Japanese manufacturer Scythe is announcing an update of the Kama Panel series. Kama Panel 3.1 offers an easy and fast way to extend the PC case with additional connectivity such as two USB 3.0 ports and a HDD rack for 2.5” hard drives/solid state drives (SSD). Useful features, such as a built-in fan controller for two fans, a card reader, and front audio connectors, have been kept from the earlier models and remained throughout the revisions.
Kama Panel 3.1 is based on the design of the former versions, which has been gradually upgraded with new functions and technologies to offer the best possible connectivity and usability, packed into a single 5.25” bay in the front panel. The latest 3.1 version features two USB 3.0 ports and a card reader for Memory Stick Micro (M2), microSD /microSDHC and SD/SDHC /MMC flash media.
Additionally one mic and one 3.5 mm stereo jack are located in the front of Kama Panel 3.1.
The right side of Kama Panel 3.1 is dedicated to the control and monitoring of fan speed and temperatures. Users are able to connect up to two case fans on the rear side and control them by turning the retractable knobs. Supplied connector cables support both 3-pin and 4-pin fan connectors, where the fan speed is only adjusted using voltage regulation. Kama Panel 3.1 adjusts the voltage in the range between 3.7 and 12 volts. A built-in LCD provides useful information about current fan speed and temperature of both channels at the same time. Depending on the preference, users can use the backlight illumination or deactivate it, if required. In accordance with the measured temperatures, users are able to set individual alarm temperatures between 40°C and 90°C in one degree steps. Displayed temperatures can be easily changed from Celsius to Fahrenheit by pressing one button in the front of Kama Panel 3.1.
One of the new key features of the new Kama Panel 3.1 is the built-in rack for hard drives/solid state drives (SSD). Thanks to this new rack, users are able to directly connect a drive with a maximum height of 3.74“ (9.5 mm). Kama Panel 3.1 is furthermore equipped with one power and one reset button on the left side.
Users are able to purchase the new Scythe Kama Panel 3.1 (model number SCKMPN-3100) as of today for the MSRP of 32.00 EUR.
Intel has just released more details about the new Haswell processors. It sets new benchmarks in terms of energy efficiency. The new C6 and C7 states are able to reduce the CPU power consumption to just 0.05 A while previous Ivy Bridge processors draw up to ten times more minimum current.
But the positive progress of the CPU technology is subject to certain restrictions, because only few power supplies will be able to deliver stable voltages at such low loads. End users are therefore groping in the dark with no clues if their own power supply will be compatible with the new energy functions of Intel Haswell CPUs. PSU manufacturers usually do not state the possible minimum load of their products.
Enermax makes a step forward and publishes a PSU compatibility list. All current high-end and mid-range models from Enermax are already prepared for the upcoming Intel processors. They are equipped with a DC-to-DC converter which enables the so-called ZERO Load Design. These power supplies will deliver rock-stable voltages even at 0 W load. Also the owners of older Enermax power supplies can be relieved: The manufacturer applies the ZERO Load Design already in all high-end power supplies since the Revolution85+ series which was launched in 2008.
Zotac has unveiled a factory-overclocked version of the GeForce GTX Titan video card, dubbed GeForce GTX Titan AMP! Edition. This card runs at 902 MHz (954 MHz in turbo mode) and has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory accessed at 6,608 MHz through a 384-bit interface.
Just to let you know, the original GTX Titan runs at 837 MHz (876 MHz in turbo mode) and has 6 GB of GDDR5 memory accessed at 6 GHz through a 384-bit interface.
Today, Toshiba launched the Canvio Connect, a portable external hard drive that offers up to 2 TB of storage in a new slim and compact form factor and is available in several different colors, including black, silver, blue, red, and white. What sets the Canvio Connect apart from competitive storage offerings currently on the market is its ability to access and share files anytime, anywhere. For the first time ever, a product within Toshiba’s portable hard drive lineup will allow users to back up videos and photos directly from smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices that are equipped with Toshiba Storage’s iOS or Android app to the external hard drive.
As long as Toshiba’s Canvio Connect is connected to an Internet-enabled PC that is powered on, users will have complete access to their files, photos, music, and movies from any device –no matter where they are. The Canvio Connect also allows users to share large files and folders instantly. As an additional bonus, the Canvio Connect includes 10 GB of free cloud storage for storing “always available” copies of important files.
Toshiba’s Canvio Connect is pre-formatted NTFS for Windows PC and comes with a NTFS driver for Mac, allowing users to store and access files from their PC and Mac without reformatting. The device also includes a two year limited warranty.
The Canvio Connect will be available for purchase on ToshibaDirect.com and select retailers in mid-May. Pricing for the external hard drive will be USD 99 for 500 GB, USD 109.99 for 750 GB, USD 129.99 for 1 TB, USD 169.99 for 1.5 TB, and USD 189.99 for 2 TB.
Nexus has expanded its power supply offering with the launch of the RX-6500 model. This 650 W unit features a modular cabling system, an active PFC circuitry, a single +12V rail, efficiency over 85%, and a 135 mm ball-bearing fan.
This power supply has been treated with a special paint. This paint gives the power supply the appearance of being covered with fibers.
Toshiba has announced that its new line of high performance CompactFlash (CF) memory cards, the EXCERIA PRO series, is already on sale in the Japanese market. Sales will also follow in Asia, Europe and North America. The initial line-up of 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB cards complies with the new Video Performance Guarantee Profile 2 (VPG-65) standard.
The EXCERIA PRO CF cards integrate Toshiba’s NAND flash memory and specially developed dedicated firmware. They achieve a read speed of 160 MB/s and write speed of 150 MB/s, the highest level yet reported, according to the company.
The new cards are compliant with the CompactFlash Association (CFA) standard CompactFlash Specification Revision 6.1 and compatible with the UDMA7 high speed interface, ensuring they can support high performance DSLRs to the fullest. The cards are also compatible with the latest “Video Performance Guarantee Profile 2” standard, VPG-65. VPG-65 secures Full HD video capture streams at a minimum write speed of 65 MB/s for compatible host devices and recording media. VPG-65 enables 4K resolution (a digital movie file format with horizontal resolution of approx. 4,000 pixels and vertical resolution of approx. 2,000 pixels) movie shooting and high quality Full HD video capture at high frame rates with no dropped frames.
Corsair has announced the Obsidian Series 350D PC case. Available with a solid or windowed side panel, the Obsidian Series 350D brings unprecedented expansion and cooling options to smaller, more portable, high-performance PCs.
Like larger cases in the premium Obsidian Series line, the Obsidian Series 350D sports a clean, black, brushed-aluminum styling. The case is also designed for fast and neat builds with tool-free access and drive installation as well as an innovative cable routing system. The Obsidian Series 350D case supports both microATX and mini ITX motherboards and has plenty of interior space for liquid CPU cooling, dual 3.5” hard drives, dual 2.5” SSDs, dual 5.25” drives, and dual full-length graphics cards. It also has five expansion slots and five fan mounting points with room for two 240 mm radiators. The front panel provides convenient access to USB 3.0 and audio connectors.
The Obsidian Series 350D will be available in May from Corsair’s worldwide network of authorized retailers and distributors. The suggested retail price in the U.S. is USD 99.99 for the solid side panel version and USD 109.99 for the windowed version. The cases are backed by a 2-year warranty.
TRENDnet has announced the availability of the AC1200 Dual Band Wireless USB 3.0 Adapter, model TEW-805UB— a Wireless AC adapter with a USB 3.0 port which maintains high speed wireless transmissions to a Windows-based computer.
TRENDnet’s TEW-805UB connects to a high performance Wireless AC network at up to 867 Mbps or to a common Wireless N network at up to 300 Mbps. The intuitive installation process takes less than five minutes. A convenient adapter utility stores multiple network settings and prioritizes network connections. A Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button connects the adapter to a wireless network at the touch of the button. This compact adapter is powered by the computer.
Specs:
Wireless: Next generation Wireless AC
Dual Band: 867 Mbps Wireless AC or 300 Mbps Wireless N
USB: SuperSpeed 5 Gbps USB 3.0 port is backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports
Whole Home Coverage: Whole home wireless coverage
One Touch Connection: Connect to the router at the touch of the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button
QNAP has just announced the release of the Turbo NAS TS-x21 and TS-x20 series for home users and home offices. The new models in the TS-x21 series are equipped with 2.0 GHz CPU, 1 GB DDR3 RAM, and the TS-x20 series with 1.6 GHz CPU, 512 MB DDR3 RAM. Both series deliver superior performance for daily routines in file storage, sharing, and data backup, and serve as ideal media centers for storing and sharing huge multimedia files.
The TS-x21 and TS-x20 series feature the brand-new Turbo NAS operating system, QTS 4.0. The new QTS 4.0 integrates multi-window operations into the web-based user interface, adds cross-device file synchronization, several smart mobile apps, and more. In an era where almost everyone has at lease one mobile phone or tablet device, the QTS 4.0 fulfills people’s needs of mobile data access and synchronization, and storage for huge quantities of data. What’s more, the QTS 4.0’s multi-window user interface introduces users to an unprecedented NAS management experience. In addition, the multimedia applications and multi-tasking designs not only increase management efficiency but also transform home entertainment.
Key Specs of New Models
TS-x21 series – tower unit, available in 4, 2, 1-bay, 2.0 GHz CPU, 1GB DDR3 RAM, SATA HDD/ SSD, hard drives hot-swappable (TS-421, TS-221), 2X USB 3.0, 2X Gigabit LAN ports (TS-421), 1X Gigabit LAN port (TS-221, TS-121), LCM panel (TS-421);
TS-x20 series – tower unit, available in 4, 2, 1-bay, 1.6 GHz CPU, 512 MB DDR3 RAM, SATA HDD/ SSD, hard drives hot-swappable (TS-420, TS-220), 2X USB 3.0, 2X Gigabit LAN ports (TS-420), 1X Gigabit LAN port (TS-220, TS-120).
Today, AMD launched its fastest video card, the Radeon HD 7990. This dual-GPU video card features a core clock of 1000 MHz, 2048 stream processors (4096 in total), 128 TMUs (256 in total), 32 ROPs (64 in total), and the full 384-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. Each GPU holds 3 GB of memory totaling the card’s memory amount to 6 GB. The memory is accessed at 6 GHz. The two GPUs are tied to the system bus using a PLX PEX8747 48-lane PCI-Express 3.0 switch.
With the launch of the Radeon HD 7990 video card, AMD is offering the biggest free game bundle in history with a total of eight titles:
Crysis 3
BioShock Infinite
Tomb Raider
DeusEx: Human Revolution
Sleeping Dogs
Hitman: Absolution
Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
The AMD Radeon HD 7990 video card will be available worldwide in two weeks for USD 999.
Several video card manufacturers have already announced their models based on the Radeon HD 7990, as you can see below.
Huntkey has introduced its ES 90W Notebook Adapter – Ultra Edition. Compared to the traditional ES 90W Notebook Adapter, the ultra edition is mainly improved in five aspects:
The conversion efficiency is increased to 89%, 2% higher than ES 90W;
The stand-by power is lower than 0.2 W, whereas the stand-by power of ES 90W is lower than 0.3 W.
The size is reduced by 21.9%, compared to the traditional edition;
Bended tips save space, compared to the straight tips of the initial edition;
The output voltage of 19.5 V allows for applicability to more laptop computers, compared to the output voltage of 19 V adopted by the initial edition, as well as most traditional notebook adapters.
The ES 90W ultra edition is equipped with eight different tips. So if you buy an ES 90W ultra edition, you can use it on almost any brand of laptop.
Genius has just released the X-G510, an ambidextrous gaming mouse specially designed to give gamers an edge. Offering unparalleled precision, comfort and functionality, this six-button gaming mouse has the features gamers need to excel in battle, but with a straightforward look.
Offering unique aesthetic customization options, the X-G510 features backlighting brightness and pulsation style that can be tuned to your liking. Enhancing the gaming atmosphere during low-light situations, the X-G510’s breathing-like lighting system gradually brightens and dims during game play.
The X-G510 is now available in the U.S. and Canada for the suggested retail price of USD 34.99.
Today, Western Digital announced it is shipping the world’s first ultra-slim 2.5”, 5 mm hard drives (this ultra-slim form factor reduces weight by up to 36 percent compared with a standard 9.5 mm drive) and solid state hybrid drives (SSHD), which are designed for integration into the slimmest devices and space-constrained computing environments. With 500 GB of storage capacity and models with high performance-enabling solid state hybrid drive technology, this slim product line helps to address the tradeoff system designers often make between capacity, physical size, and performance.
Shipping today to select industrial distributors and OEM customers in 500 GB capacities, WD Blue 2.5” 5 mm hard drives, (model: WD5000MPCK) has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of USD 89.00. WD Blue 2.5”, 5 mm hard drives are covered by a two-year limited warranty. WD Black SSHD versions are currently shipping to OEM’s and integrators with both WD proprietary hybrid technology and industry standard SATA technology.
Western Digital has just announced a new 3.5” SAS hard drive solution for legacy datacenter storage systems with the release of the WD XE, 2.5”, 10,000 rpm SAS hard drive, now available mounted in a 3.5” adapter. Shipping immediately, the WD XE hard drives provide best-in-class performance, low power consumption, and an easier upgrade path for existing 3.5” storage systems.
While demand for 3.5”, high-performance enterprise-class hard drives slows, a need remains for an alternate high-performance storage device as a transitional solution for legacy systems. WD XE hard drives offer best-in-class sequential performance and provide a compelling upgrade for datacenters migrating away from legacy drives nearing end-of-life.
“Delivering up to 50 percent higher capacity, similar or better maximum sequential performance, higher reliability and up to 67 percent lower power consumption versus 3.5”, 15,000 RPM drives, the new WD XE drives are the answer for data center server and storage solutions needing a transition strategy,” said Rich Rutledge, senior vice president of WD’s datacenters business unit. “IT managers now have a worry-free migration path to the latest enterprise performance drives from WD, while preserving their chassis and solution investments.”
The WD XE SAS enterprise hard drives in 3.5” adapters, shipping in capacities ranging from 300 GB to 900 GB, (models: WD3001HKHG, WD6001HKHG, and WD9001HKHG); are available through select distributors and resellers. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the WD XE hard drives in performance adapters range from USD 229.99 to USD 599.99. WD XE drives are covered by a five-year limited warranty.
Lian-Li has announced two new brushed aluminum mini-ITX PC cases: PC-Q27 and PC-Q28. These two compact cases feature Lian Li’s new railing mount motherboard tray design, and allow for the mini-ITX platform to be combined with traditional full-sized components.
In addition to the new motherboard tray, both of Lian Li’s new mini-ITX cases have a new side panel removal design. After removing a single screw, the side panel easily slides off with minimal effort.
PC-Q27
The PC-Q27 is an ideal case for a small form factor office PC, HTPC, or gaming rig. With dimensions of 7.8 x 11.8 x 9.4 inches (200 mm x 300 mm x 240 mm), the PC-Q27 is slightly taller than its predecessor, the PC-Q07, thanks to the front and rear feet stands raising the case off the ground. The PC-Q27 is also wider and deeper allowing for longer video cards, up to 7.6 inches (195 mm), to fit.
Up to three 3.5” hard drives can fit inside the PC-Q27 with one of the 3.5” drives using the 5.25” drive bay space. For builders wanting to take advantage of the high speeds of solid state drives (SSDs), a single 2.5” drive can be installed on the bottom of the case. One more SSD can be installed in place of a 3.5” drive on the front HDD cage.
The PC-Q27 features passive cooling design, due to less heat generation from mini-ITX systems. Significant ventilation along the bottom and rear of the chassis keeps the internal components cool. For users who do want additional cooling, a 120 mm fan can be installed on the bottom of the PC-Q27 once the bottom hard drive cage is taken out.
The front of the PC-Q27 features the elegant brushed aluminum look that Lian Li is known for. The only non-aluminum part of the front is the dual LED illuminated power button that glows blue when on and red while loading. The I/O panel with two USB 3.0 ports is located on the right side of the front of the chassis, so there is no interruption of the elegant aesthetics.
PC-Q28
The update of the PC-Q18, the PC-Q28 is the ideal gaming, LAN, or home server case. The PC-Q28 can hold video cards up to 11.4 inches (290 mm) in length, as well as seven hard drives (in multiple 3.5” and 2.5” setup variations).
For DIY (do-it-yourself) builders who like to tweak and modify the internals of cases, both of the PC-Q28’s hard drive cages are removable with a few twists of thumbscrews and screws. This gives an internal blank compartment for modding enthusiasts.
The PC-Q28, with dimensions of 8.9 x 12.0 x 13.5 inches (227 mm x 305 mm x 345 mm), sits up off the ground thanks to its front and rear feet stands much like the PC-Q27. This is especially important since the Lian Li PC-Q28 does not have visible front ventilation. Instead, the front 140mm fan pulls in air from a vent on the bottom of the chassis, which reduces system noise, while providing effective cooling. The dust filter over the vent prevents dust from coming in. For expelling hot air out of the chassis, there is a top 120 mm fan.
Also, similar to the PC-Q27, the front of the PC-Q28 features the elegant brushed aluminum look that Lian Li is known for, with a dual LED illuminated power button. Two USB 3.0 ports and audio connections are located on the right side of the front of the chassis.
The PC-Q27 and PC-Q28 will be available in May in the USA for the suggested retail price of USD 78.99 and USD 118.99 respectively.
