CeBIT 2007 – one of the largest IT and communications trade shows – is running from March 15 to 21. DigiTimes will have complete coverage of the event, including the latest product news and exclusive interviews from Taiwan's top IT companies. For our readers' convenience we will be listing all of our CeBIT articles on this page. Be sure to check back regularly for updates. Intel to launch Bearlake chipsets for desktops (part 1) Intel and its partners will kick of CeBIT 2007 with the launch of Intel's Bearlake family of chipsets for desktop PCs. The new series introduces support for DDR3 memory, front side bus speeds up to 1333MHz and are designed to support Intel's upcoming 45nm-process CPUs, the Core 2 Duo (Wolfdale) and Core 2 Quad (Yorkfield).Read more Samsung introduces 30-inch LED-based monitor Samsung Electronics introduces a 30-inch LCD monitor that incorporates an LED as the backlight source.Read more Nanya highlights Elixir memory Nanya will exhibit new products including the latest DDR3 technology, 4GB FB-DIMMs which will fulfill high-end server needs, high density stacking UDIMMs, SODIMMs, and will live demo Elixir DDR2-1066 at the show.Read more E-Ten previews 3G, VGA phone; to offer WM6 updates to existing owners The Glofiish X800, supports 3G connectivity (HSDPA/WCDMA), Windows Mobile 6 and is the first from the company to include a VGA (640×480) display.Read more Intel to launch Bearlake chipsets for desktops (part 2) Find out about the other chipsets in the Bearlake family, including a high-end version which introduces support for PCI Express 2.0 and integrated graphics processor (IGP) designs.Read more Biostar introduces TF7050 AM2 motherboard 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.Read more Foxconn showcasing own-brand gearFoxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry) is exhibiting several own brand graphic cards, motherboards, system cases and heat sinks highlighting the company's goal of boosting sales of the own brand products 2007.Read morePretec claims i-Disk RFID as smallest flash drive in worldPretec 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.Read more MSI motherboard roundup; nForce 680i with Creative X-Fi onboard; Intel 965 plus Crossfire; high-end AMD chipsets in the pipelineMicro-Star International (MSI) has been keen to show off the motherboards it will be releasing in the coming months.Read moreHD DVD forms European promotional groupAt a press conference, Studio Canal, Universal, Toshiba and Microsoft announced the formation of a new trade organization, the European HD DVD Promotional Group.Read moreGarmin adds to GPS device lineupGarmin International has announced the nuvi 200, nuvi 250 and nuvi 270 a new family of entry-level GPS devices which offer budget savvy consumers the benefit of a premium in-dash system at a fraction of the cost.Read moreRTX introduces new DUALphoneRTX 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.Read moreAsustek showcases new 3.5G cards and handsetsAsustek 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.Read moreWalton Chaintech introduces high-end Apogee GT memory; planning ten new Nvidia GeForce 8-series graphics cardsAt 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.Read moreGigabyte Communications introduces 3.5G and digital TV handsetsGigabyte Communications has introduced two new handsets, the GSmart t600 with support for mobile digital TV, and the q60 professional handset with qwerty-keypad and 3.5G connectivity. Read more Is this the end of CeBIT for Taiwan companies?As everyone in Hannover, Germany begins the process of packing up and returning to Taiwan, the question that all companies are asking is was it all worth it? For many - including some of the biggest Taiwan IT names - the answer is no.Read more Photo: Company

Fujitsu on March 14 announced the global launch of its MHW2040AC Parallel ATA (PATA) mobile hard disk drive (HDD) for extreme environments, featuring a storage capacity of 40GB and strong temperature and shock and vibration resilience.Fujitsu's navigation series hard drives can operate in a temperature range of -30-degrees Celsius to 85-degrees Celsius making it suitable for outdoor environments, according to the company. Enabling a range of outdoor applications, such as ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) Systems, auto-ticketing machines, the drive is also suitable for automotive GPS devices, the MHW2040AC series will ship in the second quarter of 2007, stated Fujitsu. Fujitsu MHW2040AC hard drive specifications Item Details Capacity 40GB Rotational speed 4200-rpm Interface PATA (ATA-7) Buffer size 8MB Track to track seek time 1.5 ms typ. Idle power consumption 0.7 W typ. Ambient temperature tolerance (2 versions) 30-degrees Celsius to 85-degrees Celsius -20-degrees Celsius to 80-degrees Celsius Relative humidity 8% to 90% RH Acoustic (Idle) 1.5 bels typ. Operating shock 300G (2ms) Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes.com, March 2007The the Fujitsu MHW2040AC hard drivePhoto: Company

Sony on March 14 unveiled four new HDD (hard disk drive) Handycam series camcorders, the DCR-SR62, DCR-SR82, DCR-SR200 and DCR-SR300, for the Taiwan market, with pre-orders available immediately and a formal launch slated for March 19, according to Sony Taiwan. Sony's four new HDD Handycam models: Main specifications and prices Item DCR-SR62 DCR-SR82 DCR-SR200 DCR-SR300 Image sensor 1/6-inch CCD 1/3-inch ClearVid CMOS Resolution of image 1-megapixel 4-megapixels 6-megapixels Optical/digital zoom 25x/2,000x 10x/80x 10x/20x Storage 30GB* 60GB 40GB Screen 2.7-inch 16:9 LCD touch Hand-shake reduction technology Super Steady Shot Optical Steady Shot Dimension (W×H×D, cm) 73×72×115 76×78×149 Weight (including battery) 350g 360g 455g 480g Recommended retail price in NT$ 24,900 (US$755) 27,900 34,900 39,900 *30GB is equivalent to recording HQ (high quality) video for 7 hours, SP (standard play) video for 11 hours, or LP (long play) video for 20 hoursSource: Sony Taiwan, compiled by DigiTimes.com, March 2007Sony HDD Handycam DCR-SR62Sony HDD Handtcam DCR-SR82Sony HDD Handycam DCR-SR200Sony HDD Handycam DCR-SR300

Super Talent Technology, a US-based manufacturer of DRAM memory modules and flash products, has announced a range of solid state disk (SSD) drives with an industry standard Serial ATA (SATA) interface. This new line of SATA drives is offered in industry standard 1.8-inch, 2.5-inch, and 3.5-inch form factors, making these drives 100% compatible with conventional hard disk drives, according to the company.Super Talent's 1.8-inch SATA drives are offered in up to 32GB capacities; 2.5-inch drives are available in up to 64GB; and for high capacity requirements, Super Talent offers a 128GB 3.5-inch drive.These products are built with only solid state flash components. Since they contain no moving parts, SSD drives have the advantage of being far more rugged and reliable than regular hard drives while using 85% less power, claimed the company. Moreover, because SSD drives are built using flash technology, they offer sequential transfer speed comparable to magnetic drives and dramatically faster access speeds.Super Talent SSDPhoto: Company

Avermedia Technologies announced on March 13 the release of its AVerTV Combo PCI Express (PCIe) High Definition and Analog TV Tuner. The AVerTV Combo PCIe combines separate Analog and ATSC/QAM tuners on one card for desktop computers. The new TV tuner card is certified for Windows XP, XP Media Center Edition 2005 and Windows Vista Premium 32/64 bit, according to Avermedia.The Avermedia AVerTV Combo is a PCI Express x1 low-profile TV tuner featuring combo high definition and analog TV tuners. Complete with an ATSC and unencrypted "Clear" QAM capable TV tuner, users can watch ATSC TV both over-the-air, or through a standard coaxial cable for unencrypted digital cable content. Featuring a world-wide analog TV tuner with advanced 3D Y/C comb filter with ghost reduction, as well as hardware compression, the AVerTV Combo PCIe enables users to watch/record both analog and high definition TV on their desktop PC using Windows Media Center or AVer MediaCenter Application.The Avermedia AVerTV Combo PCIe (Media Center Upgrade Kit), including Windows Media Center remote control and receiver, is available now at a manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$119.99.Avermedia's AVerTV Combo PCIe High Definition and Analog TV TunerPhoto: Company

Seagate Technology on March 12 announced the worldwide distribution channel availability of its 7200-rpm notebook PC hard drive, which combines capacity-boosting perpendicular recording technology with free-fall protection.The Momentus 7200.2 delivers up to 160GB of capacity using perpendicular recording technology and combines Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s interface with a 7200-rpm spin speed. The hard drive is also offered with an optional free-fall sensor to help prevent drive damage and data loss upon impact if a notebook PC is dropped, according to Seagate. The sensor works by detecting any changes in acceleration equal to the force of gravity, then parking the head off the disc to prevent contact with the platter in a free fall of as little as eight inches. Momentus 7200.2, Seagate's second-generation 7200-rpm notebook drive, is designed for a wide range of systems including mainstream notebook PCs, workstations, RAID enclosures, and small form factor desktop PCs, according to the company. The 2.5-inch drive is available in 80GB, 100GB, 120GB and 160GB capacities. Seagate's Momentus series hard drives are built to withstand up to 900Gs of non-operating shock and 350Gs of operating shock to protect drive data, making them ideal for systems that are subject to rough handling or high levels of vibration, stated Seagate. The hard drives are also lean on power consumption, allowing notebook users to work longer between battery charges, and are very quiet due to Seagate's innovative SoftSonic fluid-dynamic bearing motors and QuietStep ramp load technology, claimed the company.Seagate's Momentus 7200.2 160GB 2.5-inch hard drivePhoto: Company

Anydata on March 12 announced the release of its AWR-600WK Wi-Fi router with broadband WCDMA/HSDPA network access.The AWR-600WK router offers a secure Wi-Fi local network with data exchange rates of 54Mbps using the WLAN 802.11 b/g standard. The AWR-600WK router takes advantage of mobility and broadband 3G speeds of the 90+ HSDPA networks commercially available by GSM carriers worldwide, said Anydata.The AWR-600WK features 3G HSDPA Release 5 with data rates of up to 7.2Mbps download, backward compatibility with WCDMA, four RJ-45 ports and a built-in DHCP server that can support up to 253 users. The router also has a Web-based configuration wizard that allows administration, firmware upgrades and diagnostics, and advanced Wi-Fi and Ethernet security features, according to the company.For wireless security, the AWR-600WK features 64bit or 128bit WEP encryption as well as WPA-PSK authentication. LAN security features include a firewall, IP filtering, DMZ, NAT with DHCP, Denial of Service, and MAC clone. It also supports VPN pass through virtual server.The AWR-600WK has dimensions of 155×28×120mm. For maximum performance, it features two antennas – one for the local Wi-Fi network and one for the WCDMA network.The Anydata AWR-600WK Wi-Fi routerPhoto: Company

Intel has announced its entry into solid state drives with the Intel Z-U130 Value Solid-State Drive featuring NAND flash memory with industry standard USB interfaces. With advantages over hard disk drive (HDD) or removable USB storage devices, Intel's Solid State Drives deliver faster boot times, embedded code storage, rapid data access and low-power storage alternatives for value PCs, routers, servers, gaming and industrial applications, said the company.The Intel Z-U130 Value Solid State Drive is the company's first solution in the Intel Value Solid State Drive family that will offer different industry standard interfaces and densities. The product comes in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB densities. With reads of 28MB per second and write speeds of 20 MB per second, this higher performing solid state drive is a faster storage alternative for common PC or embedded application operations such as locating boot code, operating systems and commonly accessed libraries, according to Intel.The drives will also be used in a variety of Intel-based computing platforms, such as servers, emerging market notebooks and low-cost, fully featured PCs. In addition, it will be used in Intel embedded solutions for routers and point of sale terminals, said Intel.Intel's Z-U130 Value Solid State Drive will be distinguished from other solid state product offerings by its extensive validation, including more than 1,000 hours of accelerated reliability testing, and is expected to meet an average mean time between failure (MTBF) specification of five million hours. The product can be integrated into original design manufacturers' (ODM) designs because of its USB 2.0 and 1.1 compliant interfaces, 2x5 USB connector and standard single-level cell NAND in thin small outline package (TSOP) devices. The company is also considering next-generation products that could incorporate cost-effective multi-level cell (MLC) technology.Intel Value Solid State Drive (front)Photo: CompanyIntel Value Solid State Drive (back)Photo: Company

Further expanding its quad-core processor family lineup, Intel has announced two energy-efficient 50-watt server processors that represent a decrease ranging from 35% to nearly 60% in power from Intel's existing 80- and 120-watt quad-core server products.These new processors, requiring just 12.5 watts of power for each of the four cores, deliver similar performance yet set a new standard in energy efficiency, said Intel, which has introduced 11 server, workstation and desktop PC quad-core processors since November 2006.The two low-voltage processors, the Intel Xeon processor L5320 and L5310, operate at 1.86GHz and 1.60GHz respectively, feature a unique 8MB of on die cache for faster memory data communication and run on dedicated 1066MHz front side buses. In 1,000 unit quantities the L5320 is priced at US$519 and the L5310 at US$455.These processors can be coupled with Intel's existing "Bensley" server platform and have been designed to be "drop-in" compatible with the existing dual-core and quad-core Intel Xeon processor families.Servers based on the new low-power, quad-core processors are designed for dense Internet datacenters, blade servers and industries such as financial services where the scale and density of servers are highly sensitive to power, real estate and cooling costs. The potential for cost savings by replacing aging infrastructure with quad-core Intel Xeon processors and deploying virtualization technology can be as much as US$6,000 per year over the lifetime of each server based on Intel's own evaluations.In addition, these new processors represent a nearly ten-fold improvement in power consumption per core in just one and half years, said Intel.Servers based on these new processors are expected to be available worldwide over the next few months from Acer, Dell, Digital Henge, Fujitsu Siemens, Hewlett Packard (HP), HCL, IBM, Rackable Systems, Samsung Electronics, Verari, Wipro and other companies.Intel Xeon 50-watt quad-core processor Photo: Company

Sony on March 8 introduced its 6-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-G1 digital camera, the company's first digital camera with the ability to send photos wirelessly to other Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-enabled devices, such as another camera or a PC.The G1 model features a 3.5-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 921,000 pixels, four times higher than the average compact digital camera and all previous Sony Cyber-shot models, according to Phil Lubell, director of marketing for digital cameras at Sony Electronics.The new model's camera-to-camera wireless capability makes it possible to send a photo at the push of a button. It's also possible for up to four camera users to send each other photos in real time. With a DLNA-compatible PC, storing and sharing photos becomes simplified through wireless image transfer from the camera to the PC, according to Sony.The G1 comes with 2GB of internal memory and can store up to 7,500 VGA-quality photos or 600 6-megapixel pictures. If additional storage is needed, the camera's capacity can be expanded with an optional Memory Stick Duo media card or Memory Stick PRO Duo card, now available in capacities up to 8GB, said Sony.In addition to storage capacity, the G1 incorporates an auto image management system with search functions. Photos can be searched by events, such as vacations or birthdays, and retrieved later by keywords or labels. It's also possible to select an image and search for other photos with the same face, same color, or a similar composition, noted Sony.Sony's new camera also includes Super Steady Shot optical image stabilization to minimize motion blur, and also has high light sensitivity, up to ISO 1000, to facilitate shooting at higher shutter speeds, as well as low-light conditions for more natural exposures or for settings where flash is not permitted. The camera also features a Carl Zeiss 3x optical zoom lens.The DSC-G1 digital camera will ship in April for about US$600. Additional accessories will include lenses, filters, batteries, travel chargers, sports packs and cases. All can be purchased at Sony's online and retail stores or at authorized dealers.Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-G1 6-megapixel wireless digital cameraPhoto: Company