely applied to variety of markets and applications such as hospitals, airports, warehouses, POS systems for access control, asset or inventory management. Measuring 45.7×12.2×2.2mm, 25% smaller in volume than a US quarter coin, the i-Disk RFID is about 1/4 of the size of a typical USB flash drive.Paper-less and easy access environment for hospital patient care can be achieved by using the Pretec i-Disk RFID as a tag (or bracelet, or necklace) functioning as an electronic portable medical health record and easy and yet secure personal identification. Fabricated using a semiconductor MCP process, the Pretec i-Disk RFID is an ideal device for floppy disk replacement, personal identification tag or rugged industrial applications. With a capacity ranging from 128MB to 1GB, the Pretec i-Disk RFID is sampling now to select customers with mass production scheduled by the second quarter of this year.Pretec i-Disk RFIDPhoto: Business WireFor complete DigiTimes coverage of CeBIT 2007 go here.

Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry) is exhibiting several own brand graphic cards, motherboards, system cases and heat sinks at CeBIT, highlighting the company's goal of boosting sales of the own brand products 2007, according to sources at Foxconn.Foxconn is showcasing Windows Vista compatible motherboards using chips from AMD, Silicon Integrated System (SiS), VIA and Nvidia in the IT trade show which runs until March 21 in Hannover, Germany. One featured product is a motherboard based on Intel’s P35 chipset, which supports DDR3 memory and a front side bus speed of up to 1333MHz. Another motherboard being spotlighted is based on Intel's 975X chipset and has three PCIe x16 slots, added the sources.Foxconn's own brand graphic cards based on Nvidia chips include the GeForce 8800 and GeForce 7 series and targets the high-end market, according to sources.For complete DigiTimes coverage of CeBIT 2007 go here.

Biostar Microtech International announced the launch of its TF7050 AM2 motherboard, based on the Nvidia GeForce7050PV and nForce630a chipset. The motherboard comes with integrated HDMI, on-chip HDCP and High Definition Audio(HDA), according to Biostar.The on board HDMI connector is designed to meet the output protection management HDCP and security specification of the Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD formats, which allows the playback of encrypted movie content on PCs when connected to HDCP-compliant displays, according to the company.High definition audio (HDA) brings consumer electronics quality sound to the PC and deliver 192kHz/32-bit quality from eight channels, supporting the latest audio formats. The motherboard offers both HDMI and TV-Out ports to support HDMI and HDA function, according to Biostar. TF7050 AM2 specifications Item Details CPU Supports AMD Athlon 64 X2/64/Sempron Processors Chipset Nvidia GeForce7050 PV / nForce630a Socket AM2 Memory 4xDDR2 DIMM, supports up to 8GB memory Supports dual channel DDR2 533/667/800 MHz PCI-Express x16 1 PCI-Express x1 1 PCI 2 LAN PCIE GbE LAN (Realtek RTL8111B) SATAII 4 USB 2.0 10 (Front 6, Rear 4) RAID 0,1,5,0+1 Integrated Video Nvidia GeForce7050PV Max. Share Memory 256MB Integrated Audio 8+2 Channel HD Audio (Realtek ALC888) HDMI 1 TV-Out 1 Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes.com, March 2007The Biostar TF7050 AM2 motherboardPhoto: CompanyFor complete DigiTimes coverage of CeBIT 2007 go here.