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Latest
Company Press Releases |
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Throughout this page we will post the
latest press releases supplied to us
from the major companies relating to the
High-End peripherals and software that we will
sometimes review and test.
Some press releases will contain brief information
only have a direct link to the home page
of the company for the whole press
release. |
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11th Jan 2012 |
More
CES News From NVIDIA
NVIDIA Tegra 3 Coming To Audi, Closing
Gap Between Consumer and Auto
Electronics
The seven-year lag it once took for
consumer-electronics technology to find
its way into your car is being cut to
about a year, through a deep
collaboration between Audi and NVIDIA.
At Audi’s press conference at CES 2012,
Ricky Hudi, head of
electrics/electronics development,
announced that the Tegra 3 quad-core
mobile processor — which powers tablets
and phones that are just hitting store
shelves – will be in next year’s Audi
models.
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. |
CES News From NVIDIA
-
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 |
|
10th Jan 2012 |
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 |
|
9th Jan 2012 |
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 |
|
6th Jan 2012 |
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.
|
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5th
Jan 2012 |
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. |
|
14th Dec 2011 |
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.” |
|
4th Dec 2011 |
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. |
|
30th Nov 2011 |
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.” |
|
16th Nov 2011 |
WD®
DELIVERS NEW LINE OF NETWORK STORAGE
SERVERS FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM BUSINESSES
WD Sentinel™ DX4000 Small Office
Storage Server Combines Centralised
Storage, Backup-and-Restore Protection
for 25 Network Devices and Allows SMBs
to Connect, Protect and Collaborate.
Western Digital®, the world's leader
in digital storage solutions, has
introduced
WD Sentinel™ DX4000 (photo),
a complete network storage solution
designed specifically to meet the
demands of today's small-to-medium sized
businesses (SMBs). WD Sentinel DX4000
includes the Windows® Storage Server
2008 R2 Essentials operating system
software and the Intel® D525 Dual Core
Atom CPU. The WD Sentinel DX4000 is
centralised shared storage and automatic
server-based backup and restore for up
to 25 devices (PC and Mac®) in the
network. It offers complete data
protection with built-in hardware and
software redundancy for all of the
connected devices in the network. With
capacities including 4 TB and 8 TB, WD
Sentinel DX4000 lets small business
owners expand small office server
storage capacity as their business and
storage demands grow. In addition, the
WD Sentinel DX4000 small office storage
server acts as the "on-premise cloud
storage" for the SMB.
"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.
-
The Drives Inside:
Pre-configured with WD's
award-winning enterprise-class
drives for durability and
reliability.
-
RAID: Featuring levels 1 and
5 for data protection and speed.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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:
-
WD Guardian Express: Offers
next-day parts replacement service
including shipping and handling
costs.
-
WD Guardian Pro: Offers a one
year support agreement with WD
service, express parts replacement
and priority access to technical
support.
-
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. |
|
15th Nov 2011 |
Intel
Celebrates 40 Years of Digital
Revolution
40th
Anniversary of the Intel® 4004, the
World’s First Microprocessor
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
This year marks
the
40th
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. |
|
14th Nov 2011 |
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. |
|
1st Nov 2011 |
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
1
Internal AMD tests as well as
SPECviewperf® and SPECapcSM
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 SPECapcSM
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 |
|
15th Sept 2011 |
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. |
|
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|
14th Sept 2011 |
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 |
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