Kingston Ships the SSDNow V+200 Solid State Drives

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the latest addition to its SSDNow family, the SSDNow V+200. The new Kingston SSDNow V+200 solid-state drives are the ideal high-performance upgrade solution for the performance minded yet cost-conscious business or home user.
The SSDNow V+200 features the second-generation high-speed SATA 3.0 (6 Gb/s) SandForce SF-2281 Processor and outstanding sequential read and write speeds of up to 535 MB/s and 480 MB/s. The SSDNow V+200 enables fast system start-up, rapid data access and speedy copying of large files such as videos, presentations and graphics illustrations.
“Kingston constantly strives to offer the perfect upgrade solution to cover each market segment. The SSDNow V+200 drive has been specifically designed to meet the needs of both business and home users looking for an inexpensive yet powerful upgrade,” said Ariel Perez, SSD business manager, Kingston. “The SSDNow V+200 is equipped with all essential tools needed to extend the lifecycle and boost a system’s performance to the maximum. The balance between performance and price makes this SSD deliver the best ROI as an upgrade for a fleet of corporate notebooks or desktops or the home PC.”
The SSDNow V+200 is available in 60 GB, 90 GB, 120 GB, 240 GB and 480 GB capacities as either a stand-alone drive or as an upgrade kit to make installation easy and quick. Upgrade kits include cables, brackets, cloning software and HDD enclosure – everything the business or home user needs to get started.


Kingston SSDNow V+200 Features & Specifications:
- Dramatic performance for any system upgrade
- Multiple Capacities: the right capacity to meet your storage standards
- Endurance: Data Integrity Protection featuring DuraClass Technology
- Dependable: RAISE for advanced data reliability
- Secure: Self-encrypting drive technology
- Durable: DuraWrite optimizes writes to extend endurance
- Form Factor: 2.5″
- Interface: SATA Rev. 3.0 (6 Gb/s), SATA Rev. 2.0 (3 Gb/s), SATA Rev. 1.0 (1.5 Gb/s)
- Capacities: 60 GB, 90 GB, 120 GB, 240 GB, 480 GB
- Sequential reads:
SATA Rev. 3.0: 535 MB/s
SATA Rev. 2.0: 280 MB/s
- Sequential writes:
SATA Rev. 3.0: 60 GB – 460 MB/s; All Others 480 MB/s
SATA Rev. 2.0: 260 MB/s
- Sustained Random 4k Read/Write
60 GB – 12,000/47,000 IOPS
90 GB – 20,000/47,000 IOPS
120 GB – 20,000/44,000 IOPS
240 GB – 36,000/43,000 IOPS
480 GB – 43,000/30,000 IOPS
- Max Random 4k Read/Write
60 GB – 85,000/60,000 IOPS
90 GB – 85,000/57,000 IOPS
120 GB – 85,000/55,000 IOPS
240 GB – 85,000/43,000 IOPS
480 GB – 75,000/34,000 IOPS
- Power Consumption: 0.565 W (TYP) Idle / 1.795 W (TYP) Read / 2.065 W (TYP) Write
- Storage Temperatures: -40° C to 85° C
- Operating Temperatures: 0° C to 70° C
- Weight: 115g
- Vibration Operating: 2.17G
- Vibration Non-operating: 20G
- MTBF: 1,000,000 Hrs
- Warranty/Support: three-year warranty with 24/7 support

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MegaUpload Shutdown on Copyright Infringement Grounds, Anonymous Responds

Less than twenty four hours after a number of websites turned off their lights to protest the American Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), the FBI has shutdown digital storage locker MegaUpload and arrested its owner Kim “Kim DotCom” Schmitz on charges of piracy and conspiracy.
Mr. Schmitz and three others were arrested earlier today in Auckland by New Zealand federal police, “who executed provisional arrest warrants requested by the United States,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), sponsor of the Protect IP Act (the brother of SOPA), applauded the crackdown but said new tools are needed to go after foreign sites. “Today’s action by the Department of Justice against the leaders of MegaUpload.com shows what law enforcement can do to protect American intellectual property that is stolen through domestic websites. Unfortunately, there are no tools in the arsenal to protect that same American intellectual property from theft by websites hosted and operated overseas,” Senator Leahy said in a statement.
According to a statement released by the FBI, seven people have be arrested and charged for, “engaging in a racketeering conspiracy, conspiring to commit copyright infringement, conspiring to commit money laundering, and two substantive counts of criminal copyright infringement.”
The grand jury indictment claims Megaupload generated $175 million in income for its through subscription fees and advertising whilst causing $500 million in damages to copyright holders.
“This action is among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States,” the FBI’s statement claims. “[It] directly targets the misuse of a public content storage and distribution site to commit and facilitate intellectual property crime.”
Some of the services Mr. Schmitz apparently operates are MegaPorn, MegaVideo, MegaLive, and MegaPix.


Ira P. Rothken, a lawyer for MegaUpload, told the New York Times in a phone interview Thursday afternoon that he had not yet seen the indictment, but he added: “Clearly we have due process concerns. This was done without a hearing.”
Online hacktavist collective Anonymous was quick to take action after MegaUpload was shut down and the arrests were made. Using Twitter, the group announced the beginning of “Operation MegaUpload”, or #OPMegaUpload in Twitter parlance, and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) assaults on Universal Music, the Motion Picture Association of America, as well as a variety of .gov websites.
One hour later, the @anonops Twitter account — the closest thing the collective has to an official voice — broadcasted a victory message: “Tango down! http://universalmusic.com & http://www.justice.gov// #Megaupload”
Anonymous also claimed to have targeted the FBI’s website, though as of early Thursday evening it was still accessible from Hardware Canucks’ Vancouver office.

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Samsung Begins Embedded Multi-Chip Memory Production Run

Korean electronics giant Samsung has begun the production of embedded multi-chip package (eMCP) memory for use in entry and midlevel smartphones.
“As the need is growing for more advanced software and increased data storage in smartphones and tablets, mobile device makers are expected to introduce embedded memory solutions throughout 2012 that offer higher performance and density,” said Myungho Kim, Samsung’s vice president of memory marketing in a press release. “Samsung will further accelerate growth in the mobile device market as it extends the advanced memory segment by providing a more expansive line-up of eMCP solutions in 2012.”
The eMCP solutions are fabricated in packages that include 4GB e-MMC (Embedded MultiMediaCard) based on 20nm class NAND flash memory, and a choice of 256MB, 512MB, or 768MB of 30nm class LPDDR2 DRAM.


The 30 nm-class LPDDR2 DRAM chip in the new eMCPs performs a key role in enhancing the performance of entry- to mid-level smartphones with a data transmission speed of 1,066 megabits per second (Mbps), which doubles the performance of the industry’s previous mobile DRAM (MDDR)m, according to Samsung.

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Cooler Master Announces Vapor Chamber Technology

After releasing the world’s first heatpipe heatsink in 2000, Cooler Master announces that it will begin to phase in Vertical Vapor Chamber technology into its upcoming retail CPU heatsinks; a technology initially developed by Cooler Master’s OEM and industrial cooling division.
Vertical Vapor Chambers feature less than half the air resistance by reducing airflow vortexes and noise generated by air streaming through a heatsink. At the same time vertical vapor chambers exhibit 3 times the fin contact area, enabling faster and more efficient transfer of heat from the vapor chambers to the fins, and overall more efficient use of the available fin surface area.


As a result, Vertical Vapor Chambers allow Cooler Master to develop cooling solutions with greatly reduced noise footprints or increased cooling performance in excess of 200W at the same or lower noise level as without vertical vapor chambers.
The high-end tower heatsink Cooler Master TPC-812, the first product based on this latest technology and Cooler Masters leading product development process will be officially released to the market in a few weeks during CeBIT 2012.

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Would Ottawa Allow a RIM Takeover?

The collapse of RIM’s stock price during the last year has made it the subject of takeover talks from a variety of market players — though some such as Samsung deny the charges – during the past few months. While rumours hold that the company’s CEOs are aggressivley pursuing potential suitors, and rejecting some, for a takeover deal there is another angle that needs to be considered: would Ottawa allow such a deal to go through?
Foreign takeovers of a Canadian firm are regulated by the Investment Canada Act. Under the Investment Canada Act, there are a number of thresholds that trigger a mandatory review by the Industry Minister
When the buyer is from the 153-member countries of the World Trade Organization the value of the target company’s assets must be over $600 million (this will rise to $1 billion in 2014). In cases where the potention buyer is from outside the WTO, the threshold is lowered to $5 million for a direct acquisition and $50 million for an indirect acquisition.
In addition, the act states that foreign takeovers of Canadian firms must have a “net benefit” to Canada. This “net benefit” is not clearly defined though it is widely understood to fall into these categories: the effect of the takeover on employment, technology development, productivity, competition, and the effect on national policies.


Though the Harper government will quickly claim that Canada is “open for business”, this act has been used twice in the last five years to nix potential deals: in 2008 when an American firm attempted to purchase business units of Vancouver based military contractor MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates; in November 2010 to block the takeover of PotashCorp by Australian firm BHP Billiton.
While Prime Minister Harper said recently, “We all know [RIM] is an important Canadian company,” there isn’t a complete consensus on whether Ottawa would block a potential RIM takeover deal.
Terry Beech, an Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Business, and CEO of HiretheWorld.com, believes that there is no way RIM could be considered a strategic asset to Canada in the same fashion as PotashCorp.
“The value of RIM is highly intellectual, which means you’re only really as good as the quality of your patents and the quality of your people,”  Mr. Beech told Hardware Canucks. “RIM stock is falling for a reason, and there isn’t much the government will be able to do about it.”
“Unlike Potash, Oil or Gold, the Government of Canada has no mechanisms to control the underlying value of RIM.”
“This kind of government interference in the market could actually hurt Canada’s tech sector overall given the uncertainty it would raise in the international business community,” concluded Mr. Beech.

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BitFenix Introduces the Shinobi XL Full Tower Case

Since its release in April 2011, the BitFenix Shinobi has proven to be our most popular chassis design yet. Today, BitFenix is proud to introduce a bigger and badder follow up to this classic design – Shinobi XL. Packing XL-ATX compatibility, superior flexibility, and an all-new SuperCharge™ port, Shinobi XL is a deadly new entry in the full tower segment.
“Since the introduction of our original Shinobi, fans have been writing in and posting in forums asking for a larger version,” says BitFenix Product Manager David Jarlestedt. “Boasting all new features and nearly limitless flexibility for modders and water cooling enthusiasts alike, Shinobi XL is a lot more than just a size update – it’s a complete revamp.”
On the outside, Shinobi XL borrows the same battle-proven design that has made Shinobi a classic. Everything from the meshed fan vents and brushed aluminum logo to the signature BitFenix SofTouch surface treatment is faithfully reproduced. But one step closer reveals an entirely different warrior. Like its name suggests, Shinobi XL can accommodate XL-ATX motherboards with nine PCI slots for even the most extreme setups. On top, users are treated to four SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports, as well as a new innovation – the BitFenix SuperCharge port. This port is specifically designed for charging mobile devices, offering up to 2.5A of current for fast charging.

The stealthiest warriors need to have ice running through their veins, which is why Shinobi XL is designed with water cooling in mind. Inside, users will find the BitFenix FlexCage hard disk rack which can be either rotated or removed entirely for optimum flexibility. Once removed, Shinobi XL can accommodate a host of water cooling equipment, including a 360 mm radiator on top, a 360 mm radiator in front, or a 240 mm radiator on the bottom right out of the box. If air cooling is more your speed, Shinobi XL has you covered with two 230 mm and one 120 mm BitFenix Spectre fan included. Multiple fan locations are also built in, allowing users to outfit Shinobi XL with up to three 230 mm, one 140 mm, or nine 120 mm fans for keeping your components cool in any situation.


Working with your system should be a no-nonsense affair, so Shinobi XL comes with an assortment of friendly features to get you off the workbench and into battle as quickly as possible. Tool-free drive locking mechanisms make it easy to secure your drives, while a large CPU cooler cutout allows users to swap out CPU coolers without removing the motherboard. Shinobi XL offers a bevy of cable management features including over 3 cm of space behind the motherboard tray, and rubber grommets to protect your cables and reduce air turbulence inside the chassis. Removable dust filters on all air intakes make cleanup a breeze and anti-vibration pads help absorb vibrations from the power supply. To top things off, the included 5.25″ drive bay adapter allows you to install additional hard disks, SSDs, or card readers, making Shinobi XL a dream to work with.
BitFenix Shinobi XL will be available on store shelves beginning March 2012 with an estimated MSRP of €139 (incl. 19% VAT) in the EU and $149 in North America.

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Enermax Extends Staray Case Series

After its launch two years ago, the good-quality, pure and simple Staray case with its intensive Apollish light effects has successfully established itself on the market. Due to its excellent price-performance ratio, the midi tower is still very popular amongst end users as well as professional system builders. To open up new target groups, Enermax decided to extend the case series with two new models.
ECA3175-L – The First-Choice Entry-Level Case
The new Staray model ECA3175-L is a low-budget midi tower with basic equipment. Compared to the first version ECA3170-BL/-BR, the exterior design remains mainly unchanged: The clear shapes and the stable, air-permeable mesh front meets the public taste and does not follow short-term market trends. ECA3175-L is delivered with a powerful 12cm front fan and can accommodate up to three additional fans at the rear and at the side. Thanks to the USB 3.0 front interface, the new Staray model also supports the latest high-speed standard. The port can be connected directly with an internal 19-pin connector, so that the inconvenient cable routing through the back of the case can be avoided.

ECA3175-S – The Best Choice for Silent PC
The second newcomer is directed to users of silent PC systems. The ECA3175-S is equipped with the extremely popular T.B.Silence fans. They offer a perfect balance between cooling performance and noise generation. Enermax delivers the midi tower with two 12cm T.B.Silence fans – one in the front and one at the back of the case. Furthermore, the manufacturer has modified the case interior: It is coated completely in black and comes with a cut-out behind the mainboard tray to simplify the CPU cooler installation. USB 3.0 belongs to the standard equipment of the new Staray version. ECA3175-S provides two high-speed USB 3.0 interfaces with internal 19-pin connector.


Prices and Availability
Staray ECA3175-L is now available, the second new model ECA3175-S with two pre-installed T.B.Silence fans will be launched in March:

• ECA3175-L: 49.90 Euro
• ECA3175-S: 64.90 Euro

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Intel to Offer Warranty Plan for Overclockers

Earlier today Intel unveiled its Performance Tuning Protection Plan, which offers certain out-of-warranty service offerings in the event of damage caused by over-clocking or over-voltaging by the user on “K”, “X”, and LGA2011-socketed boxed processors.
Users who purchase this plan and meet the plan’s criteria, can receive a one-time replacement processor if the user’s over-voltaging or overclocking causes the original processor to fail.
This pilot plan will be launched on January 18, 2012, at 12:01AM PST and last for six months. The first phase of the Plan will include 4 resellers: CyberPower, Canada Computers and Electronics, Scan Computers, and Altech Computers.


On February 13, 2012, Intel plans to add additional resellers to the Plan.
Intel will also be providing the Plan directly to customers at the following website: http://www.intel.com/go/tuningplan for the duration of the Plan.
Intel will evaluate the Plan throughout the six months and decide whether or not to proceed past the pilot phase.

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Former Microsoft Exec Named as HP’s new Chief Strategy Officer

Hewlett Packard announced today that it is naming former Microsoft executive, and current vice-president of software, Bill Veghte, to the position of strategy officer.
Mr. Veghte joined HP in 2010 after spending 19 years at Microsoft, having been repeatedly passed-over as a candidate for the presidency of the Windows division.
“Every 10 to 15 years, fundamental shifts occur in the IT industry that redefine how technology is delivered,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer in a press release. “From mainframes to client/server to the internet, companies that identified the opportunity first and developed the right strategy came out on top. As we move forward, HP intends to stay on top, and I believe Bill has the knowledge and vision to keep us there.”
Mr. Veghte will remain in his posistion as executive vice president of HP software but will also define strategy at the company, HP said in a statement. In addition, Mr. Veghte will spearhead HP’s cloud and webOS open-source efforts.


Mr. Vegthe joined HP shortly before Mark Hurd resigned as CEO over accusations of sexual harassment. Mr. Hurd’s departure was followed by the ill-fated Apotheker regime, where the company’s stock lost 45% of its value.

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ASRock Slides into 3rd Place in Channel Motherboard Market Share

Digitimes [Link Paywalled] is reporting that Taiwan based motherboard manufacturer ASRock is now the 3^rd largest channel motherboard manufacturer, having set target shipments of 10 million motherboards for 2012.
Though ASRock missed its goal of shipping 9 million motherboards in 2011 by 13.3% (7.8 million units shipped), the company is nipping at the heels of market leaders Asustek Computer and Gigabyte Technology.
According to Digitimes sources, “ASRock has recently launched Fatal1ty x79 Professional, a high-end gaming motherboard based on Intel X79 chipset and equipped with four DDR3-2400 DIMM sockets and 10 SATA ports to support 4-way SLI setups or CrossFireX, the sources indicated. In addition, ASRock has launched three Mini-ITX motherboard models, that is, AD2700-ITX/AD2700B-ITX and AD2500B-ITX equipped with Intel Cedar Trail Atom D2700 and D2500 processors respectively.”
Motherboards account for 90% o ASRock’s revenue.

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Genius Announces DX-ECO: World’s First Battery Free Wireless Mouse [PR]

Genius, a leading maker of computer peripherals, announces the world’s first battery-free wireless mouse that is recharged within minutes – DX-ECO BlueEye Mouse.
Ready for a full day’s use after only a three-minute charge, the Genius DX-ECO uses a built-in gold capacitor with a long life of 100,000 recharges instead of outdated, environmentally unfriendly disposable batteries. Consumers no longer need to waste time and money whether on a PC or Mac when using DX-ECO. It’s ideal for government and corporations to provide a wireless mouse option that is not only cost-cutting but also hassle-free from controlling and resupplying batteries.


The DX-ECO BlueEye sensor technology allows for smooth, uninterrupted pointing and clicking on virtually any surface including dusted glass, marble, or thick carpet. Working wirelessly from a distance of up to 15 meters due to the 2.4GHz USB pico receiver, this innovative battery-free mouse can be used anywhere and everywhere. Even when on-the-go the tiny USB pico receiver can be stored inside the DX-ECO for safe keeping.

Featuring 4-way scrolling, adjustable dpi (800/1600 dpi), as well as next/previous page hot keys for more efficient web-surfing, the DX-ECO battery free blue-eye mouse also includes plug and play design and comfortable ergonomic construction.
Package Contents:

• DX-ECO wireless mouse
• USB pico receiver
• CD driver
• Micro USB rechargeable cable
• Multi-language user’s manual

Highlights and Price:

• Battery free wireless mouse
• Fully recharged within three minutes while using
• Works on virtually every surface including dusted glass and marble
• Fully Plug and Play
• Comfortable ergonomic design
• Adjustable dpi – 800/1600 dpi
• Travel friendly with storable 2.4GHz USB Pico receiver
• MSRP: US$39.99

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