Techiton

Intel has planned to launch three new Core2Quad processors early next year of 2009. The three quad-cores are low power chips that a TDP of 65 Watts.

The threeQuad core processors - Q9550, Q9400, Q9200 are based on the 45 nanometer fabrication technology and are codenamed Yorkfield.
The Q9550 is the fastest and runs at a speed of 2.83 GigaHertz and comes with 12 MegaBytes of cache. The Q9400 is the second fastest running at 2.66 GigaHertz with a cache size of 6 MegaBytes and the last one is Q9200 running at 2.33 GigaHertz and has 4 MegaBytes of cache.

Intel Core2 Quad Q9550 Specifications:
Speed: 2.83GHz
Cores: 4
Cache Size: 12MB
Bus Speed: 1333MHz
Manufacturing technology: 45nm
Socket: LGA775
Power TDP: 65W
Price: US $369

Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 Specifications:
Speed: 2.33GHz
Cores: 4
Cache Size: 6MB
Bus Speed: 1333MHz
Manufacturing technology: 45nm
Socket: LGA775
Power TDP: 65W
Price: US $320

Intel Core2 Quad Q9200 Specifications:
Speed: 2.83GHz
Cores: 4
Cache Size: 4MB
Bus Speed: 1333MHz
Manufacturing technology: 45nm
Socket: LGA775
Power TDP: 65W
Price: US $245

Update Sunday, December 7, 2008
Intel has set the launch date to January 18, 2009. The prices during launch have been updated above.

AMD is going to launch it's first two processors of the Phenom II X4 series on early January next year. The Quad-core processors are named 920 and 940 which is the exact same as Core i7 namings (read more about it - here) and expected with the same level of performance too.

The Phenom II X4 is a part of AMD's next generation "Dragon" platform, earlier codenamed as"Deneb". It is a 45-nanometer quad-core chip with the following specifications:

Phenom II X4 940 Specifications:
Speed: 3.0 GHz
Cores: 4
L2-Cache Size: 2 MB (4x512KB)
L3-Cache Size: 6MB
Hypter Transport speed: 2000 MHz
Socket: AM2+
Power TDP: 125 W
Price: N/A

Phenom II X4 920 Specifications:
Speed: 2.8 GHz
Cores: 4
L2-Cache Size: 2 MB (4x512KB)
L3-Cache Size: 6MB
Hypter Transport speed: 2000 MHz
Socket: AM2+
Power TDP: 125 W
Price: N/A

Intel has planned to launch another processor in its Core2Duo lineup on around January, 2009.

The dual-core E7500 is based on 45 nanometer Wolfdale platform which supports MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST), Intel 64 (Intel's x86-64 implementation), XD bit (an NX bit implementation) and iAMT2 (Intel Active Management).

The E7500 is a faster version of E7400 CPU, the new processor is clocked at 2.93 GigaHertz, comes with 3 MegaBytes of L2 cache memory and will cost US $133. This could probably be the last processor in the Core2Duo lineup now that the new Core i7 is launched.

Core2Duo E7500 Specifications:
Speed: 2.93GHz
Cores: 2
Cache Size: 3MB L2 Cache
Bus Speed: 1066MHz
Manufacturing technology: 45nm
Socket: LGA775
Power TDP: 65W
Price: $133

Nintendo has recently reached a total lifetime sales of 7 million units of its Wii console in Japan, with the total worldwide sales now hitting the 35 million units mark.

The news is sourced from a report by research firm and Famitsu magazine publisher Enterbrain, as translated by blog site Kotaku.

The Wii was launched in Japan on December 2nd, 2006, the new milestone includes all sales in the country up to November 23rd, 2008. By comparison, lifetime sales of the PlayStation 3 in Japan stand at around 2.5 million units and the Xbox 360 around 800,000 units. The Japanese market accounts for roughly 20 percent of Nintendo’s total Wii business.

Although easily the best-selling home console in Japan, the Wii’s dominance in its home country is not quite as total as in the West.
The console is regularly outsold, often by a significant margin, by both the Nintendo DS and PSP – although software sales have remained strong.

Source: Gamasutra

AMD has unveiled its new desktop processor architecture called the Phenom II, which will be included in AMD's next generation "Dragon" platform.

The Phenom II X4 (earlier codenamed "Deneb") is a 45-nanometer quad-core chip with the following specifications:

• 3 GHz CPU frequency
• 2MB (4x512KB) of L2 cache
• 6MB of L3 cache
• 1333MHz DDR3 memory
• 125 W Thermal design Power

The Phenom II might just be what AMD are looking for to give Intel a run after their new Corei7 launch. The new Phenom II chips will be launched in the first quarter of 2009.

Update Saturday, November 29, 2008:
AMD to launch first two Phenom II X4 in January, 2009

AMD is preparing its' new platform for desktop called Dragon. The Dragon platform consists of three following parts:

• AMD Phenom II CPU
• AMD 790GX Chipset powered motherboard
• AMD Radeon HD 4800 Series Graphics Card

The Dragon platform is the successor to the Spider platform with more than 20% improvement in multimedia and productivity and more than 40% faster in HD gaming according to Expreview.

The Phenom II processor is the successor to Phenom, based on the 45 nanometer fabrication technology it comes with a clock frequency as high as 3 GigaHertz, 8 MegaBytes of cache and supports DDR3 memory type of 1333 MegaHertz. The Phenom II might just be what AMD are looking for to regain the processor market after Intel's Corei7 launch.

A picture of the banner showing the new Dragon platform logo is seen below:

MSI is coming out with its' All-in-1 Nettop including a mini-case, speakers, touch-screen display and blu-ray. The nettop has joined along with Asus eee top in the emerging nettop market. The Wind Neton nettop comes in three versions - M16, M19 and M22.

The Wind Neton M16, M19 and M22 all have the same general specifications and differ mainly in the display size. The M16 is 15.6 inch and is aimed at the home segment, M19 is 18.5 inch and is aimed at the office segment and M22 is 22 inch aimed at the family segment. The model numbers are indicative of the display sizes.

The nettops will be powered by single core or dual core Atoms, with built-in optical drive and tv-tuner. The M19 will cost about US $500, M16 about US $400 and M22 for about US $800.
The nettops are expected to launch early next year 2009.

Intel has officially launched the fastest desktop processor on the planet which is capable of running upto 40% faster without an increase in power consumption. The Core i7 processor is the first member of a new family of Nehalem processor architecture.

The Core i7 processors are all Quad-core chips and are being introduced in three models - i7-920, i7-940 and the extreme edition i7-965. The powerful combination of Intel Turbo Boost technology and Intel Hyper-Threading technology maximizes performance to match workload.

Intel has made a website, New Kind of Fast dedicated to this new processor series. Detailed processor specifications are listed below.

Core i7 965 Extreme Edition Bloomfield:
Speed: 3.20 GHz
Cores: 4
Cache Size: 8 MB
Memory controller: DDR3 800/1066/1333 MHz
Bus Interface: 1x 6.4 GT/s QuickPath
Socket: LGA1366
Power TDP: 130 W
Price: $999

Core i7 940 Performance Edition Bloomfield:
Speed: 2.93 GHz
Cores: 4
Cache Size: 8 MB
Memory controller: DDR3 800/1066/1333 MHz
Bus Interface: 1x 4.8 GT/s QuickPath
Socket: LGA1366
Power TDP: 130 W
Price: $562

Core i7 920 Mainstream Edition Bloomfield:
Speed: 2.66 GHz
Cores: 4
Cache Size: 8 MB
Memory controller: DDR3 800/1066/1333 MHz
Bus Interface: 1x 4.8 GT/s QuickPath
Socket: LGA1366
Power TDP: 130 W
Price: $284

Update Tuesday, May 4, 2009
Intel will soon launch new Core i7 processors around the end of May or early April - Intel Core i7-950 and Core i7-975 CPU coming soon

AMD this week has anncounced a new line of processors codenamed "Shanghai". The AMD Opteron are Quad-core processors which according to AMD delivers up to 35 percent more performance with up to a 35 percent decrease in power consumption at idle.

The Shanghai core are based on 45 nanometer fabrication technology and is referred to as K10.5 generation of AMD micro-processors. 25 systems have been planned to be launched before the end of this year. This enhanced AMD Opteron processor represents the most dramatic performance and performance-per-watt increases for AMD products since the introduction of the world’s first x86 dual-core processors by AMD nearly four years ago.

The latest processors are rated at 75 watt ranging from 2.3 to 2.7 GHz which will be available from now while enhanced versions rated at 55 watt and 105 watt will be available early next year.

AMD also plans to release high performance processors for the desktop platform next year which will be codenamed "Dragon".

Source: AMD

Nvidia plans to cut prices in the discrete graphics card market in an effort to curb further market share losses to rival AMD, according to DigiTimes.

AMD had about 40% of the market share in the third quarter and anticipates taking 50% of the market share after cutting prices for its ATI Radeon HD 4000 series of products. To counter AMD Nvidia has planned price cuts on its GeForce GTX 200, 9800 GT and 9600 GT lines.

Source: Digitimes

Panasonic, the world’s top plasma TV manufacturer has confirmed that it will acquire its smaller rival, Sanyo Electric at a cost of about $8.8 billion. A deal that will make Panasonic Japan’s top electronics manufacturer.

The acquisition of Sanyo will make Panasonic surpass Hitachi, and will strengthen Panasonic’s edge in solar power equipment and in the growing market for rechargeable batteries in cell phones, PCs and automobiles.

This strategic move, the first such postwar deal in the electronics industry, is intended to help the companies weather the current harsh economic climate. What is most notable about Panasonic's acquisition of Sanyo is that it represents a response to the biggest challenge facing mankind: stemming global warming.

Sanyo is also the world's top maker of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with a global market share of nearly 40 percent. Sanyo and Panasonic combined control about half of the world's market.

Source: Asahi.com

Notebook shipments in the US market has surpassed 50% in the third quarter of 2008 overtaking desktop sales for the first time in the history of the industry. The share of notebooks shipped in the US in the last quaerter stood at a 55.2%, according to preliminary figures from IDC's US Quarterly PC Tracker.

The 55% ratio was made possible by a record volume of notebooks shipped in the third quarter with over 9.5 million units sold.
Almost all the leading vendors with desktop and notebook offerings shipped greater notebook volumes in the quarter. Some vendors such as Toshiba have long focused exclusively on notebooks. Others, including Sony, Acer, and Lenovo exceeded the 65% notebook ratio within their own PC client shipment base. Attracted by the opportunities of an expanded multi-PC-per user base, new notebook-focused vendors are making their way into the US market, including Asus and Samsung.

"The consumer market continued to be the top driving factor in the notebook offensive but the commercial sector played a critical role too" said David Daoud, research manager, US Quarterly PC Tracker and Personal Systems at IDC.

Source: IDC

Samsung recently announced a 23 inch QWXGA LCD monitor in Korea. The 2342BWX has a massive resolution of 2048 x 1152 pixels. The monitor is being reported as the first with QWXGA technology. QWXGA probably stands for Quad-Wide eXtended Graphics Array but we still cannot confirm on that.

The monitor will cost about 300 US dollars when it will be launched in Korea. The exact launch date is still not known.

The pictures of the monitor are seen below:

Intel recently announced price cuts on five of its processors. The Quad-core Q8200 dropped further after the October 19 price cuts. Between 5 to 15 percent price cuts are reflected across the following processors:

Core 2 Quad Q8200 (2.33GHz) costs $193 down from $224
Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4GHz) costs $183 down from $193
Core 2 Duo E7300 processor (2.66GH) costs $113 down from $133
Pentium Dual-Core E2200 (2.4GHz) costs $74 down from $84
Pentium Dual-Core E2200 (2.2GHz) costs $64 down from $74

Asus has launched a new nettop called the Eee Top. A nettop is basically a low-cost small factor desktop computer. But what makes this nettop different is that its a hybrid between a desktop and a laptop and it comes with a touch-screen monitor.

The ET1602 Eee Top is powered by Intel's Atom 270 processor, comes with a 1 GigaByte DDR2 memory, 160 GigaBytes SATA hard-disk.
With the intuitive and interactive touchscreen, the nettop weighs two standard laptops at 4.3 Kilograms and is not very mobile but afterall its a nettop.
Other features include a webcam, ethernet, wifi, card-reader. Detailed specifications are listed below.

Asus Eee Top ET1602 Specifications:
CPU: Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz (533Mhz FSB/512KB cache)
RAM: 1GB DDR2
HDD: 160GB SATAII (5400 rpm)
Chipset: Intel 945GSE
Weight: 4.3 Kg
Screen size: 15.6 inch LCD touch-screen 16:9
Other Features:

• Intel 802.11 n Wireless LAN card
• Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN
• 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/SDHC/MS/MS Pro)
• 1.3 MegaPixel Web Camera
• Integrated stereo speakers
• Includes Windows XP Home

I/O Ports:

• 4 x USB 2.0
• 1 x Integraded Gigabit LAN (RJ45)
• 1 x line out
• 1 x line in
• 1 x mic-in
• 1 x Card Reader
• 1 x AC adapter connector

Price: n/a
Source: Asus

The Viewsonic LCD monitor - VX2260wm is a 22 inch widescreen LCD monitor with Full HD 1080p resolution. "The VX2260wm is ideal for the discriminating gamer or graphics professional who demands top-of-the-line images an performance", according to Viewsonic

The stylish monitor has a slim bezel design with a shiny and glossy touch. The HDMI input provides high-definition content from any HD source on your desktop. It has a high brightness, super-fast 2ms video response time and ultra-high 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio which delivers brilliant, blur-free images with incredible definition and detail. It also comes with integrated stereo speakers with SRS WOW HD stereo sound. The Eco-mode function of the monitor help save up to 40% on energy costs.

Specifications and Details:
Size: 22 inch (21.5 inch viewable)
Native Resolution: 1920 x 1080 WUXGA
Contrast Ratio: 1000 : 1 (20000 : 1 dynamic)
Brightness: 300 cd/m2
Response Time: 5 ms (2 ms gtg)
Analog Connector: RGB 15-pin mini D-sub
Digital Connector: DVI-D (with HDCP), HDMI
Speaker: 2 x 1.5 watt
Warranty: 3 Years
Price: US$ 270
Source: Viewsonic

MSI (Micro-Star International) has added netbooks in its product list recently. The MSI Wind netbook comes in two versions U90 and U100, both of them differ mainly in screen size.

The U90 and U100 both have the same specifications except that U90 is a 9 inch laptop while the U100 is a 10 inch laptop. The wind netbooks are powered by Intel's Atom 270 processor and have a memory option of 512 MegaBytes or 1 GigaBytes. The hard-disk drive capacity stands at 80 GigaBytes of SATA technology.

Like most of the netbooks, the MSI comes with a webcam, ethernet, wifi, card-reader, optional bluetooth support. The weight of the netbook with a 3-cell battery totals to just a little under 1 Kilogram, which is great for a netbook.

The U90 and U100 come in Angel White, Empire Black, Romantic Pink, Wind for Love color flavors. While the U100 has an additional color called Noble Red.
More detailed specs are listed below.

MSI Wind U90 and U100 Specifications:
CPU: Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz (533Mhz FSB/512KB cache)
RAM: 512MB or 1 GB DDR2 667Mhz
HDD: 80GB SATA
Chipset: Intel 945GSE+ICH7M
Weight: 1 Kg
Screen size: 8.9 inch (U90), 10 inch (U100) 1024 x 600 resolution LCD panel
Other Features:

• Intel 802.11 b/g Wireless LAN card
• Ethernet 10/100 Mbps LAN
• Optional Bluetooth
• 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MSpro)
• 0.3 or 1.3 MegaPixel Web Camera
• Integrated stereo speakers
• Includes Windows XP Home
• 3-cell lithium battery

I/O Ports:

• 3 x USB 2.0
• 1 x Integraded 10/100 LAN (RJ45)
• 1 x 15-pin VGA video connector
• 1 x line out
• 1 x mic-in
• 1 x Card Reader
• 1 x AC adapter connector

Price: Starting at US $400

HP is out with its Mini 1000 series sleek and ultra-lightweight netbook which "is the perfect on-the-go companion for the ultra-mobile consumer. Stay connected with more people, in more places", according to HP.

The Mini 1000 series is available in two sizes, 8.9 inches and 10.2 inches and weighs in at just around 1 Kilogram. Based on the Intel's new Atom platform and is powered by the 1.6 GigaHertz N270 processor. A memory choice of 512 MegaBytes or 1 GigaByte and hard-disk drive capacities are available in 8 or 16 GigaBytes SSD, or 60 GigaBytes PATA.

The netbook is available for purchase at the HP shopping site with price starting at US $399.99.

HP Mini 1000 Specifications:
CPU: Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz (533Mhz FSB/512KB cache)
RAM: 512MB or 1 GB DDR2
HDD: 8GB SSD or 16GB SSD or 60GB (4200 rpm) PATA
GPU: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Weight: 1.02 Kgs
Screen size: 8.9 inch or 10.2 inch (1024 x 600 resolution) WSVGA LED display
Other Features:

• Intel 802.11 b/g Wireless LAN mini-card
• Optional Bluetooth
• Mini Web Camera
• Integrated stereo speakers
• Includes Windows XP SP3
• HP Mini Mobile Drive (2 or 4 or 8 GB)
• 3-cell lithium battery

I/O Ports:

• 2 x USB 2.0
• 1 x eSATA
• 1 x line out
• 1 x mic-in
• 1 x SD Card Reader
• 1 x AC adapter connector

Price: Starting at US $400

Gigabyte has come out with a new laser mouse in its Ghost gaming series of products. The GM-M8000, according to Gigabyte is a super powerful and high performance laser mouse designed specially for gamers.

The GM-M8000 is equipped with the highest performance laser engine in the world which consists of the most accurate precision, no tracking lag, and highest resolution up to 4000dpi.
The mouse also has extra buttons for different gaming configurations so as to save the extra effort and time to hit the keys on the keyboard.

A cool feature of this gaming mouse is the gaming software called GIGABYTE GHOST Engine, which is a macro for configuring different gaming movements and initiating it with a single button. Different profiles can be saved in the software and enabled via a quick switch in the mouse.

The mouse also has weight adjusting system to provide that perfect comfort for the gamers hand.

Gigabyte GM-M8000 Specifications:
Interface: USB
Tracking Technology: Gaming-grade laser
Resolution: 400-4000 dpi (programmable)
Frames per Second: 7200 FPS
Maximum acceleration: 20g
Maximum speed: 65 inches/second
Weight: 145 grams (additional 6, 12, 18, 26, 32 or 38 grams can be added)
Dimensions: 126mm (length) x 74mm (width) x 43mm (height)
Features:

• Adjustable sensitivity up to 4000 dpi
• Support 15 customizable onboard settings with macro editing
• 8KB GHOST Engine onboard memory
• Scroll wheel with 24 individual click position
• 16-bit ultra-wide data path
• 5 independently programmable gaming button
• Easy "Up-down" DPI adjustment button
  
• Sweat-Proof Ergonomic streamline shape
• Ultra-DurableTM slick Teflon feet
• Gaming-grade USB cable with gold-plated USB connector
• Professional GHOSTTM Engine mouse software suite included
• Weight tuning up to 38 grams of metal weights
• LED DPI indicator
  
• Active profile LED indicator
  

Price: n/a