Archive for the 'Hardware' Category
In addition to the new 1TB model, the Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini is available in nine other “Quad Interface” models offering a variety of speed, capacity, and drive type options:
5200/5400RPM
250GB 5400RPM 8MB Cache FW800/400+USB2+eSATA Storage Solution $119.99
320GB 5400RPM 8MB Cache FW800/400+USB2+eSATA Storage Solution $129.99
500GB 5400RPM 8MB Cache FW800/400+USB2+eSATA Storage Solution $154.99
640GB 5400RPM 8MB Cache FW800/400+USB2+eSATA Storage Solution $189.00
1.0TB 5200RPM 8MB Cache FW800/400+USB2+eSATA Storage Solution $299.99
7200RPM
320GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache FW800/400+USB2+eSATA Storage Solution $144.99
500GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache FW800/400+USB2+eSATA Storage Solution $189.99
Solid State Drive featuring the OWC Mercury Extreme Enterprise SSD
50GB SSD FW800/400+USB2+eSATA Storage Solution $299.99
100GB SSD FW800/400+USB2+eSATA Storage Solution $469.99
200GB SSD FW800/400+USB2+eSATA Storage Solution $849.99
All OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini models, including the new 1TB model, are available for immediate ordering from Other World Computing at http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/EliteALmini/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB and are compatible with Apple OS 8.6 and later including the latest 10.6 “Snow Leopard”; and Windows 98SE or later operating systems; and come ready for Plug and Play ease of use with all supported interface connecting cables, a $200 retail value disk utility software bundle, and an industry leading three year complete solution warranty.
For more information on the complete OWC Storage Solution line, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/
Portable & Bus Powered For Mobile Lifestyles
Measuring a compact 3.8″ W x 5.5″ L x 1.1″ H, the OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini offers storage capacity up to 1TB – enough space for up to 1,000,000 JPEG photos, 500 DVD movies, 76 hours of digital video, or 350,000 MP3 songs – in its fanless, aircraft grade brushed aluminum enclosure. Because it’s bus-powered, the Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini doesn’t require an AC adapter, which makes it ideal for in-the-field business professionals, creative/entertainment professionals, students, and anyone else needing to back up data, transport large files between computers, gain additional storage capacity, and even perform video editing and live music recording.
Built For Performance & Flexibility
Designed to emulate the award winning history of the larger desktop sized Mercury Elite-AL Pro, the new Elite-AL Pro mini portable storage solution features the fastest 2.5″ SATA hard drive mechanisms up to 7200RPM as well as OWC’s Mercury Extreme Enterprise SSD for demanding A/V, digital photography, professional music, graphics, general data, and Time Machine ready storage needs. With two FireWire 800 ports, users can “daisy chain” multiple devices, connect legacy FireWire 400 devices via the included 800 to 400 connecting cable, and can even utilize the fastest data transfer interface, eSATA, while bus powering via FireWire. The Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini can also be used with storage capable digital cameras and camcorders with FireWire and/or USB data ports for fast, on-location backups of images and video.
“We’re very pleased to have our renowned Mercury storage line achieve another industry first,” said Larry O’Connor, CEO, Other World Computing. “With the highest capacity and most interfaces in a portable design, our ‘mini’ delivers massive, professional grade data storage/backup to the modern mobile computing society.”
It’s the fastest and most reliable SSD on the market today and eclipses even the best enterprise class conventional hard drive available.
• Fastest sustained read and write times (over 260MB/s) of any SATA SSD available today.
• DuraClass technology with Ultra-efficient Block Management & Wear Leveling offers highest endurance, performance, and power efficiency in a SATA SSD.
• SandForce™ Processor maximizes read and write performance to greatly extend the endurance and overall reliability of the drive.
• Up to 100X greater data protection than what the highest rated enterprise class conventional hard disk drive (HDD) provides.
• Best in class error correction (ECC) and RAISE™ (Redundant Array of Independent Silicon Elements) technology provides RAID like data protection and reliability without loss of transfer speed due to parity.
• Intelligent “recycling” for advanced free space management
• 8.5x longer use hours than any other name brand SSD
• Highly secure…all data automatically stored in AES-128 encrypted format.
We had some fun taping a “shootout”:
http://eshop.macsales.com/Customized_Pages/Framework.cfm?page=ssd-speed-test-feb-10.html
And some early testers have been having a lot of fun with the SSD as well:
OWC Mercury Extreme RAID-ready Enterprise-class Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://macperformanceguide.com/Reviews-SSD-OWC-Mercury_Extreme.html
MacPractice Interface for iPad is a new version MacPractice Interface for iPhone 2.0 redesigned to take advantage of the iPad’s larger screen. A physician, dentist, chiropractor or optometrist may connect via Wi-Fi or 3G to access their schedule and patient records in MacPractice. Patient photos, alerts, prescription history and appointment history are all available. The patient’s address is linked to Google Maps. Reminders on the iPad create MacPractice Reminders in the office for staff and providers to request an appointment, communicate instructions, or as a way to make a clinical note in MacPractice EMR. A doctor may monitor what is happening in the office from the hospital or golf course by viewing up-to-date daily management reports.
Doctors who perform hospital rounds or see patients at a remote location can now add new patients and post procedures and diagnoses into MacPractice in their office from their iPad or iPhone (requires the MacPractice HL7 Interface).
MacPractice Kiosk for iPad (iPad App) and MacPractice Web Interface for iPad will provide the ability for patients and staff to complete and sign MacPractice EMR forms including patient registration, HIPAA release, medical history, etc. on an iPad.
Chairside Dental Chart for iPad (iPad App) will interface with MacPractice DDS to record preexisting conditions, restorative and periodontal treatment and treatment plans.
MacPractice is developing an iPad EMR/EHR App to integrate with MacPractice MD, MacPractice DC, MacPractice DDS and MacPractice 20/20. No details are available.
In February, MacPractice will preview MacPractice Interface for iPhone at MacWorld in Booth #748, at HIMSS in Booth #3151 and at Chicago Midwinter Dental Meeting in Booth #2723. Physicians, dentists, chiropractors and eye doctors are encouraged to view QuickTime demo movies of MacPractice after registering at MacPractice.com.
MacPractice, Inc. is a client-centric practice management and clinical software development firm, comprised of highly experienced and caring individuals, dedicated to the development and support of best-of-class Macintosh software, hardware and associated services for physicians, dentists, chiropractors, and eye doctors.
The WiFi Body Scale will record your weight, lean & fat mass, and even calculate your body mass index (BMI). No worries if you are in a dash out the door for work as Withings even comes with a free iPhone app that will show you history easily and quickly with a tap of an icon. If you are using one of many health sites, such as daily burn, fit orbit, RunKeeper, Calories 2, Aujourhui.com, or Google health, Withings can even enter the information into one of these services seamlessly for free.
“We strive to bring innovation, design and technology to everyday objects through a wireless connection to the internet and we feel the WiFi Body Scale truly delivers on all fronts,” said Cedric Hutchings, Withings General Manager. “We are excited to bring the scale to the American public and establish ourselves in the marketplace as makers of wirelessly connected products that make everyday life better.”
Now, I’ve used other smart-scales and BMI has always been a pain to calculate. It requires user supplied variables and without a keyboard on the scale, it’s not very fun setting up. Further, most just offer percentages. The WiFi Body Scale uses bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) to figure out your actual body fat and then displays that number in pounds or kilograms. So you’ll know exactly how many pounds of fat you have. Sweet! Well, it might actually be painful to see. 
At $160, you can purchase the scale directly from Withings or from Amazon. While a bit pricey, I must say, I’ve haven’t been so excited about a product in some time as I am about the WiFi Body Scale. The scale brings many technologies together that strives to help you reach your goal and maintain a healthy lifestyle…in a fun way. That excites me.
“3D brings a whole new dimension to the gaming experience,” said Jon Grodem, Optoma’s director of product and marketing. “Designed for flawless performance with today’s top HD consoles and Gaming PCs, the GT360 and GT720 energize games with stunning speed, high contrast and vivid colors.”
Both the GT360 and the GT720 share many features that optimally serve the needs of gamers as well as sports enthusiasts and movie buffs.
Both employ a short-throw lens to create large images in smaller rooms and 2500 lumens to deliver a 3000:1 contrast ratio for startlingly crisp, larger-than-life images. Each projector utilizes a powerful 10-Watt stereo speaker system to deliver in-the-action sound without external speakers.
Optimally designed for Nintendo’s WiiTM console, the GT360 delivers a native 800 x 600 pixels (SVGA) resolution. It is PC and MAC compatible, supports computer resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 pixels (HD), and can also accept common global video inputs and video formats up to 1080p (HDTV, EDTV, SDTV, NTSC, PAL, SECAM).
The GT720 offers a native widescreen WXGA (1280 x 800 pixels) resolution, and is designed to maximize the widescreen attributes of major gaming consoles such as WiiTM, XboxTM and Sony PlayStation®. It also is PC and MAC compatible, supports computer resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 pixels (HD), and accepts common global video inputs and video formats up to 1080p (HDTV, EDTV, SDTV, NTSC, PAL, SECAM).
Accessories for both projectors include a remote and a special backpack. Both projectors are compact and lightweight at only 7 lbs., allowing gamers to take the gaming and video experience with them.
“The GT360 and GT720 provide cinema-sized fun with a whopping 300” maximum screen size,” said Grodem. “Designed to run with minimal shut-down time needed, the GT360 and GT720 are the ultimate gaming projectors providing gamers with non-stop action.”
WD®, the world’s leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its fastest My Book® external hard drive ever — the new My Book 3.0 desktop external drives are among the first devices certified with the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface. With an interface that’s up to 10 times faster than the previous-generation USB 2.0 interface, the high-performance My Book 3.0 drive significantly reduces the time it takes to open and save large files.
Offered standalone, or in a kit that includes a USB 3.0 PCIe (gen2) adapter card, the 1 TB My Book 3.0 drive is available now at select retailers and shopwd.com. The 2 TB model is expected later this week.
The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface on My Book 3.0 drives provides transfer rates(1) of up to 5 gigabits-per-second, allowing users to open and save files up to 4.7 times faster than USB 2.0. The new My Book 3.0 drive is compliant with the USB-IF SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard to provide compatibility with other USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 products. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1.
Market research firm In-Stat expects the worldwide market for SuperSpeed USB 3.0 to reach over 1 billion units in 2013, representing over 25 percent of the market by 2013 (Sept. 2009).
“Consumers no longer have to wait for technology to keep up with their ideas. With the new super speed My Book 3.0 drives, consumers have the speed they need for resource-intensive video editing, animation, and graphic design applications,” said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD’s branded products group.
Price and Availability
The new My Book 3.0 drives have 1 TB capacity and a 2-year limited warranty. My Book 3.0 drives are available now at select retailers and online at shopwd.com. MSRP for the My Book 3.0 drive 1 TB is $179.99 USD. MSRP for the My Book 3.0 drive in a kit that includes a USB 3.0 PCIe (gen2) adapter card is $199.99 USD. The 2 TB My Book 3.0 drive is expected later this week.
My Book 3.0
The new My Book 3.0 drives feature:
- SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface with transfer speeds up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0 to accelerate data transfers with the fastest available interface;
- Ideas accelerated – resource-intensive video editing, animation, graphic design, and large media files can be saved so quickly that you no longer have to wait for the technology to keep up with your ideas;
- Sleek, streamlined design features a premium finish that will look great sitting on your shelf;
- Compatible(2) with USB 2.0 ports – USB 3.0 interface is backward compatible with USB 2.0 with no additional hardware needed;
- WD quality inside and out – designed with the same commitment to quality that has made My Book external hard drives the number one selling drives in the world;
- Planet-friendly, small retail recyclable box made from recycled materials to minimize waste;
- Ready to plug-and-play with Windows® PCs; and,
- Two-year limited warranty.
With the Sling Receiver 300, viewers can enjoy the same HD programming that they experience on their primary HDTV on a secondary HDTV in their home without the need to run additional cables or purchase a second DVR.
“HDTV viewers often want to extend their main set-top box experience to another HDTV with minimal hassle and expense,” said John M. Paul, executive vice president of Products at Sling Media. “The Sling Receiver 300 can extend the full quality of a primary HD DVR experience to any secondary HDTV in the home, while eliminating the cost and problems of running cable.”
How It Works
The Sling Receiver 300 connects to a second HDTV via its built-in HDMI, component or composite video connectors. Depending on the connection method, multiple video formats up to 1080i can be delivered. Audio is delivered to the second TV using HDMI, digital audio or analog audio outputs. The Sling Receiver 300 is small enough to be mounted behind an HDTV.
The Sling Receiver 300 is one in a suite of products and services that EchoStar Technologies L.L.C and its affiliate Sling Media are making available to television service providers to help them attract new subscribers, retain current customers, and bring placeshifting to the largest audience possible.
“Television service providers are constantly looking for ways to deliver new and exciting services to satisfy existing customers and attract new customers,” said John M. Paul, executive vice president of Products at Sling Media. “The surprisingly small, easy-to-install Slingbox 700U delivers ‘TV Everywhere’ services at a low acquisition and installation cost because it connects via USB on the existing set-top box and self-configures.”
The Slingbox 700U eliminates the need for television service providers to invest in the development of their own placeshifting set-top boxes in order to offer “TV Everywhere” services. The newest Slingbox is easy to set up and can help television service providers reduce training and installation costs. The Slingbox 700U can significantly reduce time-to-market for television service providers wanting to add “TV Everywhere” services to their portfolio.
“The Slingbox 700U is an ideal device to implement our ‘TV Everywhere’ strategy for existing customers with ViP series satellite TV receivers,” said Ira Bahr, chief marketing officer for DISH Network. “Sling Media has developed an easy-to-install Slingbox that greatly expands the number of customers who can enjoy ‘TV Everywhere’ around the house, or anywhere outside the home, on their laptops or mobile smart phones.”
How It Works
The Slingbox 700U’s sleek, modern and ultra-slim enclosure only hints at the technical sophistication inside. It is powered through a USB connection which removes the need for any other wires or connectors. In real time, the Slingbox 700U decrypts incoming video, transcodes it and then re-encrypts it for secure transmission over the Internet.
The Slingbox 700U is one in a suite of products and services that EchoStar Technologies L.L.C and its affiliate Sling Media are making available to television service providers to help them attract new subscribers, retain current customers, and bring placeshifting to the largest audience possible.
After coming off a heavy Thanksgiving and Christmas of well to do meals, you probably made the most common New Years Resolution to lose some weight. If so, ION may be able to assist you with tracking it along with your body mass with its USB Body Mass Scale to be unveiled at CES this week. ION will include software that will allow users to monitor, “Weight, body mass index and even body composition.”
SvenOnTech has requested more information as well as a review unit. Keep posted here for upcoming deets.
Lenovo today announced the industry’s first hybrid PC for consumers, the IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook, featuring a groundbreaking detachable screen. The IdeaPad U1’s unique design is engineered to provide consumers with two PCs in one device – each with its own processor and operating system – that work together and independently as either a clamshell laptop or a multitouch slate tablet.
“The IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook is a game-changing technology in the PC industry that lets user switch their PC experience within a single device to match their dynamic lifestyle,” said Liu Jun, senior vice president, Idea Product Group, Lenovo. “By fusing the functionality of a notebook with the slate tablet’s rich multitouch entertainment and mobile Internet experience, U1 provides consumers the freedom to choose the device they prefer for any activity.”
The IdeaPad U1’s fashionable scarlet red exterior has a footprint just smaller than a piece of notebook paper and is paired with an equally impressive 3.8 pound thin and light design. With its unique detach-and-converge design, users can easily remove the screen to instantly switch from clamshell mode into a multitouch slate tablet. When the IdeaPad U1 is in its traditional clamshell form, the system boasts an 11.6 inch HD LED screen and runs Windows 7. When the 1.6 pound, multitouch screen is removed, it becomes an independent slate tablet with a powerful ARM processor, running Lenovo’s customized Skylight operating system.
Two Brains are Better than One
Leveraging the benefits of both CPU, the two devices can synchronize to work as one with the ability to share battery power, 3G wireless, data and documents. In this way, the base laptop system can serve as a hub and docking station and the slate tablet as a mobile device. The two PCs have been engineered to work together and independently through Lenovo’s Hybrid Switch technology that enables seamless toggling between the two processors. For instance, users can surf the Web in laptop mode and then continue from the same point without interruption if they detach to tablet mode.
“Me Centric” User Interface Provides Instant Gratification for Today’s Consumers
Lenovo’s hybrid notebook also features a customized “Me” centric tablet interface for comfortable landscape and portrait viewing. Users can switch between a six-section display and a four section display. U1’s six-section screen display is designed to enhance the mobile internet experience by letting users easily multitouch access multiple Web-based applications at once such as email, calendars, RSS readers and social networking Web sites. The four-section screen display option is perfect as a media center on the PC such as photos, music, videos and to view/edit documents.
IdeaPad U1 Doubles Entertainment Fun
The IdeaPad U1’s laptop and tablet modes each support more than five hours of 3G Web browsing and 60 hours of 3G standby. In addition, the U1 comes with integrated video camera and two stereo speakers with integrated microphone with echo cancellation make this the ideal PC for users who need flexibility but do not want to compromise features or functionality.
Pricing and Availability
The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook will be available June 1, 2010 with an estimated retail price of less than $1,000.1
For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook. Follow Lenovo’s activities at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas at LenovoSocial.com/Live.