Ralink Technology, a Taiwan-based developer of wireless LAN chipset solutions, on June 14 announced that Rotani, which specializes in the development and design of wireless networking solutions, has released an OEM Wi-Fi access point (AP) reference design that makes any 802.11 WLAN interference-resistant using Ralink's 802.11g solution with MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) XR (eXtended Range) technology.Rotani's turn-key Wi-Fi AP reference design enables OEMs, ODMs, designers and manufacturers to tailor wireless networking solutions for high-throughput and latency-sensitive applications such as IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), video or music on demand, online gaming, VoIP (voice over IP), PVR (personal video recorder), STBs (set-top boxes), digital media center for the digital home, SOHO (small office and home office), enterprise, hotspots, mesh networks and other emerging WLAN markets. The complete reference design solution includes hardware, software reference design, support and licenses.MIMO XR features Range-OVERDRIVE, Packet-OVERDRIVE and MIMO-MRC technology; availability in PCI, mini-PCI, and CardBus interfaces; and support for standards-based features and certification requirements including security, quality of service and international regulatory."In combination with the Intel IXP425 processor and Ralink's RT61 chipset, we achieved usable throughput rates of 35 megabits per second (Mbps) in AP to client mode and 27Mbps over a distance of 30 feet while surrounded by more than 15 access points. That is the best .11g performance we have seen so far," said Nicholas Funke, the executive vice president of Rotani. "We consider the Ralink radio among the industry's best, providing OEMs and ODMs with highly flexible wireless capabilities ideal for our market."The current 802.11n standardization process is evolving, and consumers might be stranded until the final standard is approved, according to Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance. "The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to bring out its certification program coincident with the ratification of the standard and not before," stated Hanzlik. The ratification of the 802.11n standard is estimated for the third quarter of 2007.In the meantime, Ralink's MIMO XR is an alternative WLAN solution for customers looking to build WLAN solutions with performance comparable to or better than that of pre-802.11n/MIMO products, which deliver sustained multimedia content streaming at an extended range, without worrying about interoperability with multimedia content streaming at an extended range, without worrying about interoperability with 802.11n products.Ralink's MIMO XR chipsetPhoto: CompanyRotani's AirReferee combines standard off-the-shelf 802.11x radios with Rotani's antenna architecture and methods of operation in a multi-radio configuration.Photo: Company

Acer is set to showcase its lineup of high-definition (HD) notebooks at Computex Taipei 2006, including the new Aspire series that feature 15.4- and 17-inch displays for the mainstream and multimedia segments and the Aspire 9800, which sports a 20.1-inch screen to meet entertainment needs.The HD solution includes the HD-DVD-ROM drive will allows for much improved screen response time, brightness and audio capabilities, according to the company. Acer's HD notebooks are also equipped with HDMI and HDCP support for projecting HD movies and gaming to LCD TVs, said the company.HD-DVD technology supports 13 types of optical media formats as well as the DVD Super-Multi drive for advanced capability – with up to six times the image quality of standard DVD movies – and complete backward compatibility, the company noted. Exceptional HD viewing supports the highest quality HDTV of 1920x1080 pixels, subset recognition through SDTV, and CIF of 320x240 pixels, the company indicated. Acer Aspire notebook series specifications Item Aspire 9800 Aspire 9510 Aspire 5670 Aspire 9110 CPU Intel Core Duo Chipset 945PM Display 20.1-inch WXSGA TFT, 1680x1050 pixels 17-inch LCD 15.4-inch WXGA TFT with 16ms response-time 15.4-inch WXGA TFT Graphics Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GS ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 System memory 667MHz DDR2 (up to 2GB) 667MHz DDR2 (up to 4GB) 533/667MHz DDR2 (up to 2GB) 533/667MHz DDR2 (up to 2GB) Memory 256MB GDDR2 VRAM 512 MB GDDR3 128 MB GDDR2 VRAM (up to 384MB of shared system memory) 256 MB GDDR2 VRAM HDD memory One or two 80/100/120GB SATA (up to 240GB, 5400 rpm) 240GB SATA (up to 240GB) 80/100/120GB SATA (up to 120GB) 80/100/120GB SATA ODD 8x slot-load DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive - 8X slot-load DVD-Super Multi double-layer 1X HD DVD-ROM drive or 8X slot-load DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive Dimension 475x352x61.8mm - 364x274.75x28/36.3mm 358x270x 33mm Weight 7.8kg with TV-tuner and 2nd hard disk drive - 3.0kg with TV-tuner 2.98kg with TV-tuner Photo Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes, June 2006In addition to the HD-notebooks, Acer will showcase its Ferrari 5000 and Ferrari 1000 series based on the AMD Turion 64 X2 CPU, during the IT trade show. The models are crafted with a thin and light carbon fiber casing – styled in black and the exclusive "Ferrari red" – with the Ferrari 1000 featuring a 12.1-inch screen and the Ferrari 5000 having a 15.4-inch screen size.Bundled with an Acer Bluetooth VoIP (voice-over IP) phone, the Ferrari 5000 also exploits the potential of visual communication with the Acer Video Conference solution that consists of an Acer OrbiCam, a 1.3-megapixel webcamera mounted at the top of the LCD panel. The model is also built with 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi connectivity , WPAN with built-in Bluetooth 2.0 module, LAN connection with Gigabit Ethernet cards and standard connectivity through the integrated 56K ITU V.92 modem.The Ferrari 5000 offers a HDD of up to 160GB and a choice between a slot-loading DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive or the latest generation HD-DVD drive.Weighing in at 1.7kg, the Ferrari 1000 features the ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 chipset for up to 512MB of HyperMemory graphics.The Acer Ferrari 5000 notebookSource: CompanyThe Acer Ferrari 1000 notebookSource: Company

LG recently debuted its latest FM35 PMP (portable multimedia player) in South Korea, the world's first PMP with DMB (digital multimedia broadcasting) functions, according to LG Electronics Taiwan Taipei (LGETT). The LG FM35 features a 2.4-inch LCD screen, a size of 92×52×14mm, weighs 88 grams, plays P3/WMA/OGG/AVI/ASF audio formats, and has either a 512MB, 1GB or 2GB flash-based capacity, LGETT pointed out. The device's battery allows for four hours of watching digital TV or 55 hours of listening to music, LGETT said. The recommended retail price in South Korea is 199,000 won (US$210) for the 512GB unit, 229,000 won (US$241) for the 1GB version and 279,000 won (US$294) for a 2GB model.The LG FM35 will not be launched in the Taiwan market for the time being because 3G handsets and digital broadcasting are not that popular yet, LGETT indicated.The LG FM35, claimed to be the world's first DMB PMP devicePhoto: Company

Tyan Computer launched a lineup of servers based on the dual-core Intel Xeon 5000-series processors - the Tempest i5000PX (S5380), which targets the high-end sector and the entry-level and mid-range series, the Tempest i5000VS (S5372) and Tempest i5000VF (S5370).The Tempest i5000VS (S5372) supports up to six DIMMS of DDR2 667/533 ECC FBDIMM memory, two Gigabit Ethernet ports and one Fast Ethernet (10/100) port, in a 12x10.5-inch SSI CEB form factor.The Tempest i5000VF (S5370) supports up to four DIMMS of Registered DDR2-667/533 ECC FBDIMM memory and two Gigabit Ethernet ports for streamlined network communications, in a 12x10.5-inch SSI CEB form factor.The Tempest i5000PX (S5380), Tempest i5000VS (S5372) and Tempest i5000VF (S5370) will be sampling in the middle of the second quarter 2006 with mass production slated for late second quarter.Tyan Tempest i5000PX (S5380)Source: Company

Biostar Microtech on May 23 introduced its new T-series motherboards supporting AMD's AM2 platform and nForce 500 series chipsets, the TForce 590 SLI Deluxe and TForce 570 U Deluxe. The TForce 590 SLI Deluxe with the Nvidia nForce 590 SLI chipset belongs to the enthusiast motherboard segment, and features Nvidia technology like SLI(2x16), Linkboost and DualNet. The TForce 590 SLI Deluxe builds in a variety of I/O ports and strong overclocking hardware features such as flexible e-SATA 3Gb/s port, dual Gb LAN, LED diagnostic monitor and 6 MOSFETs with heatLimited sinks to stabilize CPU power. TForce 590 SLI Deluxe provides a complete overclocking solution to satisfy even the most demanding power user, The TForce 570 U Deluxe with Nvidia nForce 570 Ultra chipset is a performance motherboard. It integrates 6 SATA 3Gb/s with Nvidia RAID, Dual Gb LAN for more connectivity options and LED diagnostic to monitor motherboard status.The TForce 590 SLI Deluxe has a recommend price of US$139 while the TForce 570 U Deluxe has a recommended price of US$109. Both boards will be available for sale worldwide on May 26. Biostar motherboard main specifications Item TForce 590 SLI Deluxe–Limited Edition TForce 570 U Deluxe CPU Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon 64 X2/ Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64/Sempron Socket AM2 for AMD Athlon 64 X2/ Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64/Sempron Chipset Nvidia nForce 590 SLI Nvidia nForce 570 Ultra Memory 4 x Dual Channel DDR2 800 4 x Dual Channel DDR2 800 Slots 2 x PCI, 2 x PCI-Ex16, 1 x PCI-Ex1, 1 x PCI-Ex4 3 x PCI, 1 x PCI-Ex16, 3 x PCI-Ex1 Audio 8+2-CH HD Audio, Dual Gb LAN 8+2-CH HD Audio, Dual Gb LAN Ports 5 x SATA 3Gb/s with RAID, 1 x e-SATA3Gb/s, 2 x 1394a 6 x SATA 3Gb/s with RAID Form factor ATX Form Factor ATX Form Factor Photo Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes.com, May 2006

Foxconn Electronics (the registered trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry) may hold a press conference to officially introduce self-developed own-brand graphics cards made by itself during the upcoming Computex 2006 exhibition, according to sources. Foxconn's first own-brand graphics card, the PX7900GTX based on Nvidia's GeForce 7900 GTX (G71) graphics processing unit (GPU) that was shown at the CeBIT show in March, was manufactured by Flextronics International, which partnered with Nvidia to co-develop G71-based card products for Nvidia's branded customers, according to market sources. The sources noted that it has been two years since Nvidia and ATI Technologies first planned to partner with assembly contract makers to co-produce high-end graphics cards for specific customers. The customers could simply attach their individual brands to the finished items and potentially reduce inventory risks because multiple companies could share the same basic design, the sources indicated. Foxconn will start volume shipments of the PX7900GTX card, manufactured by Flextronics, at the end of the second quarter, according to the sources. It is currently unclear when the company will begin shipments of the cards that it will manufacture itself, but this may be clarified if the press conference goes ahead at Computex. Computex will be held at the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) and the Taipei International Convention Center (TICC) from June 6 to June 10.

FSP Group member SPI Electronic on May 11 launched the Booster X3, a high-end power supply unit suitable for gaming-use graphics cards based on the ATI and Nvidia chips. The SPI Booster X3, showcased at CeBIT in March, offers two independent +12V/150W outputs for up to 360W. With reduced power consumption and lower electricity bills, the product also follows the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation, according to the company. SPI experienced a revenue slide of 23.26% sequentially in April. Company spokesperson Lien-fa Tsai stated that the drop was caused by falling shipments of PC-use power supplies due to inventory clearance for non-RoHS-compliant products. In addition, slow demand due to seasonal effects slowed shipments for the large-size LCD TV and industrial PC (IPC) segments slightly, according to Tsai. However, demand is picking up in the coming months, said Tsai, adding that inventory has almost been cleared. Booster X3 power supply unit for graphics cards Photo: Kung Tien Huang, DigiTimes, May 2006

Sony will launch three of its latest Cyber-shot digital cameras, the DSC-T30, DSC-W70 and DSC-W100, in the Taiwan market on May 11, according to Sony Taiwan. Sony Cyber-shot digital camera specifications Item DSC-T30 DSC-W70 DSC-W100 Screen 3-inch 230,000-pixel LCD 2.5-inch 115,000-pixel LCD 2.5-inch 115,000-pixel LCD Resolution 7.2-megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD sensor 7.2-megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD sensor 8.1-megapixel 1/1.8-inch CCD sensor Zoom 3x optical, 2x digital 3x optical, 2x digital 3x optical, 2x digital Built-in memory; external memory format 58MB; Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo 58MB; Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo 64MB; Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo Battery life 420 pictures 290 pictures 300 pictures Photo printing format PictBridge (USB direct print) PictBridge (USB direct print) PictBridge (USB direct print) Dimension (W×H×D, mm) 95× 56.5×23.3 88.9× 57.1×22.9 94.2×60.6×24.8 Weight (including battery, in grams) 162 127 161 Recommended retail price (NT$) 14,980 12,980 15,480 Source: Sony Taiwan, compiled by DigiTimes.com, May 2006 The Sony DSC-T30 digital camera Photo: Sony Taiwan, May 2006 The Sony DSC-W70 digital camera Photo: Sony Taiwan, May 2006 The Sony DSC-W100 digital camera Photo: Sony Taiwan, May 2006

Asustek Computer yesterday introduced two white colored dual-core notebooks in the Taiwan market – the ASUS W5F and ASUS W7J – with suggested retail prices of NT$62,800 (US$1,993) and NT$60,800, respectively. The two models feature widescreen displays and weigh 1.6kg for the W5F and 1.9kg for the W7J, including integrated optical drives and battery packs. Asustek’s offering of white colored dual-core notebooks comes after Acer’s May 5 introduction in the Taiwan market of its TravelMate 3020, a white colored dual-core notebook that features a 12.1-inch widescreen display and weighs 1.5kg, with a price tag of NT$55,900 (NT$1,766). ASUS’s W5F and W7J notebook specifications Item W5F W7J CPU Intel Core Duo T2400 Core speed 1.83-2.33GHz, 667MHz, (2MB L2 Cache) 1.83GHz, 667MHz, (2MB L2 Cache) Chipset 945GM 945PM Display 12.1-inch widescreen TFT 13.3-inch widescreen TFT Graphics Intel 945GM VGA Nvidia GeForce 7400 256MB HDD 100GB, 5,400rpm Memory 1GB (512MBx2) 1GB (1GBx1) ODD Built-in DVD Super Multi Built-in DVD Super Multi (double layer) Wireless 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth V2.0+EDR   Integrated webcam 1.3-megapixel Weight 1.6kg (with ODD and 3-cell battery) 1.9kg (with ODD and 6-cell batter) Price NT$62,800 NT$60,800 Photo Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes, May 2006

GeCube recently announced its GeCube X1900GT product line, further strengthening its offerings featuring ATI’s graphics platform. The RoH-compliant X1900GT product line is based on Shader Model 3.0 with the best frame rates in the industry, claims the company. Moreover, the X1900GT line includes 36 internal pixel shaders with a core memory refresh rate of up to 575MHz/1.2GHz. The X1900GT line can simultaneously initiate HDR and anti aliasing (AA) functions, according to the company. The high dynamic range (HDR) capability processes light sources cast on highly animated objects in such a way that human eyes perceive images as virtual objects. With tiny variations in background light, the performance approaches reality. Moreover, the product simultaneously executes anti-aliasing (AA), which in terms of processing graphics and background features achieves new levels of quality and detail. The GeCube X1900GT line supports CrossFire platforms with functions such as AFR, SuperTiling, scissor and graphics provided by super AA rendering mode. Resolution can reach 2048×1536 with existing dual graphics cards can initiate 12x multi-sampling AA effects as well as 2x super-sampling AA mode. GeCube X1900 GT specifications Item Details Product name GC-X1900GTD-VID3 Core clock speed 575MHz/1.2GHz Memory interface 256-bit Memory GDDR3, 256MB Pixel shader processor 36 Vertex shader 3.0 TV output S/HDTV-out DVI-I Yes (double dual link) Cooling    ATI original fan (single slot ) Recommend selling price (RSP) US$299 Photo Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes, May 2006