7th April 2006 Archive

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Sony schedules DVD/HDD recorder re-vamp

Five new models in the pipeline

Sony this week unveiled a raft of DVD writers with built-in hard disk storage, two of which will also feature GemStar Guide Plus+ electronic programme guide (EPG). The five new models sport hard drives of between 80GB and 250GB unformatted storage capacity and DVD±R/RW drives with dual-layer support. The RDR-HX920, RDR-HX720 …

Media players 7 Apr 2006, 08:44
Liteon to ship slotload DVD writer

External drive for notebooks

Liteon will this month ship an external DVD writer that uses a slot-load mechanism rather than the more commonplace drawer system. The company is pitching the product at notebook users, though its slimline styling should appeal to desktop users too. The SLW-831SX can handle DVD±R/RW media and has dual-layer disc support. …

Storage 7 Apr 2006, 09:03
Firm pitches $2,800 64GB USB Flash disk

Feeling flush?

US-based storage specialist Kanguru has launched the product for Flash disk fans who are unhappy with the weenie capacity most USB drives offer: a memory key with a whopping 64GB of storage capacity. The downside? It'll cost you rather more than your computer probably did. Yes, the Kanguru Flash Drive Max can be yours for a …

Gadgets and Gizmos 7 Apr 2006, 09:29
Nvidia shows 'best quality' twin-tuner TV card

Analogue for the Americans; digital version for the UK coming soon?

Nvidia has launched a PC add-in TV tuner card with two tuners, both of them ready to receive and record analogue broadcasts around the world. Nvidia has two versions: the NTSC-supporting part unveiled this week and a PAL/SECAM model. The DualTV card is pitched at Windows XP Media Center Edition systems and users who want to …

Bits 'n' Chips 7 Apr 2006, 10:22
AMD to focus on Turion brand for 65nm mobile CPUs?

Only 90nm Mobile Athlon 64 X2s, it seems

Don't expect AMD to offer a 65nm Mobile Athlon 64 X2 processor. According to alleged Turion roadmap details, the dual-core Mobile Athlon 64s will only be fabricated using a 90nm process, for the foreseeable future at least. AMD's 65nm mobile parts are due Q1 2007. Roadmap slides published by Chinese-language website HKEPC, …

Bits 'n' Chips 7 Apr 2006, 10:52
Acer unveils world's second HD DVD laptop

May ship with DVD support only, at first

Acer yesterday announced the second notebook to support HD DVD, following the lead set by Toshiba, the next-generation optical disc format's chief cheerleader, and as predicted. But don't expect it to ship with such a drive immediately - the first models may only ship with DVD drives. The Aspire 9800 will ship with a 20.1in, …

PCs 7 Apr 2006, 11:25
Acer touts 'super 3G' notebook duo

But full HSDPA likely to come later as a wireless-card upgrade

Acer has re-iterated its plan to bundle Vodafone-branded 'super 3G' HSDPA data cards with a pair of upcoming notebook PCs, pledging to introduce TravelMate and Aspire laptops with the cards in the coming months. However, don't expect HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) support on day one. According to Acer, the data …

PCs 7 Apr 2006, 11:46
Asus unveils Dolby-driven laptops

Dolby Digital Live on one, Home Theater on the other

Asus this week lauded its latest laptops' successful attempt to win the thumbs-up from audio specialist Dolby. Announcing two new machines, Asus said one comes with the Dolby Home Theater stamp of approval, while the other ships with "gameplay transforming" Dolby Digital Live technology. The Home Theater accolade goes to the …

PCs 7 Apr 2006, 12:43
Napster subscribers up, losses down

Squaring the circle?

Napster will post a smaller loss for its fourth fiscal quarter than it previously forecast. The reason? Greater-than-expected subscriber growth has taken numbers paying for its music rental service to over 600,000. This translates into quarterly revenue of more than $26m - at least 10.6 per cent up on Q3's $23.5m - and a " …

Media players 7 Apr 2006, 13:04
Podstar preps fiendish iPod Nano case

'I walked alone... my mind was blank...'

We're not sure how practical these iPod Nano cases are, but with their horns and forked tail, we're sure they'll appeal to music fans whose tastes tend toward the diabolic. At least the "high grade" silicone shell undertakes the saintly task of keeping your digital music player unstained and unscratched. Available in black …

Media players 7 Apr 2006, 13:23