Hardware

Logitech introduces Cordless Precision Controller for PS3

Logitech has launched Cordless Precision controller for PLAYSTATION 3. It has been specially designed to enhance gamer’s experience with PLAYSTATION 3. The Logitech Cordless Precision controller for PLAYSTATION 3 offers gamers an affordable cordless gamepad with the reliable 2.4 GHz Cordless Freedom technology. It provides precise control
over a 30-foot range with no lag, ensuring that the gamer has smooth and exciting gaming experience. Featuring Logitech´s critically acclaimed floating D-pad design, the Logitech Cordless Precision controller for PLAYSTATION 3 is extremely accurate and responsive. The advanced power-saving technology of Logitech's Cordless Precision controller for PS3 lets gamers play for well over 150 hours on a single set of two AA batteries.

Logitech Cordless Precision controller for PLAYSTATION 3 is priced at Rs.2,990 and is available across all the leading electronic stores in India. It enjoys a warranty of 2 years. Origin Marketing Pvt. Ltd. distributes Logitech Cordless Precision controller for PLAYSTATION 3.

SanDisk Launches New MicroSD and M2 Cards

SanDisk has announced the availability of SanDisk Mobile Ultra, microSD, microSDHC and Memory Stick Micro (M2) flash mobile memory cards. These cards are a part of SanDisk’s “Wake Up Your Phone” series for multimedia. The cards come bundled with a MobileMate Micro Reader that plugs directly into a USB 2.0 port.

“This product launch further proves SanDisk’s ability to anticipate changing user needs and provide the market with the right mobile storage solutions at the right time.” said David Kerr, vice president mobile research, Strategy Analytics.

Michael Romero, vice president of Mobile Retail Business, SanDisk, said, “SanDisk’s new Mobile Ultra line will make consumers’ digital lifestyle more manageable by offering them greater ability to quickly transfer photos, maps, music, videos, games and other large file size content wherever they go. These cards are truly the most convenient way for people to store, move and play content using their mobile phones, so we’re excited to introduce this high-performance, premium product to market to meet this need and growing demand.”

The SanDisk Mobile Ultra microSDHC are available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities and are priced at Rs. 1,492 ($34.99), Rs. 2,558 ($59.99) and Rs. 5,117 ($119.99) respectively. The Mobile Ultra Memory Stick Micro M2 are also available in the same capacities and are priced at Rs. 1,705 ($39.99) for the 2GB, Rs. 2,985 ($69.99) for the 4GB and Rs. 5,543 ($129.99) for the 8GB models. The SanDisk Mobile Ultra cards also come with a 10-year limited warranty.

http://www.sandisk.com/Corporate/PressRoom/PressReleases/PressRelease.aspx?ID=4200

SGI Visual Supercomputing

• Users accomplish more work with less cost, reduced complexity, and optimized workflow
• Delivers top performance by offering hybrid solutions optimally built from best of breed technologies
• Reduces workflow complexity through a data-centric architecture and technologies that seamlessly integrate
• Manages diverse workloads by offering a software stack that supports visualization technology choices
• Enhances SGI® Altix® XE and SGI® Altix® ICE compute platforms with closely coupled CPU/GPU visualization nodes

SGI Visual Supercomputing is a complete portfolio of innovative high performance visualization technologies, services, and solutions that enable our customers to effectively solve their greatest supercomputing challenges. Visualization challenges include the ability to process increasingly larger and more complex data sets that continue to expand in scope and detail; the ability to explore multiple "what if" scenarios tight deadlines; and the need to display and interact with visual data in remote locations.

By fully integrating high performance visualization with its supercomputing and data management systems, SGI delivers a complete compute/visualize/data management solution that optimizes workflow and productivity, reduces system complexity, and delivers dramatically reduced time-to-results.

The SGI Visual Supercomputer is integrated into our industry-leading hybrid compute-visualization-data systems that deliver a seamless and highly productive supercomputing environment. The SGI Visual Supercomputer includes high performance visualization blades featuring the latest CPUs and GPUs, a comprehensive visualization-enabled software stack that reduces system complexity, and remote visualization capabilities. Every SGI Visual Supercomputer is engineered to match the unique global workflow requirements of each of our clients.

Credit: www.sgi.com

Gateway One GZ7220

If Apple's iMac is the best all-around, all-in-one PC (if not one of the best all-around desktops), and Sony's VAIO LT19U succeeds in a very specific, high-end niche, where does that leave the new Gateway One? It's certainly attractive, but our fully loaded, $1,799 review unit has slower performance and a smaller screen than the less expensive, equally pretty iMac. The Gateway One has a few clever design elements, and the best upgradeability we've seen in an enclosed system. We can also imagine the OS X-shy might be interested in a visually pleasing, Vista-based all-in-one. But for confident, platform-agnostic users, we'll continue to recommend Apple, mostly due to its price and performance lead.

The sleek, glossy black Gateway One is not the first all-in-one from Gateway, but it's definitely the best looking. At 17.5 inches tall, 18.3 inches wide, and 3.5 inches from front to back, it takes up less space than the 7.25-inch-deep iMac. The trimmer footprint is due to an unexpectedly sturdy support on the back of the Gateway One, that actually recalls the design of Apple's old Cinema Displays . As with those bygone LCDs, you can stand the Gateway One up at an almost a 90-degree angle or tilt it back by roughly 45 degrees.

The Gateway One also does a better job than the iMac of preserving its aura of wireless techno-calm. In addition to the obligatory RF wireless mouse and keyboard, the single cable coming from the rear of the system goes down to a power brick. But on that brick you'll also find a collection of USB, digital audio, networking, and other inputs. Gateway includes USB and headphone ports on the side of the system as well, but the beauty of placing the ports on the brick is that it lets you keep the wires to things you don't normally disconnect under the desk and out of sight. Apple has its wireless mice and keyboards as well, but any other hard inputs go directly into the rear of the iMac, disturbing the cable-free aesthetic.

The ports on the Gateway One's power brick let you keep your wires out of sight under your desk.

Also in the Gateway One's favor, it allows for more customer upgradeability than either the iMac or the Sony VAIO LT19U. You slide two latches on the bottom of the system to pop the rear panel up like the hood of a car. Inside, you get access to the memory slots as well the two PCI Express MiniCard slots and the spare hard drive bay. Apple offers only memory access. Sony lets you get at both the memory and the hard drives of its all-in-one, but to add or remove the drives you need to wrangle with cables and an annoyingly complicated removable drive sled. The Gateway simply has two plastic bays that line the drives up directly with their fixed data and power inputs. No screws, no cables.

It couldn't be easier to add a second hard drive to the Gateway One.

While Gateway has done a good job designing the body of its new all-in-one, its soul needs some work. Consider the following specs comparison:

We should point out that the iMac we reviewed is a nonstandard config that has upgrades to its memory and its hard drive. And even after those add-ins, the Gateway One still has more memory and more storage space, not to mention a TV tuner. But counterbalancing those features are the Gateway's higher price, its smaller screen and slower processor, and its lack of Bluetooth capability. You can add Bluetooth via the Gateway's spare MiniCard port, so you can at least do that as an option, but if you were hoping to for wireless syncing between the Gateway and a smart phone or another device, you're out of luck to start.

It might be fair to argue that the Gateway's TV tuner and the iMac's Bluetooth capability cancel each other out (although we wish the tuner was internal, as on the Sony). What's plain, though, is that the Gateway is a performance laggard. Considering its higher price, its slowness hurts it the most. Of the three all-in-ones we've reviewed recently, as well as a standard HP desktop of similar price and capability for good measure, the Gateway One finished last or second to last on every test. Especially compared to the iMac, the Gateway is slower at editing photos, encoding audio and video files, playing games, and multitasking. PC vendors are sometimes keen to argue that all-in-ones can sacrifice performance as long as the features are there and the thing can serve as a standard-definition multimedia box. We don't expect any all-in-one to set records, but it's clear that Apple takes the iMac's performance as an actual computer far more seriously than Gateway does.

Credit: www.cnet.com