Latest Company Press Releases

Consumer-electronics products have a lightning-fast development cycle. But it generally takes years to get new technology into cars, due to a meticulous engineering process that requires many thousands of parts to be seamlessly integrated.

“Audi stands for progressive luxury and our new aim is to adopt the benchmarks of consumer electronics,” Hudi said. He called NVIDIA a “strategic partner” that is enabling this to happen.

Coming on stage as Audi’s only guest, NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said that the secret behind the extraordinarily fast incorporation of NVIDIA’s latest technology into Audi is NVIDIA’s Visual Computing Module (VCM). The 3×3-inch automotive-grade board contains a Tegra processor, memory and I/O controller, as well as a connector, which enable it to be easily integrated into the vehicle.

“Audi is the first car company in the world to keep up with consumer electronics,” Huang said. Gesturing to the VCM being held by Hudi, he added, “What you’re seeing is the latest and greatest architecture from NVIDIA. It’s truly unbelievable for a car company to move this fast.”

Tegra 3’s ultra-low power consumption is one of its key attractions to Audi because it translates to lower fuel consumption. Just as the processor’s fifth “ninja” core enables mobile devices to stay updated when they’re turned off, it will enable cars to sync data – such as music, map destinations or weather forecasts—even when the engine’s switched off.

Hudi called VCM a great example of the kind of collaboration that stems from the companies’ six-year extensive collaboration.

• New $249 Asus tablet, equipped with a quad-core Tegra 3 mobile processor running Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.
• Asus’s Transformer Prime tablet, with Tegra 3, is available immediately with Ice Cream Sandwich. Earlier versions can be updated over the air.
• Tegra 3, by using the Splashtop app, can remotely connect to a GeForce GTX-based gaming PC and play the world’s most sophisticated titles like Skyrim.
• The Tegra 3 processor sports three innovations:
  • A fifth ninja core, which draws very little power and is able to run background and ordinary tasks with little impact on battery life
  • PRISM, a power-saving backlight technology that can cut backlight power consumption by up to 40 percent by modulating the backlight per pixel, frame and scene.
  • DirectTouch, which offloads much of the touch panel’s processing to just one of the CPU cores, enabling 6x faster touch processing, lower costs and lower power consumption.
• Tegra 3 is now powering some of the world’s best cars, including three being shown at CES by NVIDIA: the Tesla 3 sedan, the Audi A7 and the new Lamborghini Aventador.

Or have a look here http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0vbHVIDdH8c

NVIDIA Press Conference Recap – Ice Cream Sandwich to Unify Android Platform

To Brits, it’s horses for courses. For Yanks, it’s different strokes for different folks. If you’re French, it’s à chacun son gout.

For Jen-Hsun Huang, it’s a tablet for every purpose.

Speaking to a crowd of more than 500 jammed into NVIDIA’s press conference on CES eve, the NVIDIA CEO compared tablets to the car industry (which idles away in a special place in his heart).

Toyota Corolla’s the best-selling car of all time, he observed. But that doesn’t mean everyone, or even most, want one. Compacts, convertibles, coupes and crossovers hold an honored place in millions of garages.

Similarly, a variety of needs are increasingly served by Android tablets in a multitude of shapes and sizes.

Already, Android powers three-inch phones through to 10-inch tablets, with at least seven sizes in between. It reads the swipe of a finger, the tap of an artist’s pen, the thrum of a keyboard, the flick of a game controller. It supports 3D viewing, plus plain old 2D.And that’s after only four short years on the market.

Year of Ice Cream Sandwich

More variety will be fueled by Google’s new Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. By providing a unified platform that serves both smart phones and tablets, the new OS provides a single, massive installed base for developers to target.

“Ice Cream Sandwich unites, unifies and turns all the Android devices into a single platform, with one enormous installed base,” he said.

It’s no exaggeration to think of 2012 as the Year of Ice Cream Sandwich. Already, 700,000 Android activations occur daily, with 3.7 million on Christmas weekend alone.

Apps Aplenty

Skeptics aver that Android apps lag behind those for iOS. But Jen-Hsun noted that the gap’s closing fast. In fact, Android apps hit 400,000 in November, iOS’s level in mid-2011.

Underscoring this trend, Manuel Wille, Nik Software’s top engineer,came briefly on stage to demonstrate Snapseed – the dazzling photo-enhancement tool named an iPad app of 2011 by Apple – that’s coming to Android, exclusively on Tegra devices.

Jen-Hsun also called on stage gaming-legend Jonathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, who showed off the new Splashtop app, which allows you to use a Tegra 3 tablet to play sophisticated games like Skyrim and Battlefield 3 by connecting remotely to a GeForce GTX-based gaming PC, even with a gaming controller. This marks the first time remote PC gaming is available on a portable device.

He made the point that while gaming is among the most popular apps on mobile devices, tablets are about more than gaming apps. They’re a new way to game – a trend not lost on GameStop, which has 200 stores selling Tegra tablets.

Asus Tegra 3 Tablet at $249

Dressed in a trademark short-sleeve black shirt, Jen-Hsun noted that tablets have already been morphing to meet different, specialized, needs.

Sony’s unique Tablet P, featuring a folding design with dual 5.5-inch screens, has found a core following in Japan. Designers like pen-input tablets, such as the Lenovo IdeaPad. And in China, seven-inch tablets are the rage.

That’s likely to be a key market for a new Tegra 3-based seven-incher announced at the press conference by Asus CEO Jerry Shen, who also came to the stage. He said the Ice Cream Sandwich tablet, the Asus ME370T, will sell for $249, which evoked a burst of applause from the crowd.

Jensen also said that the Transformer Prime tablet, which began shipping last month with the Honeycomb OS, is now available with Ice Cream Sandwich. Direct over-the-air updates are also now available.

Innovation Beyond Quadcore

Huang emphasized the innovation NVIDIA’s brought to Tegra 3, noting that the quadcore processor, which has 5x the power of its predecessor. He cited three technologies it utilizes that help tablets get up to 12 hours of battery life.

• A “ninja” core. Tegra 3’s Variable SMP architecture enables it to switch between the four main CPU cores and a fifth lower-power “companion” CPU core for less demanding tasks and active standby mode.
• PRISM, a power-saving backlight technology. It deploys sophisticated algorithms that can reduce backlight power consumption by up to 40 percent by modulating the backlight per pixel, frame and scene, all in real time.
• DirectTouch. It offloads much of the touch panel’s processing to just one of the CPU cores, enabling 6x faster touch processing, lower costs and lower power consumption.

Opening New Windows

Looking ahead, Microsoft’s Aidan Marcuss, senior director of Windows marketing, came on stage to share his company’s excitement for Windows 8’s potential on Tegra-powered devices.

Windows 8, he noted, will be heavily multi-threaded, which Tegra 3 will take full advantage of for a fast, fluid experience. He confirmed that our companies are working together on a developer-seeding program to enable ISVs to quickly begin development on NVIDIA hardware once the next preview of Windows 8 is released in late February.

Jen-Hsun wrapped up by talking about how cars – which he called “the latest consumer device” – are increasingly featuring fabulous capabilities enabled by NVIDIA processors. Among the cars he cited as benefiting from the company’s partnerships are the Tesla S, Audi A7 and the Lamborghini Aventador.

WD^® MAKES NETFLIX^® IN THE UK AND IRELAND AND A RANGE OF TV AND RADIO PROGRAMMING IN THE UK AVAILABLE ON ITS MEDIA PLAYERS

WD TV^® Live^™ Streaming Media Player also Plays Consumers’ Personal Content on the Biggest Screen in the House

London - Western Digital^® (NYSE: WDC), the world’s leader in external storage solutions and maker of the popular WD TV^® media player family, today announced the availability of BBC iPlayer^® service in the UK and the Netflix® service in the UK and Ireland on the WD TV Live wireless streaming media player (third generation). The services join YouTube^™, Spotify^® and many other premium entertainment and information services available to customers through WD TV media players, enabling access to a range of TV and radio programmes and films on the biggest screen in their home – the high-definition television.

Additionally, unlike many other streaming media players available in the market, WD TV media players also let customers enjoy a broad variety of digital media they already own, such as photos, video and music, on their home entertainment systems, creating a unified entertainment experience. WD TV devices support a wide range of file formats for streaming content from any connected USB drive, digital camcorder or camera, network drive such as the My Book® Live™ personal cloud storage and any networked PC or Mac® computer in the home.

WD TV Live users in the UK will gain access to over 400 hours of BBC^® TV and radio content, including HD programmes, from the previous seven days and as they are transmitted live.

With more than 20 million streaming members globally, Netflix, Inc. is the world's leading Internet subscription service for enjoying films and TV shows. Netflix members in the UK and Ireland can instantly watch unlimited films and TV episodes streamed over the Internet to WD TV media players, PCs, Macs and TVs, as well as other Internet-connected devices. WD TV Live customers with a Netflix membership simply connect to their Netflix account to instantly watch on their TVs.

"Netflix has become a 'must have' for consumer electronics devices," said Netflix vice president of business development Bill Holmes. "We're proud to align with WD to include Netflix on the WD TV Live streaming media players and to provide consumers with another great choice for enjoying unlimited films and TV programmes streaming over the Internet for a low monthly subscription price from Netflix."

“Over 3 million WD TV media players have been sold worldwide to date, fulfilling consumer demand for a product that integrates quality content from providers like BBC, Netflix and Spotify with consumers’ personal content such as photos, videos and music,” said Chris Bull, director of marketing for connected home solutions for WD. “Further, WD personalises this entertainment experience by offering users mobile access to their content and enabling customisation of their WD TV experience. We designed today’s generation of WD TV players from years of feedback from our customers.”

The WD TV line of media players can be purchased at select retailers worldwide and online at www.shopwd.co.uk

Crucial Ballistix Sport, Tactical, and Elite Memory Now Available in 8GB Modules

High-Density Performance Memory Modules Take Advantage of Micron’s Latest 4Gb DRAM Innovations in Support of the Latest Platforms

 Key Messages:

• New 8GB modules now available across the Crucial^® Ballistix^® Sport, Tactical, and Elite memory series.
• Provides advanced users, gamers, and overclockers with the maximum memory density per module by taking advantage of Micron Technology’s latest 4Gb DRAM innovations.
• New Ballistix modules can be installed in configurations up to 64GB in some systems, including the new Intel^® X79 platforms.

Boise, ID, and Glasgow, UK, 9 January 2012 – Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the immediate availability of 8GB DDR3 memory modules across the Crucial Ballistix Sport, Tactical, and Elite series. By taking advantage of Micron’s 4Gb DRAM technology, the new 8GB modules provide users with the maximum capacity, performance, and density needed to run data-and graphic-intensive applications smoothly and efficiently.

Available in low-latency DDR3-1600MHz and DDR3-1866MHz modules, Crucial 8GB Ballistix modules can be installed in configurations up to 64GB in some systems, including the new Intel X79 platforms. Additionally, the complete line of Ballistix memory features a new logo treatment and updated heat spreader designs.

Ballistix Sport.   The new Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB DDR3-1600MHz memory module is designed to provide mainstream users and general PC enthusiasts with an affordable, reliable, no-hassle gaming experience. The Crucial Ballistix Sport series offers timing and voltages for maximum memory stability and system compatibility.

Ballistix Tactical.   Well-suited for gamers, power users, and performance enthusiasts, the new Crucial Ballistix Tactical 8GB DDR3-1600MHz memory has lower latencies and features the Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) which enables easy setup. The Crucial Ballistix Tactical series provides high speeds and features a black PCB and enhanced heat spreader design for improved thermal performance.

Ballistix Elite.   Designed for extreme overclockers and advanced users, the new Crucial Ballistix Elite 8GB DDR3-1866MHz memory utilizes Intel XMP, and features a thermally efficient extruded aluminium heat spreader design, black PCBs, and integrated thermal sensors for real-time monitoring of temperature utilizing the Ballistix Memory Overview Display (M.O.D.) utility.

“The new Crucial Ballistix 8GB modules enable users to take advantage of award-winning Micron^® innovations to maximize the installed memory for optimal performance on today’s most advanced systems,” said Jeremy Mortenson, senior product manager, Crucial. “Featuring stylish new designs and an updated logo, Crucial now provides its customers eye-catching and reliable memory solutions for performance enthusiasts at every interest level.”

Crucial Ballistix memory is backed by a limited lifetime warranty and is rigorously tested to meet or exceed the high-quality performance specifications customers have come to expect from Crucial. Crucial Ballistix Sport, Tactical, and Elite memory modules are available now through select global channel partners, or directly at www.crucial.com/uk

New Ultra-Slim Crucial m4 SSD Delivers High Performance for Today’s Thin and Light Laptop Computers

Ultra-thin 7mm SSD Delivers Exceptional Performance without Sacrificing Capacity or Quality

Key Messages:

• New Crucial® m4 SSD now available in 7mm height, delivering exceptional performance for today’s new thin and light laptops.
• Meets the needs for slimmer storage devices while delivering the same stellar performance as the standard 9.5mm Crucial m4 SSD.
• Available in capacities of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.
• The 512GB version is one of the highest-capacity storage drives – magnetic or solid state – available on the market for laptops with a 7mm tall drive bay.

Boise, ID, and Glasgow, UK, 6 January, 2012 - Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today introduced a 7mm version of the award-winning Crucial m4 SSD to meet the need for thinner storage devices. With the same performance delivered by the standard 9.5mm Crucial m4 SSD, the new ultra-slim 7mm version supports the latest thin and light form factor laptop models, such as the Lenovo® ThinkPad® T420G, Acer® Aspire® 6920G, and new Intel®-inspired Ultrabook™ devices. The 7mm Crucial m4 SSD is available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities. The 512GB capacity offering is one of the highest-capacity storage drives – magnetic or solid state – available in the market today for laptops with a 7mm tall drive bay.

The new, thinner version of the Crucial m4 SSD improves boot-up and application load times to enhance computing efficiency. Ideal for client computing, 7mm Crucial m4 SSD's also provide benefits for notebooks, desktops, workstations, and industrial applications, such as low power consumption, lightweight construction, and resistance to shock and vibration. The 7mm Crucial m4 SSD leverages the industry-leading memory, design, and manufacturing capability of Micron Technology, and is built to the exacting standards demanded by leading OEM computer manufacturers worldwide.

“The demand for thinner, lighter, and lower-cost laptops continues to grow, and many users are demanding reliable storage solutions that offer high performance in these increasingly smaller form factors,” said Robert Wheadon, worldwide senior product manager, Crucial. “The 7mm Crucial m4 SSD provides exceptional performance in a super-thin form factor, is extensively tested in-house, and is the newest offering in our award-winning SSD portfolio.”

The new 7mm Crucial m4 SSD includes a three-year limited warranty, and is currently offered on www.crucial.com/uk at £75.99 for 64GB; £133.99 for 128GB; £262.99 for 256GB; and £508.99 for the 512GB solution. The 7mm Crucial m4 SSDs are available now, along with standard 9.5mm Crucial m4 SSDs, through select global channel partners and direct at www.crucial.com/uk.

Crucial Adrenaline Cache Solution Boosts Performance of Existing Hard Drives to Enhance Overall PC Performance

New Solid State Cache Solution Combines Cost-Effective, High-Performance SSD with an Existing High-Capacity Hard Drive for Dramatic PC Performance Gains

Key Messages:

• Combines a cost-effective, high-performance SSD with an existing hard drive to enable the best of both worlds: SSD-like performance with the high storage capacity of a hard drive.
• Comprises a 50GB Crucial m4 SSD, a 3.5” adapter bracket, and caching software.
• Simple, two-step installation includes connecting the SSD to the motherboard with a standard SATA cable followed by installation of the software.

 Boise, ID, and Glasgow, UK, 5 January, 2012 – Crucial^®, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the Crucial Adrenaline Solid State Cache Solution for enhanced PC performance. Comprising a 50GB Crucial m4 SSD, a 3.5” adapter bracket, and software, Crucial Adrenaline intelligently places, or “caches,” the most frequently needed files on the SSD and keeps less frequently used files on the hard drive. The combination of a cost-effective, high-performance SSD with an existing hard drive provides users with the best of both worlds: SSD-like performance with the high capacity offered by a traditional hard drive, all at an affordable cost. 

“Many PC users are reluctant to give up their high-capacity hard drives for the performance of a solid state drive,” said Robert Wheadon, worldwide senior product manager, Crucial. “Crucial Adrenaline offers these consumers an affordable bridge between hard drives and solid state drives, so they won’t be forced to choose capacity over performance, or vice versa.”

Upgrading a system with Crucial Adrenaline is a simple process. Customers need only connect the SSD to the motherboard with a standard SATA cable, start the computer, and then install the caching software. Once installed, the software combines the customer’s existing hard drive and the solid state cache into a single storage system. The caching software is fully automated, runs in the background, and requires no user management.

“Consumers are storing lots of digital movies, photos, and music on their home PCs, and as the amount of content grows, they want better PC performance for faster access to that content, similar to what SSDs provide,” added Wheadon. “Crucial Adrenaline uses solid state technology as a cache for an existing hard drive to accomplish this goal, and delivers a compelling and affordable upgrade solution.”

The Crucial Adrenaline Solid State Cache Solution leverages the industry-leading memory, design, and manufacturing capability of Micron Technology. Backed by a limited three-year warranty, the Crucial Adrenaline Solid State Cache Solution is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2012 through select global channel partners and online at www.crucial.com/uk.

NVIDIA Maximus Makes “Design Clinic” A Success for CLEAT Inc.

CLEAT Inc., located in Tokyo, Japan, specializes in the delivery of 3D computer graphics (3D CG) services. To meet growing client demands, the company realized it needed to dramatically reduce rendering times while preserving the quality of its graphics.

CLEAT Inc. was founded by Kensuke Yamashita in 1990, following his experience as a car designer at Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Over the last 21 years, the company has landed a multitude of top clients including: Giant, a world-class sports bicycle manufacturer; NIKE Japan, and; SQUARE (SQUARE ENIX).

CLEAT is a leader in creating and presenting 3D CG visual product images for marketing purposes. However, during the recent worldwide economic downturn, competitors went on the offensive in all areas, armed with large scale operations and low prices, creating more competitive challenges for CLEAT. It was in that environment that Kensuke Yamashita, President of CLEAT Inc., conceived “Design Clinic,” a company initiative using 3D CG.

The initiative is offered as a supplement to a manufacturer’s product development process, something that is historically hard for major production companies and publishers to break into. However, as a former industrial designer, Mr. Yamashita had a lot of expertise and personal contacts in this area that helped ease CLEAT’s entry into engaging in it with clients.

“We provide customers with consultants who develop a methodology for better product design, which can be a competitive advantage," said Yamashita.  “This approach is easily understood by clients who are trying to rise above the competition. However, they couldn’t sacrifice the speed of delivery, even for an improved design methodology. As soon as our Design Clinic was presented, manufacturers then demanded more precision and speed.”

The recent emergence of HP Z800 workstations with NVIDIA® Maximus™ technology gave CLEAT a golden opportunity to accelerate its Design Clinic approach.

CHALLENGE

Finding the Right Tools to Accelerate Turnaround.   In 2000, CLEAT began receiving requests from manufacturers for advice on how to introduce 3D CAD into the field of industrial design. Mr. Yamashita initially responded to these requests for free; however, the demand grew into a specialized consulting business of its own. Today, it’s a fundamental part of the company’s operations.

“We transfer the images formed in our customers’ minds into pictures, which we call ‘image pictures,’” Yamashita said. “That is the core of our Design Clinic business.”

Back in 2004, after hearing Mr. Yamashita speak at a public forum, CLEAT and its Design Clinic struck up an affiliation with Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. At the time, Yamaha was looking for competitive advantages in the European market. Competition was growing, and CLEAT’s Design Clinic idea sparked its interest. Yamashita surmised that customers seeking large motorcycles might have been compelled as much by the immediate attraction of the look of a product as they were to its quality.

“Previously, manufacturers concentrated on quality, cost and delivery. Today, as performance and quality are commoditized, emotion has become an essential factor in the purchase process,” he said.

As Yamaha started to engage with CLEAT’s Design Clinic service, the team at CLEAT faced a number of challenges in producing high quality 3D graphics that would evoke emotion and reflect features consumers found ‘necessary’ in market research. The single biggest challenge CLEAT faced in doing this for Yamaha was long rendering times, which made reviews nearly impossible. Yamaha would need to review the shape and color of the product in real time, and CLEAT would need to vary and change it in real time, and rotate the product image 360 degrees in order to review all sides. Unlike marketing/advertising work, which can be rendered as a back-room process, manufacturing work requires near-real time processing. “It was simple,” said Yamashita. “We needed tools that would increase our work speed while preserving the quality of our work.”

SOLUTION

Reducing rendering times and advancing image quality with NVIDIA Maximus.   In October 2011, CLEAT installed an NVIDIA® Maximus™-powered HP Z800 workstation. The NVIDIA Maximus configuration in CLEAT’s HP Z800 consists of an NVIDIA Quadro® 6000® ultra high-end professional graphics card and an NVIDIA Tesla™ C2075 companion processor. They use Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 Subscription Advantage Pack software that includes the ActiveShade real-time rendering application featuring NVIDIA iray® rendering software. With these new tools, the company was able to provide high quality 3D graphics while also reducing rendering times from 10 minutes to 30 seconds.

“Our previous workstation took about ten minutes to change the color of a wheel. In the new NVIDIA Maximus environment, iray runs smoothly, and at a high speed – improving our workflow. It can complete rendering in about 30 seconds; the amount of speed increase is overwhelming,” noted Yamashita.

IMPACT

“Before utilizing NVIDIA Maximus technology, producing and rendering a movie in which the product could be rotated 360 degrees was an overnight job,” added Yamashita. “Now we can complete the entire movie in 30 minutes.”

He continued, “The most important part of our work is to express the ‘ambience’ of the products. Our previous workstation technology allowed instant preview, but the quality was unsatisfactory and didn’t deliver the right ambience. NVIDIA Maximus technology has finally given us both the quality and speed to achieve this.”

NVIDIA Maximus technology has also helped CLEAT improve the experience of its other clients who use tablets to show images and movies of objects from various angles to test subjects in surveys. When rendering was performed on CLEAT’s previous workstation, it would take two to three minutes for an image to appear, compared to the 30 seconds it now takes utilizing NVIDIA Maximus technology. Also, since the workstation can now be used to perform other tasks while rendering, time can be used more effectively overall.

A stable, stress-free work environment

Shunsuke Nakauchi is a creative artist at CLEAT who’s in charge of producing visual images for product advertising and market survey purposes. “I often am asked to start working on another job while my workstation is already rendering a project. With NVIDIA Maximus, the workstation can now render a job and prepare for the next job at the same time. This means I can work more quickly and efficiently than I was able to before. It’s great for me and ultimately for our clients."

Before CLEAT installed NVIDIA Maximus-powered HP Z800 workstations, Mr. Nakauchi worked on two workstations simultaneously via a server connection: one for the rendering scene and the other for editing the original data for the rendering. This use of two workstations required data sharing, meaning repeated uploading and downloading of data—a cumbersome and time-consuming process. CLEAT’s new NVIDIA Maximus systems have since eliminated this process because all work can be performed on a single workstation.

“The stress of working with two pieces of reference data at more than one gigabyte in size with a rendering scene going on at the same time has been eliminated, said Nakauchi. “The data read and write speeds have also improved immensely. Prior to working with the NVIDIA Maximus system, rendering speeds decreased noticeably when data exceeded one gigabyte in size, but that’s no longer a problem.”

Nakauchi concluded, “With the NVIDIA Maximus-powered HP Z800 workstation and Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 software with NVIDIA iray, I can perform my work while displaying all the set textural quality – a task I simply couldn’t complete before without system errors. The time required for rendering has decreased so much that I can’t even imagine going back to using non-NVIDIA Maximus powered workstations now.”

A new and innovative idea, “communication CAD”

CLEAT Inc. is now working to establish “communication CAD,” a new service that acts as a bridge linking engineering, design, and sales locations. It will enable CLEAT and its clients to view the same picture at the same time, with the ability to change colors and viewing angles. Their NVIDIA Maximus-powered HP Z800 workstations are playing an active role in this project.

Before embracing NVIDIA Maximus technology, design processes took many hours, and changing designs to improve their overall quality and satisfy CLEAT’s clients added even more time to project schedules – resulting in increased client costs. By establishing an NVIDIA Maximus-enabled production environment, CLEAT has improved its customer service and production capabilities, and the company now expects to expand its business.

Concluded Mr. Yamashita, “Since our NVIDIA Maximus-powered production environment now drastically reduces rendering times, our fees charged to clients can now be reduced. Lower fees enable our clients to place more orders and get the most accurate, best images that suit their needs faster than ever before.”

WD UPDATES DECEMBER QUARTER OUTLOOK, REPORTS ON RECOVERY EFFORT IN THAILAND

 Hard Drive Production Resumed This Week in Thailand
Head Slider Production Expected in March Quarter in Both Thailand and Malaysia
Acquisition of HGST Now Expected to Close in March Quarter

 Western Digital Corp. (NYSE:WDC) has updated its financial outlook for the December quarter and the progress to date of its operations recovery effort in Thailand. The company is also providing its view of the industry conditions for the December 2011 quarter and beyond.

Company Fiscal Q2 Outlook:    For the December quarter, the company now expects revenue of at least $1.8 billion and gross margins above the high end of its business model range of 18 percent to 23 percent, and operating expenses of approximately $265 million, exclusive of unusual charges related to the floods, acquisition-related expenses and litigation. Unusual charges related to the floods are expected to be in the range of $225 million to $275 million for the December quarter, exclusive of any insurance recovery. The company expects to file a property damage claim of at least $50 million and an additional claim for business interruption during the December quarter. The accounting treatment of these claims is dependent on their status as of the end of the quarter. The company expects acquisition related charges in the December quarter of approximately $15 million.

The company will be vigorously contesting the arbitration decision announced November 21, 2011, in the legal matter with Seagate and has not yet determined the accounting treatment associated with this matter.

The company expects to maintain its net cash position flat with prior quarter end.

Thailand Flood Recovery Effort:    "The passion, perseverance, ingenuity and execution exhibited by the WD team has been extraordinary and enabled us to make substantial progress in partially restoring our operations in Thailand, well in advance of our earliest expectations when the floods hit," said John Coyne, President and Chief Executive Officer of WD. "Much work remains to be done but we couldn't be more pleased with the effort and results thus far, including tremendous support from our supply partners and strategic customers."

Specifically, the company indicated it:

• Re-started production of hard drives this week in one of its buildings in Bang Pa-in (BPI), Thailand, one week ahead of internal schedules. This facility had been submerged in some six feet of water since October 15, the estate was pumped dry on November 17, main power was restored on November 26 and production restarted November 30;
• Has removed all submerged slider manufacturing equipment from the BPI facilities for assessment, decontamination and refurbishment and has commenced decontamination and restoration of its remaining buildings in BPI;
• Expects to recommence head slider production in BPI in the March 2012 quarter (Q3 FY'12) and also begin production in a new WD slider fab location in Penang, Malaysia, in the same time frame; and
• The company's other Thailand hard drive facilities at Navanakorn remain under approximately two feet of water. The industrial estate is expected to be pumped dry within ten days at which point the work of decontamination and refurbishment will commence.

Industry Conditions:    The company believes that hard drive industry shipments in the December quarter will be limited to approximately 120 million units due to production and supply constraints related to the historic flooding in Thailand. This includes units that were in inventory at the beginning of the quarter. The company believes that demand for the December quarter is in the range of 170 million to 180 million units. The company believes that significant industry supply constraints will continue in the March quarter and beyond.

HGST Acquisition Status Update:    In connection with its planned acquisition of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, the company is working to satisfy the remedy provision included in the European Commission's recent conditional approval of the transaction and to obtain approvals from the remaining regulatory authorities. Subject to completing these actions, the company is now expecting to close the transaction by March 2012. 

About WD
WD, one of the storage industry's pioneers and long-time leaders, provides products and services for people and organizations that collect, manage and use digital information. The company designs and produces reliable, high-performance hard drives and solid state drives that keep users' data accessible and secure from loss. Its advanced technologies are configured into applications for client and enterprise computing, embedded systems and consumer electronics, as well as its own consumer storage and home entertainment products.

WD was founded in 1970. The company's storage products are marketed to leading OEMs, systems manufacturers, selected resellers and retailers under the Western Digital® and WD® brand names. Visit the Investor section of the company's website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements concerning the industry demand in the December 2011 quarter and the industry's ability to meet that demand in this and future quarters; the company's anticipated revenues, gross margins, operating expenses, acquisition related expenses and the maintenance of its cash position; the amount of its property insurance claim and business interruption claim; the timing of its expected recommencement of head slider production in Thailand and the timing of expected commencement of production in a new slider fab location in Malaysia; the timing of expected commencement of decontamination and refurbishment efforts at its Navanakorn hard drive facility; and the expected timing of its planned acquisition of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including the impact of continued uncertainty and volatility in global economic conditions; supply and demand conditions in the hard drive industry; the extent of damage to the company's and suppliers' facilities and equipment related to the flooding in Thailand; uncertainties about the timeframe for the restoration of the company's operations in Thailand as well as associated costs for such restoration; uncertainties concerning the availability and cost of commodity materials and specialized product components and the adverse impacts of the Thailand flooding on such availability and associated costs; delays in or failure to obtain any required regulatory approvals with respect to the company's planned acquisition of Hitachi GST, or failure to consummate or delay in consummating the transaction for other reasons; actions by competitors; unexpected advances in competing technologies; uncertainties related to the development and introduction of products based on new technologies and expansion into new data storage markets; business conditions and growth in the various hard drive markets; pricing trends and fluctuations in average selling prices; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including the company's recent Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on Oct. 28, 2011, to which your attention is directed. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

http://blogs.nvidia.com/2011/12/an-inside-look-at-new-research-on-cg-global-illumination/?sf2649231=1   By Cyril Crassin

An Inside Look At New Research On CG Global Illumination

NVIDIA fans may not realize all the cutting-edge research that takes place behind the scenes, years before a particular breakthrough reaches their home systems. I’m a post-doctoral Research Fellow at NVIDIA, and for the past year I’ve been working on a new approach to indirect illumination – that is, reflected or diffuse lighting – in computer graphics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAsg_xNzhcQ&feature=player_embedded

Lighting: The Key To Realistic Graphics   Lighting in computer graphics plays a huge part in creating a realistic-looking, immersive experience. To create a sense true of realism, you need to show direct illumination as well as indirect illumination. Unfortunately, the latter is hard to get right, and it’s an “expensive” computation in terms of processing and memory.  

You can get good results if you precompute the indirect illumination. But then you have a static image – not exactly ideal for gaming where dynamic objects are interacting with the scene. Or, you can try to render it fairly quickly – but then you lose detail and precision.

I started working on a way to get higher-quality interactive indirect illumination last summer as an NVIDIA DevTech intern. Later, as I worked to finish my PhD in computer graphics at the University of Grenoble, France, I collaborated with several colleagues from academia and NVIDIA to research solutions to some of these problems. You can find our published results in a paper called “Interactive Indirect Illumination Using Voxel Cone Tracing” (you can download the authors’ version here).

How We Solved the Real-Time Lighting Puzzle   Our approach allows you to show changes to environmental lighting as dynamic objects interact with various sources of illumination. We can do this with a level of quality that approaches what you achieve with offline rendering – but in real time.

This research makes possible a whole range of effects in a gaming environment, from color bleeding (when nearby surfaces change color as a result of reflected light) to glossy reflections (when an object moves across a polished floor). Previous approaches were capable of rendering diffuse illumination but not specular effects (like blurry or glossy reflections). Our research allows us to render both diffuse illumination and specular effects. To see some examples of these effects action, check out the YouTube video, featured above.

Algorithms, Voxels and Octrees – Oh My!   The key to our approach lies in a new algorithm and data structure that allow much faster computation. Instead of working on triangles (the traditional way of rendering graphics), we’re using voxels. Each voxel is one value in a 3D grid. The voxels are stored in an octree structure (a tree structure in which each node has eight children), with voxels as the nodes on the tree. Octree structures effectively compact the information stored in large amounts of graphics data. Octree structures use less memory, making them faster and more efficient at rendering tasks such as ray tracing.

Using this structure, our algorithm allows us to very quickly compute effects that have traditionally been quite computationally intensive. For example, previous approaches had difficulty showing a real-time reflection from a glossy curved surface (see time marker 1:20 in the above video). We accomplished this by using the previously mentioned “sparse voxel octree” to speed-up the tracing of “cones”.

Traditionally, you would compute specular reflections by launching a ray from your eye to the reflector, and then launch a secondary ray from the reflector in the direction of reflection. With specular reflections, we want to see all kinds of materials reflecting light realistically. The challenge is to compute these realistic reflections as fast as possible, and with a minimum number of rays.

When it comes to rendering glossy reflections, you would traditionally need to launch hundreds or thousands of scattered secondary rays for each ray launched to the reflector. My research allows us to replace the thousands of secondary rays with just one “voxel cone”. The cone is an approximation of the effect of secondary rays. It results in very realistic results at a much lower computational cost. We also use the same approach to quickly compute color bleeding effect (diffuse materials) with only a few scattered cones.

An Eye Toward The Future   Right now, I’m working on ways to refine the technology to allow more dynamic precision: in other words, allowing you to dynamically add voxels as an object gets closer. That’s a direction I already explored in a slightly different context, with my PhD work on “GigaVoxels”.

So, we’re not production-ready yet. But some companies have already approached NVIDIA to preview the research. I hope that, within a few years, we’ll see our research being used by game engines or by movie studios for realistic lighting effects.

http://blogs.nvidia.com/?p=9429  

Over the past year, we’ve helped designers using Autodesk 3ds Max to build some of the fastest GPU computing rigs possible (often up to 8 GPUs). To quench these designers’ thirst for ever more performance, NVIDIA and Autodesk are working on “Project Pandora” to bring Autodesk 3ds Max and NVIDIA iray rendering to the cloud.

At Autodesk University (AU) 2011 in Las Vegas this week, we’re demonstrating this new, cloud-based technology. Project Pandora harnesses the cloud to bring the compute power of a GPU cluster to any Flash-capable PC. It gives 3ds Max users the flexibility to add virtual dual-GPU machines as they like on a per-hour basis. Unlike “batch” network rendering, where each machine gets a frame of an animation to render, Project Pandora coordinates the entire cluster to accelerate the current frame. Jobs that used to take over a day can now be done in under an hour by leveraging dozens of cloud nodes.

But supercharging iray and 3ds Max production rendering is just the start. Once scenes are in the Pandora cloud environment, they can be interactively viewed from a web browser. With Project Pandora, designers can serve up photorealistic tours from the lightest weight of machines, or simply give clients and colleagues the power to interact and view the scene for themselves from any location.

At AU 2011 Las Vegas, we’re using tablets powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 2 mobile processor to show how you can navigate photorealistic scenes of amazing images, composed of millions of polygons, that are being created in under a minute.

While we can’t yet say when Project Pandora will be publicly available, we can say that it’s in private Beta testing now. We are focused on perfecting the details and making Project Pandora as user-friendly and practical as possible. For example, it will work well with moderate Internet speeds, and you’ll never have to upload the same asset twice.

Our Project Pandora demo using 3dsMax and iray at AU 2011 in Las Vegas shows that efficient, on-demand cloud rendering is a reality.

NVIDIA Quadro GPUs Fuel The Muppets’ Comeback for LOOK Effects

On November 23, 2011 Walt Disney Pictures and director James Bobin brought The Muppets back to the big screen after their feature film debut 20 years ago. While the beloved puppets haven’t changed a bit since their last cinematic adventure, the filmmaking process behind the new release is a whole different experience.

“Today, visual effects are ingrained into the business of movies – even a feature like this where there are no CG Muppets and everything is based on puppeteering,” said Max Ivins, visual effects supervisor from LOOK Effects, which created 350 shots for the feature. “Visual effects give filmmakers the ability to do more, to increase the scope of a movie, and to achieve higher quality results faster and more cost effectively. Technology like the NVIDIA Quadro GPU, which enables studios to visualize quickly and iterate more, has helped drive this evolution.”

CHALLENGE:   LOOK Effects, with facilities in Los Angeles, New York and Vancouver, has been producing visual effects for film, television and special venue projects since 1998. Their work on The Muppets was focused on the shot-by-shot aesthetics of the movie; using visual effects to remove all traces of puppeteers, to extend sets with CGI and to create ambitious visual sequences to give the movie a contemporary feel and scope.  

A massive particle-based CG fireworks finale, an overhead crowd simulation shot, blowing up Mount Rushmore and a subtle sequence when 2D paintings come to life and turn into 3D Muppets are just a few of the sequences that required extensive reviews and iterations to perfect – and high performance technology to execute.

“In a 3D environment, being able to visualize quickly and get iterations back fast is critical. We have to be able to crunch through millions of polygons and that can get unwieldy quickly. For crowd shots we need to be able to see the interaction of individual CG actors; we need time to preview the animations, make suggestions and see them again,” said Ivins. “The NVIDIA Quadro card is the lynchpin of the whole process.”

SOLUTION.   Over 11 months, 18 artists at LOOK Effects relied on workstations equipped with NVIDIA® Quadro® 6000 ultra high-end professional graphics processing units (GPUs) to help them work faster and iterate more efficiently. Compositing was done primarily on The Foundry’s NUKE, with Autodesk Maya as the 3D animation software and NVIDIA mental ray® for rendering.

Said Ivins, “The crowd simulation shot required a lot of horsepower to allow us to finesse it at a fine-detail level. With NVIDIA Quadro we were able to view a tiny model of these people and create the nuances that make them move like a happy crowd – not a rioting mob. We were able to preview the setup and rely on the technology to perform. The Quadro card comes in big for us in those situations – it’s all driven on the GPU.”

NVIDIA GPUs also came in handy for the fireworks finale shot, as artists were able to process a massive particle effect, preview it, tweak it, and play it back in near-real time, and on the over-the-top Mount Rushmore destruction sequence, which combined a CG explosion, practical pyrotechnics and a particle system to take down the famous monument.

“When you’re caching particles, the worst thing that can happen is a crash or reboot. Instead of iterating you’re wasting time getting back to where you were. We standardized on NVIDIA Quadro graphics solutions because we can tap the GPU without impacting reliability. They’re just rock solid.”

IMPACT.   Ivins noted that when working in a 3D environment, being able to visualize quickly and get iterations back fast is the foundation of the studio’s creative power. “Our profession is made possible by graphics acceleration. It’s one of those things we take for granted, but fundamentally, we couldn’t do our job without the power we get from NVIDIA.”.

Michael Oliver, director of Technology at LOOK Effects sees the impact that GPU technology has had on the pace of production and looks forward to future advantages. “As multi-threading appeared on the scene, people got really excited about having access to 300+ cores on the GPU, where the CPU limits you to 16. As more software developers incorporate features that allow us to process effects multiple times more quickly on the GPU we’re able to tweak things creatively versus through rendering.  I’ve seen this trend coming and look forward to things like real-time lighting and time warps.”

He added, “In the end, filmmakers don’t care about things like how much rendering power you have. What they want when they’re working is to see the effect, so they can give you feedback NOW. The NVIDIA GPU is what gives us that result on the screen, on the spot.”

"The WD Sentinel small office storage server is the ideal storage, backup, and secure remote access solution for any SMB," said Thomas Gallivan, vice president of marketing for WD's SMB Solutions Group. "The ability to have centralised storage that is both on-premise and offers secure remote access provides a small business owner and employees the flexibility needed for today's mobile lifestyle. WD is providing small business owners with a hands-free solution that offers complete data protection and unparalleled peace-of-mind."

"The requirement for collaboration across multiple devices and locations necessitates the need for a centralised storage solution in today's SMB environment", said David Tuhy, General Manager, Intel Data Center and Connected Systems Group. "Intel is working closely with the industry and companies like Western Digital to provide the technology that is at the core of these storage solutions and provide SMBs a platform to manage, organise and secure their data to ensure business continuity."

"Built on Windows Storage Server, WD Sentinel gives small business customers the storage and file services capabilities of Windows Server, as well as a solution aimed specifically at the SMB segment," said Thomas Pfenning, general manager, Storage, at Microsoft. "We are pleased to see WD Sentinel serve our mutual customers."

Whether they're personal or professional, digital content and important files are invaluable and often irreplaceable if lost or compromised. WD Sentinel small office storage server provides several ways for businesses to protect their information without user intervention. WD Sentinel comes preconfigured with enterprise-class drives, RAID storage protection, built-in server based backup and recovery software, redundant networking ports and a redundant power option. In addition, WD Sentinel offers users the ability to connect to a "public cloud" storage provider, which offers small businesses an economical and integrated disaster recovery solution against earthquake, theft and fire or water damage.

Software included with WD Sentinel provides business owners and their employees the freedom and flexibility to remotely access files and share files with external employees, independent consultants and satellite offices anywhere in the world.

Five Levels of Data Protection

WD Sentinel DX4000 provides five levels of data protection for every device on the small office network and is supported by WD Guardian Services.

1. The Drives Inside: Pre-configured with WD's award-winning enterprise-class drives for durability and reliability.
2. RAID: Featuring levels 1 and 5 for data protection and speed.
3. Daily Backup: Automatic backup and recovery software provides daily full system back ups for up to 25 devices on your network. Simply set it and forget it.
4. Redundant Network Connectivity: Dual Gigabit Ethernet configured in Adaptive Fault Tolerance (AFT) automatically switches to second network port in the event of a network failure.
5. Optional Disaster Recovery Protection: Connect to the small business cloud provided by optional disaster recovery software and store your data offsite for disaster recovery.

WD Sentinel is certified to be compatible with a variety of Operating Systems (OS) including Windows XP, Windows Vista®, and Windows 7. In addition, WD Sentinel is compatible with Mac OS X® Leopard® and Snow Leopard® for file sharing among Windows, Mac and Unix/Linux operating systems and allows businesses to share files with clients, consultants, and inter-office personnel regardless of the OS used.

WD Guardian™ Services for Small Business

WD Sentinel DX4000 is backed by WD's world-class customer service and support. All WD Sentinel small business customers will receive free tech support for 30 days from the time of the first call. WD Sentinel customers may wish to upgrade their service plan to one of three options:

1. WD Guardian Express: Offers next-day parts replacement service including shipping and handling costs.
2. WD Guardian Pro: Offers a one year support agreement with WD service, express parts replacement and priority access to technical support.
3. Guardian Extended Care: Service that extends the product warranty from the standard three year warranty to five years.

In conjunction with the WD Sentinel DX4000 launch, WD is also introducing SelectWD SMB Partner Programme, a channel programme that supports IT professionals and VARs servicing the needs of small to medium businesses. The SelectWD SMB Partner Programme enables partners to grow their businesses by providing all of the tools and resources required to locally market, sell and support the new WD Sentinel DX4000 and WD Guardian service plans. Partners can learn more by visiting http://www.selectwdsmb.com.

Price and Availability

WD Sentinel DX4000 small office storage server is available from launch partners, Misco UK Ltd and Insight UK. MSRP is £599 for 4 TB and £899 for the 8 TB.

Intel Celebrates 40 Years of Digital Revolution  40^th Anniversary of the Intel® 4004, the World’s First Microprocessor

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the Intel® 4004, the world’s first commercially available microprocessor.   Microprocessors are the hidden intelligence in the modern world, the “brains” that bring intelligence to myriad everyday devices and systems.  The microprocessor is the engine of the digital revolution that has changed our society dramatically over the past several decades, democratizing access to information.   ?  Innovation in microprocessor and related technologies is fueling the next era of computing experiences when the devices will become context aware and more like a personal assistant than a traditional computer.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 15, 2011 – On this day 40 years ago, Intel Corporation introduced the world’s first commercially available microprocessor – the Intel® 4004 – triggering the start of the digital revolution. While most people have never seen a microprocessor, devices that contain them have become so integrated into daily life that they have become virtually indispensable.

Microprocessors are the “brains” inside computers, servers, phones, cars, cameras, refrigerators, radios, TVs and many other everyday devices. The proliferation of microprocessors is due in large part to Intel’s relentless pursuit of Moore’s Law, a forecast for the pace of silicon technology development that states that roughly every 2 years transistor density of semiconductors will double, while increasing functionality and performance and decreasing costs. It has become the basic business model for the semiconductor industry for more than 40 years.

For example, compared to the Intel 4004, today’s second-generation Intel® Core™ processors are more than 350,000 times the performance and each transistor uses about 5,000 times less energy. In this same time period, the price of a transistor has dropped by a factor of about 50,000.

Future microprocessors developed on Intel’s next-generation 22nm manufacturing process are due in systems starting next year and will deliver even more energy-efficient performance as a result of the company’s breakthrough 3-D Tri-Gate transistors that make use of a new transistor structure. These novel transistors usher in the next era of Moore’s Law and make possible a new generation of innovations across a broad spectrum of devices.

While looking back to see how much things have changed since the microprocessor’s introduction, it’s astounding to think about the future and how this digital revolution will continue at a rapid pace as microprocessor technology continues to evolve.

“The sheer number of advances in the next 40 years will equal or surpass all of the innovative activity that has taken place over the last 10,000 years of human history,” said Justin Rattner, Intel chief technology officer.   Such advances in chip technology are paving the way for an age when computing systems will be aware of what is happening around them, and anticipate people’s needs. This capability is poised to fundamentally change the nature of how people interact with and relate to information devices and the services they provide. Future context-aware devices ranging from PCs and smartphones to automobiles and televisions, will be able to advise people and guide them through their day in a manner more like a personal assistant than a traditional computer.

Reflections and Predications: The Impact of the Microprocessor

To celebrate the past 40 years of microprocessor innovation and look ahead at the next 40 years, Intel compiled photos, video interviews, opinion pieces and a number of info graphics and other materials with insight from Intel and industry executives, analysts, futurists and engineers.

SPEC/HPG developing new benchmark to evaluate systems with floating-point accelerator

SEATTLE, Wash., November 14, 2011 – SPEC’s High-Performance Group (SPEC/HPG) announced today that it is working on a new benchmark for evaluating computer systems with a floating-point accelerator. SPEC/HPG is regarded as the industry leader in providing standardized benchmarks for comparing high-performance computing systems.

“Systems with a floating-point accelerator, such as a general-purpose GPU or other kind of co-processor, are becoming much more prevalent in the high-performance computing arena,” says Kalyan Kumaran, SPEC/HPG chair. “We believe a new benchmark that enables vendors, researchers and users to test and compare these systems will be welcomed by the HPC community.”

Jump-starting the effort.   Initial candidates for the benchmark suite include Parboil from the IMPACT Research Group of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Rodinia from the University of Virginia. The subcommittee will conduct a search program to identify additional candidates.

“The Parboil benchmarks embody more than three years of algorithm, programming and optimization research and education in GPU computing,” says Prof. Wen-mei W. Hwu, director of the IMPACT Research Group. “We are proud to offer these benchmarks to help jump-start the SPEC accelerator effort.”

“A major asset”.   SPEC’s benchmark is expected to support multiple programming models and will come with run and reporting rules that allow fair comparisons of systems, a traditional strong point of all SPEC benchmarks.

“A standardized benchmark for evaluating computer systems with a floating-point accelerator will be a major asset to us when acquiring new systems and assessing existing ones,” says Dieter an Mey, HPC team leader for the Center for Computing and Communication at RWTH Aachen University. “We welcome SPEC’s expertise in this area.”

Current members of the subcommittee comprise a cross-section of industry and academia, including AMD, Argonne National Laboratory, Fujitsu, IBM, Indiana University, Intel, Oracle, PGI, QLogic, SGI, Technical University of Dresden, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Virginia.

Talk to SPEC/HPG at SC11

SC11 attendees in Seattle can discuss the accelerator benchmark and other performance-related topics at the SPEC/HPG Birds of a Feather session, November 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Room TC LL1 of the Washington State Convention Center.

Want to participate?

Organizations or individuals interested in helping develop this benchmark can contact the SPEC office: phone: +1.703.579.8460; fax: +1.703.579.8463; e-mail: info@spec.org; web: www.spec.org.

About SPEC

The Standard Performance Evaluation Corp. (SPEC, www.spec.org) is a non-profit organization that establishes, maintains and endorses standardized benchmarks to evaluate performance for the newest generation of computing systems. Its membership comprises more than 70 leading computer hardware and software vendors, educational institutions, research organizations, and government agencies worldwide.

AMD FirePro™ V4900 Professional Graphics Card Delivers Best-in-Class Features, Performance and Unparalleled Value

 – AMD FirePro™ V4900 blows away competition¹ while delivering AMD Eyefinity technology for entry-level professional graphics market –

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Nov. 1, 2011 —  AMD (NYSE: AMD) today launched the AMD FirePro™ V4900, which delivers unequalled performance for Digital Content Creation (DCC) and Computer Aided Design (CAD) professionals at an entry-level price point. By leveraging AMD’s most advanced graphics technology, including AMD Eyefinity² technology, the AMD FirePro V4900 significantly improves application performance and drives efficiency in the workplace. In fact, the AMD FirePro V4900 more than doubled the performance of competitive offerings in many CAD and DCC application tests³.

“The AMD FirePro™ V4900 stands in a league of its own and redefines entry-level professional graphics card capabilities,” says Sandeep Gupte, general manager of Professional Graphics, AMD. “The AMD FirePro V4900 leverages AMD’s most advanced graphics technology, which not only enhances user experience and boosts performance of professional applications, but also features AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology that supports up to six displays⁴, increasing user productivity.”

The AMD FirePro V4900 is designed to exceed the needs of graphics professionals. The GPU’s 1GB of 128-bit GDDR5 RAM drives memory bandwidth of 64 GB/s⁵, allowing rapid data access, while Microsoft® DirectX®11, OpenGL® 4.2 and OpenCL™ support empowers users to render and manipulate models using the broadest range of tools and applications. Enhanced AMD Eyefinity and DisplayPort 1.2 technology enables six-screen multi-display set ups, which deliver higher resolutions and increased productivity when working with multiple applications, while reducing the complexity and cost of a typical multi-monitor set up. Through AMD’s productive relationship with workstation solution providers, the AMD FirePro V4900 will be available in a range of industry-leading systems from HP and others.

“HP workstation customers operate at the highest levels in every industry – they demand solutions that deliver optimum performance and the latest technologies,” says Jeff Wood, vice president, Worldwide Marketing, Commercial Solutions, HP. “By integrating the AMD FirePro V4900 into its workstations, HP is providing customers with a powerful graphics solution – at an affordable price.”

AMD FirePro products are tested and certified with many leading software applications to ensure compatibility, stability, and optimal performance. The AMD FirePro V4900 has received certification for a variety of applications including Abaqus®/CAE 6.11, ANSYS® 13.0, Autodesk 2012 3D design software solutions, Bentley System’s Microstation V8i, BETA CAE Systems’ ANSA and mETA, CEI’s EnSight, and EnSight CFD. Additionally, the AMD FirePro V4900 received certification from COMSOL Multiphysics®, Esri ArcGIS 9.3.1, and 10, Missler Software TopSolid 2012 CAD/CAM solutions, MSC Software, Patran and SimXpert 2011, Robert McNeel and Associates’ Rhinoceros®, SolidWorks Corp.’s SolidWorks® 2011 and 2012 3D CAD software, SpaceClaim, Vision Numeric 3DESIGN and several solutions from Siemens PLM Software.

“Siemens PLM Software works closely with AMD to ensure its product lifecycle management software meets the needs of its professional users,” says Bill Boswell, senior director, Partner Strategy, Siemens PLM Software. “The AMD FirePro V4900 delivers outstanding performance with value, while AMD’s industry-leading product support makes certain our users receive the attention they need when they need it. Through our partnership with AMD, Siemens PLM helps our customers make smarter decisions and better products.”

The AMD FirePro™ V4900 will be available in select Dell and Fujitsu systems and HP workstations. As of November 1, 2011 it will be sold for $189 USD MSRP at select online resellers.

Supporting Resources

• AMD FirePro™ V4900 Product page
• AMD FirePro™ V4900 Endorsements
• AMD FirePro Certifications page
• Twitter: Follow AMD professional graphics news on Twitter at @AMDFirePro
• Facebook: Become a fan of AMD technology on Facebook

1 Internal AMD tests as well as SPECviewperf® and SPECapc^SM were conducted. Testing based on AMD performance lab; System config: Intel X3680 @ 3.33GHz, Intel X58, 16GB RAM, Win7 Prof 64-bit SP1; AMD driver: 8.88 beta; Nvidia GPU: Quadro 600; Nvidia driver: 275.65

2 AMD Eyefinity technology works with applications that support non-standard aspect ratios, which is required for panning across multiple displays. To enable more than two displays, additional panels with native DisplayPort connectors, and/or DisplayPort compliant active adapters to convert your monitor’s native input to your cards DisplayPort or Mini-DisplayPort connector(s), are required.  AMD Eyefinity technology can support up to 6 displays using a single enabled AMD FirePro™ graphics card with Windows Vista or Windows 7 operating systems – the number of displays may vary by board design and you should confirm exact specifications with the applicable manufacturer before purchase.  SLS (“Single Large Surface”) functionality requires an identical display resolution on all configured displays.

3 Internal AMD tests as well as SPECviewperf® and SPECapc^SM were conducted. Testing based on AMD performance lab; System config: Intel X3680 @ 3.33GHz, Intel X58, 16GB RAM, Win7 Prof 64-bit SP1; AMD driver: 8.88 beta; Nvidia GPU: Quadro 600; Nvidia driver: 275.65. Applications tested include: Maya 2009 Hand Graphics, UGS NX4 Graphics, CAITA Medium Model and SolidWorks Camera Model.

4 Via DisplayPort 1.2 HUBs or DisplayPort 1.2 displays

5 Testing based on AMD performance lab; System config: Intel X3680 @ 3.33GHz, Intel X58, 16GB RAM, Win7 Prof 64-bit SP1; AMD driver: 8.88 beta; Nvidia driver: 275.65

 * The AMD Catalyst™ Beta package for the OpenGL 4.2 API is available for download for use with the Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Linux operating systems.

Vienna, November 2nd 2011 - Noctua today presented a new special edition of its award-winning NH-D14 cooler for the upcoming Intel LGA2011 X79 platform. Having received more than 250 awards and recommendations from the international press, Noctua's NH-D14 has become a benchmark in premium quality quiet cooling. The new SE2011 version is a special edition for Intel's soon to be released Core i7-3000 (Sandy Bridge-E) CPUs and comes equipped with Noctua's SecuFirm2™ mounting system for LGA2011 as well as an exquisite NF-P12/NF-P14 dual PWM fan configuration.

"Hardware enthusiasts have every right to be excited about Intel's upcoming Sandy Bridge-E processors, but to get the most out of it, you'll definitely need a high quality cooling solution", says Mag.

Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. "Our flagship model NH-D14 has earned a reputation as one of the finest high-end quiet coolers on the market, so we thought that this should be a perfect match. The new special edition for LGA2011 will keep your Sandy Bridge-E CPU cool no matter what you throw at it, and it will do so at minimum noise levels, thus appealing to overclockers and quiet enthusiasts alike."

Noctua's award-winning NH-D14 heatsink features a 6 heatpipe dual radiator design that provides more surface area, better heat-distribution and superior airflow efficiency than conventional tower style heatsinks. Developed to provide ultimate quiet cooling performance in dual fan mode, the NH-D14 is renowned to be among the best premium-grade CPU coolers available.

The new SE2011 model combines the proven NH-D14 heatsink with the latest SecuFirm2™ mounting system for LGA2011 as well as novel PWM versions of Noctua's much acclaimed NF-P12 and NF-P14 fans. Supporting fully automatic PWM speed control, the SE2011's NF-P12 and NF-P14 fans use Noctua's new, custom designed NE-FD1 PWM IC that integrates Smooth Commutation Drive (SCD) technology and thus makes them quieter at lower speeds.

Topped off with Noctua's popular NT-H1 thermal compound and full 6 years manufacturer's warranty, the NH-D14 SE2011 is an elite choice for an elite platform.

Price and Availability

The NH-D14 SE2011 will be available soon at a recommended retail price of EUR 74.90 / USD 84.90.

Details:  http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&setlng=en&products_id=41

Spezifikationen:  http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=41&lng=en&set=1

Fotos: http://www.noctua.at/inc/imageviewer.php?item=41&pnr=0

WD® DELIVERS THE PERSONAL CLOUD

With WD My Book Live™ Network Drives and WD2go™ Apps Consumers Can Easily Access and Share All Files From PCs, Macs, Tablets and Smartphones Without Monthly Fees or Security Concerns

Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC), the world's leader in external storage solutions, has introduced its WD 2go™ and WD 2go Pro mobile apps for its My Book® Live™ personal cloud storage solution. WD's My Book Live drive connects to the home network creating shared storage that users can access within and outside the home. Secure remote access to the My Book Live is available on any computer through www.WD2go.com, while the WD 2go apps provide mobile access to files stored on the drive using an iPad®, iPhone®, iPod touch® or Android™ compatible mobile device.

Combining the benefits of both public and private cloud solutions, My Book Live personal cloud storage allows users to keep media and files safe at home on their own physical drive and yet access them over the Internet with any PC or Mac® computer or on tablets and smartphones through WD's mobile apps. Using My Book Live, users can share files, stream media, and access content anywhere with no monthly fees and secure in the knowledge that their data resides in their own home under their exclusive control. In addition, the WD 2go Pro app enables private sharing of files with friends, family and colleagues. Almost any file can be shared, from pictures and personal videos to work documents and presentations.

WD 2go web access marks WD's second generation of remote access technologies that leverage a peer-to-peer connection between the My Book Live and remote PCs or mobile devices to maximise the speed and throughput.

"Consumers demand the anywhere, any device access they can get from 'the cloud,' but don't want to pay monthly fees or lose control of their personal data. They want access to all their files without worrying about what files are synched to what device," said Jim Welsh, executive vice president and general manager for WD's branded products and consumer electronics groups. "With the new WD 2go mobile apps and WD's My Book Live personal cloud storage, consumers now have a simple and fast way to securely store, share, and access all their digital content from their mobile devices wherever they are."

The WD 2go apps add to WD's vision of providing secure storage and access to digital content on any screen, on-the-go or at home. The app supports a variety of media file formats for streaming movies and music or accessing files such as Microsoft® Office documents. In addition to all of the features currently available in the free WD 2go app, the WD 2go Pro app includes several advanced features, including:

• Clipping: Users can clip files, photos, songs, videos or folders to download a copy from the My Book Live drive to a mobile device, enabling subsequent access even without an Internet connection.
• Automatic sync: New or modified files added to the My Book Live automatically sync to mobile devices.
• Content sharing: The WD 2go Pro app allows users to email files, share files as a link, print and open files with third party apps.
• Additional security: Users can leverage an additional layer of security by locking mobile access to the My Book Live drive with a 4-digit pass code.

In addition to remote and mobile access to the personal cloud, WD's My Book Live features a built-in media server that streams music, photos and movies to any DLNA-certified multimedia device such as a WD TV® Live™ network media player, Blu-ray Disc™ player, Xbox 360®, PlayStation® 3, and connected TV.

Capacity and Compatibility
My Book Live personal cloud storage is available in capacities of 1 TB, 2 TB and 3 TB and is compatible with Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7, Mac OS® X Leopard®, Snow Leopard®, or Lion™, as well as DLNA/UPnP® enabled devices.

Price and Availability
WD 2go (free download) and WD 2go Pro ($2.99 USD) are currently available for download from the iTunes® Store and Android Market. My Book Live personal cloud storage is available at select UK. retailers and online at the www.wdstore.co.uk. Average street price is £106.99 for 1 TB, £125.00 for the 2 TB, and £158.33 for 3 TB.

AMD Set to Deliver Next Generation x86 Platforms for Windows 8

−AMD and Microsoft collaborate to enrich computing experience across tablets, notebook and desktop PCs, workstations and servers−

BUILD Conference, ANAHEIM, Calif. — Sept. 13, 2011 — AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced today that it has created drivers to enable support for the upcoming Windows 8 operating system on AMD-based tablets, netbooks, PCs and servers. Continuing a long history of collaboration, AMD is working closely with Microsoft to empower a new generation of innovative PCs and small form factor computing devices.

Currently available Windows 7-based PCs powered by AMD VISION technology deliver multi-core processing for amazing performance, discrete-level graphics for brilliant HD experiences, and AMD AllDay™ Power for entertainment on the go. Furthermore, AMD VISION Engine Software is uniquely tailored to unlock visual computing with AMD Radeon™ Cores and video accelerators that enable vivid HD, AMD Steady Video software* and accelerated applications like blazing fast Internet browsing.

For business customers, the combination of AMD Opteron^™ processors and Windows Server helps deliver a solid foundation for long-term value and leading-edge price performance, enabling cost-effective virtualization, versatile Web and application serving, and capacity-rich data management.

“The unparalleled combination of AMD APU technology and Windows 8 will enable incredibly immersive and brilliant computing experiences,” said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, AMD Product Group. “With more than 320 design wins for our industry-leading APU technology to date, and a long history of innovation, AMD delivers the ideal platforms to bring Windows 8 to life on tablets, netbooks, notebooks and desktop PCs, leveraging the full performance of 64-bit x86 computing, the most pervasive and robust ecosystem.”

“We are excited about the immense potential for outstanding experiences that will be enabled by Windows 8 running on AMD-based PCs and tablets,” said Mike Angiulo, corporate vice president of Windows Planning, Hardware and PC Ecosystem at Microsoft Corp. “From enabling the latest 3D graphics for games to HD video creation and playback, AMD is accelerating the performance of applications by making it easier for developers to harness the full compute capabilities of a range of devices.”

As the only supplier offering Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), CPUs and discrete GPUs, AMD offers a broad range of computing platforms, including notebook and desktop PCs, tablets, workstations and servers, that are ideally suited to support Windows 8 and offer compatibility with a pervasive x86 ecosystem. AMD technology offers a compelling platform for the forthcoming Windows 8, with native support for Microsoft DirectX^® 11, C++ AMP, OpenCL^™ and Accelerated HTML5, as well as planned support of DirectX 11.1 features.

AMD PC and Server Platforms for Windows 8
·         AMD Z-Series family of APUs for HD tablets
·         AMD C-Series and E-Series APU families for ultrathin and mainstream notebooks and netbooks
·         AMD A-Series family of APUs for high-performance notebooks and desktops
·         Forthcoming AMD FX 8-Core Processor Black Edition for high-performance desktops
·         AMD FirePro^™ professional graphics for desktops and workstations
·         AMD Radeon^™ graphics for desktop and notebook PCs and embedded applications
·         AMD Radeon^™ embedded graphics for mobile
·         AMD Opteron^™ 6000 Series platform offering the industry’s only twelve-core x86 processor for servers
·         AMD Opteron^™ 4000 Series platform including the world’s lowest power-per-core server processor