Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS) announced today that small-form-factor (SFF) PC specialist AOpen will feature the SiS761GX northbridge chip and SiS965 southbridge in its latest 64-bit XC Cube platform, the EX761. The EX761 is AOpen’s first 64-bit SFF offering that supports PCI Express (PCIe), the company stated. The integrated SiS761GX chipset is equipped with a 3D graphics core and fully supports the AMD Sempron and Athlon 64 processors. The SiS761GX also supports PCIe graphics cards for better graphics performance. The EX761 offers S/PDIF (Sony Philips Digital Interface) and coaxial cable outputs, for connecting to digital audio output devices, such as amplifiers and multi-channel speakers. The EX761 is designed to support strong gaming features, with the DirectX9 compliant system built with SiS Mirage 1 graphic engine and 256-bit 3D accelerator engine with up to 3.2GB per second in bandwidth. In addition to audio/video performance, The EX761 is built with a CPU cooler that contains heat dissipation liquid inside the heat pipe and supports better thermal performance. The system also provides four USB 2.0 ports. The compact EX761 measures only 190×200×320mm in dimension and is 8.4lb (3.8kg) in weight. SiS761GX northbridge Photo: Company AOpen EX761 SFF PC Photo: Company

Dopod will be introducing its Dopod 900 3G PDA phone to the Taiwan market on September 20, with a projected price tag of NT$34,900 (US$1,063), according to company sources. The Dopod 900, which is similar to the Vodafone VPA IV or Orange SPV 3G, is a 3G-enabled, pocket-PC device based on the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system. In addition to 3G cell phone capabilities, the device will also feature PDA and MP3 player functions as well as a 1.3 megapixel camera. The Dopod supports GSM/GPRS and WCDMA and sports an internal WiFi port. The Dopod 900 Photo: company

Life Technologies has unveiled its DDV-V1 PMP (portable multi-media player) and DV (digital video camcorder) under its DigiLife brand name, with the company stating the product will be sold in Taiwan for NT$8,490 (US$266) and other unspecified markets, according to company president Johnson Yang. The DDV-V1 features a 2.4-inch TFT LCD color screen, a digital 10x zoom and a 3.2 megapixel CMOS sensor for taking still pictures. For recording video, the DDV-V1 supports resolutions up to 640×480 at 30 frames per second, and the device supports SD or MMC flash memory cards for storing video. In addition, the DDV-V1 is equipped with AV-in software that enables users to record movies or video content directly from a TV or DVD player, without needing to first go through a computer. This is the third DV model introduced by Life Technologies so far this year. The company expects to ship 400,000 DVs this year, including 60,000 units in the Taiwan market, Yang indicated. Life Technologies focuses on R&D and own-brand marketing and contracts out production to a few Taiwan-based manufacturers, Yang noted. DigiLife DDV-V1

LG Electronics recently broke into the Taiwan MP3 player market by unveiling six MP3 player models through its Taiwan subsidiary LG Electronics Taiwan Taipei (LGETT), with the products targeting the mid-range and high-end market segments, according to LGETT assistant general manager Seung-min Park. Five of the new models are flash-based MP3 players and range in capacity from 256MB to 1GB. The sixth model (MF-HE700) features a 20GB hard disk drive (HDD) and can be used as a portable media player (PMP), with support for MP3 playback, as well as digital photo and video viewing. The six models range in price from NT$5000 (US$159) to NT$15,000 (US$459). Taiwan’s MP3 player demand will grow from 700,000 units in 2004 to one million units this year based on projections by Topology Research Institute (TRI), and LG Electronics aims to sell 100,000 MP3 players in Taiwan this year, Park pointed out. LGE also plans to introduce its notebook PCs to Taiwan in the fourth quarter of this year. Taiwan market: LG Electronics six new MP3 player models Code name Storage capacity Interface Format Battery life (MP3 play time, hours) W*H*D dimension (mm) Weight (grams) Recommended retail price in NT$ (US$) MF-FE505/509 512MB/1GB USB2.0 MP3/WMA/OGG 12 50x25x18 30 5,990(191)/7,990(255) MF-FE422/425 256MB/512MB USB2.0 MP3/WMA/WAV 15 68.2x22.2x30.8 38 5,490(175)/6,990(223) MF-FE462 256MB USB1.1 MP3/WMA/WAV/ASF 15 33x17.5x86 34 4,990(159) MF-FE415 512MB USB1.1 MP3/WMA/WAV 10 85x28x23 34 5,490(175) MF-S435 512MB USB2.0 MP3/WMA/WAV 16 30x82.4x20 22 9,900(316) MF-HE700 20GB* USB2.0 Movie files: MPEG-1/2/4, DivX, Xvid, WMA, AVI, ASF; photo files: JPG, BMP; music files: MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV; word files: TXT 16 for MP3, 3.5 for video 107x23x70 200 15,000(479) Source: LGETT, compiled by DigiTimes.com, June 2005 *Hard disk drive (HDD)-based, while the other five models are flash-based. LG MF-FE505, at only 5cm long and weighing 30 grams, is designed for ladies

Tatung recently introduced its elio P810 HDD-based (hard disk drive) MP3 player to the Taiwan market, and plans to introduce the product under its own-brand to the Europe market, as well as seeking ODM orders from the US, according to the company. The P810 has dimensions of 59x96x17mm and weighs 96 grams. The device features a 1.6-inch color TFT screen, a USB 2.0 connection port, a 4GB HDD and is powered by a standard handset lithium-battery. The elio P810 will be priced at NT$8,990 (US$287) in Taiwan. Tatung aims to ship 300,000-350,000 MP3 players and 50,000-100,000 PMPs (portable multi-media players) this year, the company indicated. Only 20% of its shipments will be own-brand, with the other 80% being ODM sales. Tatung elio P810

Taiwan’s Opto-Electronics Systems & Laboratories (OES) of the government-sponsored Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) recently extended its FVD (forward versatile disc) technology by introducing features that allow FVD players to be used more easily with PCs. The new OES developed platform includes networking support for connecting a FVD player to a PC, as well as a PC-based utility for managing file transfers between the two devices, OES stated in a press release. OES is also developing PC-based FVD playback software and advanced encryption for content protection. OES plans to begin marketing the networking and PC playback software next quarter, according to OES deputy director Der-ray Huang. OES aims to ship 20 million FVD players by 2007, Huang indicated.

TwinMOS Technologies, primarily known as a DRAM-module maker (ranked number 11 globally for 2004 by iSuppli), has announced a new flash-based MP3 Player, the Sushi MMD101. The device weighs 25 grams and is sized at 53x28x20mm. The Sushi MMD101 supports MP3, WMA and WAV audio formats, has a USB 2.0 interface, features five preset EQ functions (jazz, classical, pop, rock and normal) and supports up to eight hours of continuous playing. The MMD101 requires one standard AAA battery and comes in capacities of 128MB, 256MB and 512MB. The Sushi MMD101 Photo: the company.

Biostar Microtech International expects to ship 90,000 iDEQ-series small form factor (SFF) systems in 2005, up 38% on year, according to company chairman Wang Ming-I. The motherboard maker also projects its eDEQ-series LCD PC shipments will top 130,000 units this year, said Wang. In addition, Biostar aims to ship 3.14 million motherboards in 2005, up slightly from about three million units in 2004. The second-tier motherboard maker reached pretax earnings per share (EPS) of NT$0.67 for the first five months of 2005, after returning to profitability in the first quarter, according to the company. Biostar recorded profits of NT$33.036 million and EPS of NT$0.3 in the first quarter. In 2004, the maker had negative earnings per share of NT$1.31 and suffered a loss of NT$143.442 million. Biostar’s revamped product strategy has begun taking effect, said the company. The maker posted gross margins of 10% in the first quarter, up from 8.91% in 2004.

High Tech Computer (HTC) will start volume shipments of its first 3G PDA phones by the end of the third quarter, CEO HT Cho said yesterday at the company’s annual shareholders meeting. Cho declined to reveal the client’s name, but market sources indicated that the 3G PDA phone is a WCDMA PDA phone, the MDA IV, which was unveiled by Germany-based T-Mobile International early this year. HTC plans to launch one or two 3G mobile phones in 2005, but will increase the number of 3G handset models in 2006, Cho said. Cho also predicted that HTC’s handset shipments are likely to increase 30% on-year, to about 4.85 million units in 2005, up from 3.73 million units in 2004. In addition, the proportion of wireless communication devices, including smartphones and PDA phones, to the company’s total shipments is expected to exceed 60% this year, up from 50% in 2004, Cho asserted.

During the recent Computex 2005 show, Wistron NeWeb (WNC) was displaying its first WiFi phone that supports both the 802.11b and 802.11g standards. The company stated the model will be available with dual-mode WiFi/GSM or WiFi/GPRS for its ODM/OEM customers from the fourth quarter of this year. Asustek Computer and BenQ also unveiled their respective tri-band mobile phones, the ASUS J105 and BenQ S500. In addition, Inventec presented a Linux-based smartphone. Sources indicated that the model was the e2800, which is manufactured by Inventec-invested Shanghai-based E28. Mobile phones at Computex Company Product picture Product name Network Display Built-in camera File formats supported Wireless connectivity Availability Asustek Computer ASUS J105 GSM 900/1800/1900, GPRS (class 10) Main: 1.8-inch 262,144-color TFT Sub: 1.2-inch 262,144-color TFT VGA CCD MPEG4, MIDI - - ASUS V66 (formerly V606) GSM 900/1800/1900, GPRS (class 10) 262,144-color TFT VGA MPEG4, MP3, MIDI Bluetooth August ASUS J201 (formerly J121) GSM 900/1800/1900 Main: 1.8-inch 262,144-color TFT Sub: 65,536-color CSTN 1.3-megapixel MP3, MIDI Bluetooth September ASUS M303 Reported on March 8 Now ASUS J103 GSM 900/1800/1900, GPRS (class 10) Main: 1.8-inch 262,144-color TFT Sub: one-inch 262,144-color TFT VGA MPEG4, MIDI - Now BenQ BenQ S500 GSM 900/1800/1900, GPRS (class 10) Main display: 1.8-inch 262,144-color TFT (176x220) Sub-display: 1.2-inch 262,144-color TFT (96x96) 1.3-megapixel MP3 USB - BenQ P50 smartphone Reported on Jan 7 June BenQ S80 June BenQ U700 June BenQ P30 smartphone Reported on October 29, 2004 Now Wistron NeWeb (WNC) SKPD-1 IEEE802.11b/g 1.9-inch 65,536-color CSTN (160x128) NA - - Now Dual-mode in 4Q Source: compiled by DigiTimes. June 2005. Linux-based smartphone spotted at Inventec booth (no specifications) Photo: Jessie Shen, DigiTimes.