Raspberry Pi Add-on Board Works With LEGO Mindstorm

Category: Small Form Factor
Posted: May 14, 2013 12:10AM
Author: Tobias Thydal

Most people here on OCC have probably heard of Raspberry Pi, which has been immensely popular amongst DIY enthusiasts. An add-on product called BrickPi now seeks to allow the user to utilize Raspberry Pi's computational power to handle LEGO Mindstorm robots. The add-on board is a Kickstarter project that has exceeded its goal of $1,889 by raising $21,000, so it seems there is a large interest in this product.

The board works by sliding over the Raspberry Pi. It then connects, controls, and powers Mindstorm motors and sensors, and provide power to the Raspberry Pi. The board has four ports dedicated to Mindstorm sensors and three ports for motors. The whole thing is powered by a nine volt battery, thus allowing the robot to run without a power outlet. The firmware used in the board is written in Arduino and the code is open source and available online now. Programming will be necessary, but Dexter Industries has tried to ease the process by making Python libraries for all the motors and sensors. The company is also planning on making a Scratch programming library to help children wanting to program on the BrickPi. To top it off, Dexter Industries has also made a case that has holes the LEGO pieces can snap into, and it is capable of housing both the Raspberry Pi and the BrickPi.

A Kickstarter contribution of $35 will get you the BrickPi, while $45 or more will get you the BrickPi along with the case. The manufacturer, Dexter Industries, says deliveries will begin in August 2013.

Source: Kickstarter

Texas Instruments Launches Improved BeagleBone PC

Category: Small Form Factor, Open Source, Modding
Posted: April 23, 2013 02:33PM
Author: Tobias Thydal

Texas Instruments has launched its ARM-based BeagleBone Black PC today, and it's certainly going to raise some eyebrows in the DIY crowd. The board is a mix of two famous and loved devices. It has the microcontroller capabilities of the Arduino board, while being able to perform many of the same tasks as a Raspberry PI. The board is of course open-source and will be running a pre-installed Angstrom Linux OS. The specifications are a single-core Sitara AM335x ARM Cortex-A8 processor at 1GHz, 512MB DDR3 RAM, and 2GB of eMMC memory that holds the OS. It also has two Programmable Real Time Units, which are responsible for the microcontroller tasks.

The board is shipped with a single DC power barrel connector, two USB 2.0 ports, a micro SD card reader, a micro HDMI port for video output, and a 10/100 Ethernet jack. On top of that, the BeagleBone Black has two 46-pin connectors located on either side of the board, which accept cape expansion cards. These improve the functionality of the board by adding sensors, serial ports, batteries, LCD displays, and FPGAs. 

According to Texas Instruments, the BeagleBone Black is capable of driving a 3D printer due to the improved ARM processor and the pre-installed OS. The BeagleBone Black also has potential in robotics, since a powerful processor and microcontrollers on the same small board opens up for many possibilities, such as machine vision, which is the new craze amongst developers.

That Texas Instruments are able to cram so much hardware on a tiny PCB and maintain a price of only $45 is truly remarkable.

Source: Extreme Tech

Stripped Down Low-Power Raspberry Pi Released

Category: Small Form Factor
Posted: February 4, 2013 02:37PM
Author: EuroFight

A new, smaller version of the Raspberry Pi, the 'Model A' micro PC has been released in Europe. The Linux board is the latest addition to the super-cheap developer board, and costs just $25. The major changes between this and the larger 'Model B' being the absence of an Ethernet port and a single USB port. RAM has also been reduced, from 512MB down to 256MB, identical to that of the Model B's predecessor.

From the component cuts, the UK-based Raspberry Pi Foundation has managed to cut the power consumption to 'roughly a third' of the 'Model B'. This makes the 'Model A' micro PC more suitable for low-power devices such as those running on solar or battery power. As of now, the 'Model A' micro PC is only available in Europe, however overseas customers can order the device, but will need to wait a while before receiving it.

Source: CNET.com

Samsung Unveils Exynos Competitor to Raspberry Pi

Category: Small Form Factor
Posted: December 7, 2012 03:07PM
Author: EuroFight

Samsung have unveiled two new Exynos boards designed to compete with the Raspberry Pi, the ODROID-U2 and X2. The boards both feature Quad-Core Exynos 4412 SoCs, and are offered in a variety of form factors. The U2 board is smaller than the Raspberry Pi and both the U2 and the X2 feature a massive 2GB of RAM, an Ethernet port, as well as two USB 2.0 ports and support for MicroSD storage. Android 4.x and Ubuntu will be supported from release, and the boards have the potential to be ported to many other Operating Systems. Prices for the U2 will start from a humble $69.

The X2 is the U2's larger brother, featuring a standard SD card slot, as well as four extra USB 2.0 ports. There are also extra outputs available for adding support for LCD displays, MIPI camera modules, and many other devices. With high specs and great versatility, these new Exynos units look to be a very strong competitor against the Raspberry Pi and other small form-factor boards, such as the Intel Next Unit of Computing.

Lenovo Announces New Tiny HTPC

Category: Small Form Factor
Posted: November 15, 2012 10:52AM
Author: EuroFight

Lenovo has today announced the IdeaCenter Q190, a powerful HTPC featuring a third generation Intel Ivy Bridge i3 processor, a 1TB hard drive with a 24GB SSD cache, and 8GB RAM. The Q190 will be very small; some sources quote a total device width of 22mm although Lenovo has not yet listed the full dimensions. The system can be outfitted with the Windows 8 OS and boasts a 7.1 channel audio output, full HD graphics, as well as the option of a Blu-ray drive.

The tiny device also packs in Ethernet connectivity, HDMI output (as well as legacy support via VGA), USB 3.0, and a card reader. The device is expected to be released around January 2013 and could be yours for as little as $349. As well as this, Lenovo has also announced several new all-in-one PCs, ranging from the $349 Lenovo C240 with an 18.5” touchscreen to the $549 C540 with a 23” touchscreen. Lenovo has certainly been working hard over the last couple of months considering the amount of new technology being released.

ZOTAC Announces Three ZBOX PCs at CeBIT

Category: Small Form Factor
Posted: March 6, 2012 07:19PM
Author: Nick Harezga

ZOTAC has announced a trio of new mini-PCs at the CeBIT trade show in Germany, the ZBOX ID82, ZBOX nano ID61, and ZBOX Blu-ray AD05. The ZBOX ID82 is powered by an Intel Core i3 2330M processor and Intel HD Graphics 3000 GPU. The combination of a dual core CPU and the Intel graphics will dominate the easiest of tasks, while also providing the ability for GPU accelerated tasks. The ZBOX nano ID61 is a palm-sized PC that features an Intel Celeron 867 with support for high capacity SDXC memory cards and optical S/PDIF outputs. The ZBOX Blu-ray AD05 has an AMD E-450 APU and Radeon HD 6320 GPU, providing the ability to handle all of your high definition video needs. The inclusion of a media remote and USB IR receiver makes this a great candidate for an HTPC. All of the systems are designed as customizable barebones with the need for DDR3 SO-DIMM memory and a 2.5 inch SATA hard drive to get up and running. ZOTAC will offer Plus models that come with 2GB of DDR3 and a 320GB hard drive.

Mach Xtreme Unveils MX-STARTER PREMIUM 2.5" SSDs

Category: Storage / Hard Drives, Small Form Factor
Posted: February 21, 2012 01:53AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Mach Xtreme today unveiled its MX-STARTER PREMIUM series of 2.5" Solid State Drives (SSDs). The new series boasts data transfer speeds of up to 150MB/s (read) and 80MB/s (write) via the SATA II interface along with up to 10,000 IOPs. Other features include a 64MB DDR2 SDRAM cache, a Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF) of 1.5 million hours and a one-year warranty. The MX-STARTER PREMIUM series of SSDs will be available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities. Mach Xtreme did not disclose any details regarding the pricing or the release date of the MX-STARTER PREMIUM series SSDs.

Gateway Unveils LT4004U Cedar Trail Netbook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: February 13, 2012 02:24AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Acer subsidiary Gateway has unveiled its LT4004U netbook based on Intel's Cedar Trail platform. The new netbook is powered by a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N2600 CPU paired with Intel GMA 3600 integrated graphics, 1GB of DDR3 memory and a 250GB hard drive. Other features include an 10.1" 1024x600 LED display and all the standards - a media card reader, webcam, microphone, three USB 2.0 ports, ethernet port and 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN. Battery life is rated up to eight hours and a social networks hotkey gives users easy access to their favourite sites. The Gateway LT4004U netbook weighs 2.7lbs, is 1" thin and is available now at Best Buy for US$279.99.

HP Launches Mini 1104 Cedar Trail-based Netbook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: January 23, 2012 03:46PM
Author: Daryn Govender

HP has launched its latest netbook dubbed the HP Mini 1104. The new netbook is designed for education and business applications, packing in a near full-sized keyboard, up to nine-hours of battery life and a multi-touch trackpad. The Mini 1104 is powered by a dual-core Intel Atom N2600 'Cedar Trail' CPU running at 1.6GHz, up to 2GB of memory and Intel Integrated GMA 3600 graphics. Storage is covered by a 320GB hard drive operating at 5400RPM. Other features include a 10.1" 1024x600 pixel display and a VGA webcam, along with three USB 2.0 ports, a media card reader, a VGA output, an ethernet port, audio in/out ports, a microphone and stereo speakers. WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0+HS connectivity is included with the option of adding HSPA+ mobile broadband and GPS. The HP Mini runs on either Windows 7 or FreeDOS and will be priced from US$399.

HP Unveils ENVY 14 Spectre Ultrabook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: January 10, 2012 02:12AM
Author: Daryn Govender

HP has unveiled its latest ultrabook dubbed the ENVY 14 Spectre. The new ultrabook is crafted from scratch-resistant black and silver glass to create a striking look. As the name suggests, the ENVY 14 Spectre has a 14" high definition "HP Radiance Display" for vivid colour and better viewing angles, all packed into a 13.3" body. Audio is supplied by Beats Audio mesh speakers coupled with an analog aluminium volume dial. HP Wireless Audio technology allows uncompressed audio streaming to the ultrabook from up to four external devices. The ENVY 14 Spectre is equipped with an Intel Core CPU, up to 256GB of storage space and a backlit keyboard with proximity sensor. Connectivity includes USB 3.0, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort and Gigabit Ethernet ports. The ultrabook has a quoted battery life of up to nine hours. The ENVY 14 Spectre weighs under four pounds, is 20mm thin and should be available on February 8 in the United States, starting at $1,399.99.

DEONET Unveils 'Smallest USB Stick in the World'

Category: Storage / Hard Drives, Small Form Factor
Posted: December 23, 2011 04:24AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Dutch firm DEONET has unveiled what it calls the 'smallest USB stick in the world.' The new memory stick features the Micro UDP-chip, a memory chip which DEONET claims is half the size of a 'classic' memory chip. This Micro UDP-chip has dimensions of 18.5x14.5x2.9mm, giving DEONET the ability to produce ultra-compact USB sticks.

Rob van Berkom, CEO of DEONET said "For years, DEONET noticed a high demand for user friendly and compact USB sticks. With the development of the Micro UDP-chip, we continue being innovative in the USB market. This new technique enables us to introduce very small USB solutions. The main advantage is that the USB stick is small enough to keep it in a wallet or hang it on a bunch of keys. In addition, the smallest USB-stick from DEONET is so small it barely protrudes of the USB port of the PC and laptop. This makes it possible to leave the USB-stick in the laptop, even if it's stored in a bag."

The new USB stick will be available in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities, and will be released at the PSI Düsseldorf business fair next month.

LG Unveils Xnote Z330 13.3" Ultrabook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: December 7, 2011 04:47AM
Author: Daryn Govender

LG has unveiled the thinnest ultrabook in its line-up dubbed the Xnote Z330. The new ultrabook packs in a Core i5 (1.6GHz) or Core i7 (1.7Ghz) processor, 4GB of RAM and a 120GB or 256GB SSD for storage. This hardware coupled with LG's "Rapid Start Technology" enables a 10 second boot time on Windows 7. The Xnote Z330 also features Intel HD graphics displayed by a 13.3" High Definition LED screen. Connectivity is covered by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, along with USB 3.0 and HDMI out ports. The LG Xnote Z330 measures 315x215x14.7mm, weighs in at 1.2kg and has a rated battery life of six hours. LG did not release details regarding the availability or pricing of the Xnote Z330.

ZOTAC Unveils ZBOX Nano VD01 Series Mini-PCs

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: October 6, 2011 09:18PM
Author: Daryn Govender

ZOTAC today unveiled its latest product, a "palm-sized" mini-PC dubbed the ZBOX nano VD01 series. The new ZBOX packs in a VIA Nano X2 U4025 CPU paired with the VX900H chipset, enabling excellent performance and low power consumption.

Carsten Berger, marketing director at ZOTAC International said that "ZOTAC is pleased to expand its mini-PC lineup with the addition of a VIA platform. The VIA Nano X2 with VX900H chipset enables us to deliver an affordable energy-efficient mini-PC that is ideal for digital media consumption and home server use with the ZOTAC ZBOX nano VD01 series."

VIA's Vice President of Marketing also mentioned that "ZOTAC is an industry leader of innovative mini-PC solutions. VIA is proud to partner with ZOTAC for the ZBOX nano VD01 series that highlights our energy efficient Nano X2 platform."

The ZBOX supports fluid playback of high definition video formats such as Blu-Ray, MPEG 2 and H.264. The mini-PC requires a 2.5" SATA hard drive and one DDR3 SO-DIMM memory stick, although the ZBOX nano VD01 Plus models are preinstalled with a 320GB hard drive and 2GB of DDR3 memory. Connectivity is covered by an ethernet port along with USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and eSATA support. ZOTAC did not disclose details regarding the availability or pricing of the ZBOX nano VD01 series of mini-PCs.

Toshiba Prepares Thrive 7" Tablet; Coming December

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: September 28, 2011 02:46AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Toshiba is busy preparing its latest Thrive tablet, this time a smaller 7" offering. The Thrive 7" tablet features a high resolution touchscreen (1280x800) coupled with Toshiba Adaptive Display and Resolution+ technology to enhance video and image quality. The Thrive packs in a NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, along with either 16GB or 32GB of on-board flash memory. Other features include a microSD card slot for extra storage, two cameras (one 5MP rear with LED flash and one 2MP front), and micro HDMI and USB ports. All the basics such as WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth support are also covered. Android 3.2 is the OS of choice. The tablet also includes a gyroscope and stereo speakers, and weighs in at 0.88 pound. The Toshiba Thrive 7" tablet should be available in December, although Toshiba did not disclose details regarding the pricing of the new tablet.

NEC Announces LaVie Touch 10.1" Windows 7 Tablet

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: September 12, 2011 04:26AM
Author: Daryn Govender

NEC today announced its latest tablet, named the LaVie Touch. The new tablet packs in a 10.1" 1280x800 IPS panel, Intel's Oak Trail platform including a 1.5GHz Atom Z670 CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. Connectivity is covered by 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, two USB ports, a HDMI port, a SDHC card slot and a 1.3MP camera. The LaVie Touch runs on Windows 7 Home Premium and has a quoted battery life of 10.6 hours. The tablet will only be bundled with a "Multistation," a combination between a stand and a DVD-drive, along with a wireless mouse and keyboard. The NEC LaVie Touch will be available in Japan next month for around US$1,230, including the Multistation accessory.

Lenovo Unveils ThinkPad and IdeaPad K1 Tablets

Category: Small Form Factor, Gadgets
Posted: July 22, 2011 10:58PM
Author: Daryn Govender

Lenovo has unveiled its first-ever tablet offerings in the form of the ThinkPad and IdeaPad K1 tablets. The new tablets are both based on the NVIDIA Tegra 2 platform, with the OS of choice being Android 3.1 (Honeycomb).

First up is the IdeaPad K1, which is targeted at general consumers. The IdeaPad K1 is powered by 1GB of DDR2 RAM and up to 64GB of flash memory for storage, supplemented by a microSD card slot. Connectivity options include 802.11b/g/n WiFi, optional 3G and Bluetooth support, along with a micro HDMI output. A front-facing 2MP camera and a rear-facing 5MP camera make video chatting simple. The IdeaPad K1 itself weighs in at 750g, and is equipped with a 10.1" 1280x800 resolution touch screen. Battery life is up to 10 hours with the provided two-cell battery.

Next up is the ThinkPad tablet, designed with business users in mind. It features a Gorilla Glass touchscreen, helping protect the screen from bumps or scratches. The ThinkPad also features a thicker design (14mm) and includes GPS-support, one USB 2.0 port and an optional digitizer pen for the multi-touch IPS screen. Battery life is rated at up to 8 hours, with WiFi enabled.

The IdeaPad K1 will be available in August from US$399 (WiFi-only, 16GB version) and the ThinkPad will start at US$499 (16GB model), excluding a digitzer pen. Both tablets are available now for pre-order.

Verbatim Unveils Store 'n' Stay USB Flash Drive

Category: Storage / Hard Drives, Small Form Factor
Posted: July 12, 2011 03:22AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Verbatim today unveiled an interesting contraption, a nano-USB flash drive dubbed the Store 'n' Stay. The new drive is tiny, only extending 5mm from the USB port, and is intended for long-term storage using the USB 2.0 interface.

Verbatim's Flash Memory Product Manager, Mark Rogers, went on to say that "the low-profile, snag-free design makes it [the Store 'n' Stay flash drive] the optimal USB flash drive choice for laptop users who want the ability to transfer, store and share their favorite files on impulse. It's meant to be left in the USB port for always-ready storage, and can be easily removed to share videos, photos, and music whenever the occasion arises!"

The Store 'n' Stay USB flash drive is available in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB variants, retailing for $19.99, $29.99 and $59.99 respectively. All variants include a limited lifetime warranty and are available now from the Verbatim online store.

Samsung Releases Spinpoint M8 1TB Notebook Hard Drive

Category: Storage / Hard Drives, Small Form Factor
Posted: June 9, 2011 10:36PM
Author: Daryn Govender

Samsung today released its latest notebook hard drive, the Spinpoint M8. The new hard drive packs in 500GB per platter, for a total of 1TB. This is achieved while maintaining a compact form factor measuring 9.5mm high, allowing the M8 to be used in a variety of mobile applications including notebooks. Samsung developed the Spinpoint M8 by using Advanced Format Technology (AFT) to enable a higher platter density. The M8 also boasts an eight percent decline in power usage and a seven percent increase in data speeds, both achieved by a more streamlined design. The hard drive features the SATA 3Gb/s interface and an 8MB buffer, along with EcoSeek and NoiseGuard technology to reduce noise output for a quieter computing experience. The Samsung Spinpoint M8 hard drive is available now for around US$129.00.

HP Releases 15.6" Pavilion g6s Sandy Bridge Notebook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: May 22, 2011 10:21PM
Author: Daryn Govender

HP today released its latest Sandy Bridge offering in the form of the Pavilion g6s notebook. The new 15.6" notebook is based on Intel's Sandy Bridge platform, packing in a second-generation Intel Core CPU (ranging up to a Core i7-2620M) supported by up to 8GB of memory and either Intel HD 3000 or Radeon HD 6470M graphics. Storage is provided by a conventional hard drive, up to 750GB. Other features include a DVD writer (8x), Altec Lansing audio and all the basics: LAN, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth (optional) and a 6-cell battery promising around 4 hours of battery life. On the outside the g6s includes a 15.6" display (1366x768), a sleek keyboard and a borderless touchpad. The HP Pavilion g6s is available in five colours, priced from US$549.99.

Kingston Unveils DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 G2 Flash Drive

Category: Storage / Hard Drives, Small Form Factor
Posted: May 19, 2011 02:33AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Kingston today unveiled its latest USB 3.0 flash drive, the DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 G2. The new drive uses a native USB 3.0 controller, enabling speeds of up to 100MB/s (read) and 70MB/s (write) through a USB 3.0 port.

Andrew Ewing, Kingston's flash memory business manager said that "Kingston is committed to help drive market adoption of the new USB 3.0 standard and make it more accessible to the mass market. The growing number of platforms and computers supporting the USB 3.0 standard as well as the benefits of the single chip controllers that allow better compatibility and performance are helping drive the adoption of USB 3.0 technology."

The flash drive is enclosed in a durable case and measures in at 73.7x22.2x16.1mm. The DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 G2 will be available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants, retailing for $77, $116 and $213 respectively. All models are backed by a five-year warranty.

Apple Pushes for Smaller SIM Cards

Category: Mobile, Small Form Factor
Posted: May 18, 2011 08:36PM
Author: IVIYTH0S

Apple made a proposal for a new SIM card standard that shall be smaller than the SIMs currently in use in iPhones and iPads. With a SIM card shrink Apple may be able to fit more into the same form factor or make its devices thinner yet. Apple is not a new kid on the block in the mobile market anymore, so this would help deepen relations with mobile providers by offering up an idea that will benefit all SIM-based mobile hardware. Generally for a new hardware standard to take effect, it takes longer than a year depending on how well the rest of the industry receives the new idea. A few mobile operators, Orange in particular, are openly embracing the new idea. Anne Bouverot, Orange's head of mobile services, expresses the company's delight that Apple is planning to downsize SIM cards and wants everyone to follow suit. Devices sporting the little SIM cards may begin shipping early 2012 and other phone manufacturers will likely adopt the technology to lower the weight and size of their handsets.

Samsung Launches 13.3" Huron River-based Laptop

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: May 11, 2011 02:35AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Samsung today launched its latest laptop, named the QX412. The new laptop is based on Intel's Huron River platform and packs in a 2.5GHz Core i5-2520M CPU along with 4GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive and a NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M 1GB memory card. On the outside the laptop features a 14" LED-backlit screen (1366x768) with a 1.3MP webcam, a DVD writer, a Gigabit ethernet port, a card reader, a USB port and a HDMI output. Connectivity is covered by 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0 support. The laptop features a DuraCase aluminum cover and is powered by both Windows 7 Professional 64 bit and a six-cell battery. It is worth noting that this laptop is the size of a 13.3" laptop although it has a 14" screen. The Samsung QX412 is available now in Europe for around US$1,370 (€950).

HP Releases 14" Pavilion dm4x Sandy Bridge Laptop

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: May 5, 2011 02:41AM
Author: Daryn Govender

HP today released its latest Sandy Bridge-based (Huron River) laptop, the Pavilion dm4x. The new 14" laptop is powered by either a Core i5 or Core i7 CPU, up to 8GB of memory and a Radeon HD 6470M GPU with 1GB of GDDR3 memory. Storage is provided by one HDD (5400 or 7200RPM) up to 750GB. Connectivity is covered by 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Gigabit ethernet, a HD webcam, a media card reader, three USB 3.0 ports, one VGA port and one HDMI port. The dm4x is finished in brushed metal and features a "chiclet keyboard" along with a 14" 1366x768 LED display. Windows 7 64-bit (Home Premium or Professional) is the OS of choice, while juice is provided by a 6-cell battery. The HP pavilion dm4x is available now, starting at US$730.

Kingmax Unveils Waterproof 64GB SDXC Memory Card

Category: Storage / Hard Drives, Small Form Factor
Posted: April 26, 2011 02:43AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Memory-vendor Kingmax today unveiled a waterproof and dustproof 64GB SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) memory card. The new Class 10 memory card offers a combination of durability and speed along with large capacity. Apart from being waterproof and dustproof the memory card offers speeds of up to 65MB/s (read) and up to 40MB/s (write). A huge 64GB capacity makes the card perfect for storing large files. The card also uses the exFAT (extended File Allocation Table) file system, allowing the card to overcome the limitations of the FAT32 system, and store files larger than 4GB. Other features include built-in ECC (Error Correction Code) and RoHS compliance. Kingmax did not reveal information regarding the availability or pricing of the 64GB SDXC memory card.

Verbatim Announces Store 'n' Go USB 3.0 Flash Drives

Category: Storage / Hard Drives, Small Form Factor
Posted: April 20, 2011 08:13PM
Author: Daryn Govender

Verbatim today announced its latest USB 3.0 offerings, in the form of three Store 'n' Go flash drives. The drives feature incredible transfer speeds of up to 70MB/s (write) and up to 120MB/s (read) via the USB 3.0 interface. As always, the drives are backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 ports, albeit with slower data rates. The Store 'n' Go drives have a 'push and pull' design, helping to protect the USB connector and eliminating the need for a cap.

Hans Christoph Kaiser, Business Development Manager Flash Verbatim EUMEA, went on to say that "USB 3.0 drives make a lot of sense because they are 100 percent compatible with USB 2.0 and offer far superior speeds to devices that have USB 3.0 ports. We are expecting the bulk of the premium USB flash storage market to migrate to USB3.0 within the next 18 months."

The Verbatim Store 'n' Go flash drives will be available this month in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants.

Silicon Power Unveils Blaze Series USB 3.0 Flash Drives

Category: Storage / Hard Drives, Small Form Factor
Posted: April 20, 2011 07:47PM
Author: Daryn Govender

Flash memory vendor Silicon Power today unveiled the Blaze series of USB 3.0 flash drives. The new series offers read speeds of up to 70MB/s, perfect for accessing data such as videos, images or music. The drives are finished in blue with rounded edges and also feature a unique colour-changing pattern. The colour of the drive changes from blue to red depending on the operating temperature, using heat-sensitive ink. Weighing in at 9.5g and measuring 72.4x17.4x10.0mm, the Blaze series is both portable and stylish. The Blaze series will consist of 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models, to suit all budgets.

The new drives will be backed by a lifetime warranty and include free access to Silicon Power's widget software, featuring applications such Norton Internet Security (60 day trial).

Acer Prepares Aspire One 722 11.6" Fusion-based Netbook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: April 18, 2011 10:12PM
Author: Daryn Govender

Acer is preparing an updated version of its Aspire One 522 netbook, dubbed the Aspire One 722, or AO722. The AO722 brings a few updates, most notably a 1366x768 11.6" display, a larger battery offering up to 7 hours of use and one extra speaker. Apart from those changes, the AO722 is essentially the same on the inside as the AO522, featuring a 1GHz AMD C-50 dual-core APU and Radeon HD 6250 graphics. The netbook will also have a water drop design similar to the AOD257. Windows 7 Starter will be the OS of choice. I'd expect to hear more details regarding the Aspire One 722 in the coming weeks.

MSI X370 Fusion-based Laptop Available in the U.S.

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: April 15, 2011 01:55AM
Author: Daryn Govender

AMD's Brazos platform is gaining momentum, with MSI releasing its latest laptop featuring the upcoming platform. The new laptop, named the X370, packs in a 1.6GHz E-350 dual core APU including Radeon HD 6310 graphics (supporting DirectX 11), 4GB of memory and a 13.4" 1366x768 LED-backlit display. Storage space is provided by a 500GB hard drive, while connectivity options include Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 support. A 1.3MP webcam and two SRS 2W speakers along with VGA and HDMI outputs complete the multimedia experience. Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit will be the OS of choice. The MSI X370 features an 8-cell battery and is available now from Newegg, retailing at $600.

Sony Calls Nintendo Handhelds Toys

Category: Mobile, Gaming, Manufacturers, Small Form Factor
Posted: April 11, 2011 08:13PM
Author: IVIYTH0S

Sony's CEO Jack Tretton has been openly belittling Nintendo's entire Gameboy line of game systems, as well as many of its users. Tretton goes as far as to say that anyone using a Gameboy in public should feel ashamed and that only small children should be playing a Gameboy.

It is unclear whether Sony is looking at just starting up some kind of drama before the launch of the NGP or simply tightening up its target audience. What does not make sense is why Sony would want to offend future and current customers. It would do Sony no good to alienate a younger age group from wanting or "deserving" its portable game systems. What is interesting, and ironic in a way, is Nintendo's 3DS system currently has far more interest than Sony's own upcoming NGP. Only time will tell whether Tretton's masterplan comes together as intended or if this publicity stunt is a shot in the foot to Sony's portable market.

Stealth LPC-670

Category: Small Form Factor
Posted: April 10, 2011 10:13AM
Author: Jeremy Holstein

A new model in Stealth's LPC series has just been released, the LPC-670. These LPCs are small form factor computers, which is probably why they are called Little PCs. And when I say small, I mean small. But don't judge this computer by its size, this tiny computer packs a lot of power.

Equipped with either a Core i5-520M, Core i5-580M or Core i7-620M and up to 8GB of RAM, this thing can do a lot of damage. It also includes a DVD player or Blu-ray burner and up to 750GB storage. Like I said, this computer has a lot of power.

Before you go out and add 10 to your shopping cart, keep in mind the base model starts at $1650. This might be something to buy if you like playing Crysis in the car.