Today LaCie announced the general availability of the LaCie 12big Rack product range – an enterprise class 2U rack-mounted portfolio, targeted at corporate IT users and video professionals. The LaCie 12big Rack Fibre, LaCie 12big Rack Serial, and LaCie 12big Rack Network, provide (respectively) SAN, DAS and NAS storage solutions that are designed to target the most demanding uses through their performance, customization, minimized downtime and ease-of-use. The range features multipathed 4x 4Gb/s fiber channel connections, dual mini-SAS connection (SFF-8088) or dual 1Gb/s Ethernet connection – making the 12big Rack portfolio a comprehensive storage range.

“I’m very pleased to introduce the 2U rack product range, a natural evolution to LaCie’s 20 years of experience with professional storage solutions. The new portfolio is complementary to LaCie’s existing high end storage, and allows LaCie to support a wider range of professional applications from Corporate IT to content creation and post-production companies,” said Minh Le, LaCie’s Marketing Director. “The LaCie 12big Rack product range provides the highest performance, data security levels, and minimized downtime, with no tradeoffs. We’re now offering our customers a comprehensive, customizable and expandable enterprise solution – starting with 6TB and scaling up to 60TB per storage system.”

Built with Enterprise Class SATA disks, the LaCie 12big Rack product range will ensure data is always available through the redundancy of power supplies, cooling units and a dual-controller option for the LaCie 12big Rack Fibre and the LaCie 12big Rack Serial. The range also offers multiple RAID levels for data protection, from RAID 0, 1, 10, 5 and 50, up to RAID 6 – the 12big Rack storage systems will keep the most critical data safe against two-disk failure. Additionally, the LaCie 12big Rack Fibre’s Advanced Power Management feature and disk verify feature help ensure archived data is duly available upon the customer’s request.

While data security and integrity – even over a long period – is ensured, together with significant power saving features, the 12big Rack portfolio doesn’t compromise on performance. The LaCie 12big Rack Fibre supports a dual Active/Active controllers option and allows up to six streams of 422 uncompressed HD video. As such, the LaCie 12big Rack Fibre enables video-intensive users to edit uncompressed video streams on storage networks; the LaCie 12big Rack Serial is able to achieve similar performance as direct attached storage. Alternatively, the LaCie 12big Rack Network supports link teaming (IEEE 802.3ad) of its dual gigabit connections, allowing users to host critical backups, file sharing or archiving.

Every storage enclosure is expandable through miniSAS (SFF-8088) connections, and can support up to four daisy-chained 2U expansion enclosures depending on the 12big Rack product. Available with an impressive list of compatibilities, in terms of fibre channels switches, fiber channel HBAs, and RAID controllers, the LaCie 12big Rack portfolio has been designed to offer a diverse feature-set and comes with the LaCie Advance Care Option to provide customers with extra peace of mind.

For more information regarding specific features and capabilities, please visit http://www.lacie.com.

Tekkeon announces myCase for iPhone, a new family of silicone cases that protect iPhone 3G S, iPhone 3G, and iPhone with a fun three dimensional style. myCase is available in eight unique styles that provide easy access to all user controls while protecting iPhone from every day wear and tear. For advanced screen protection, each myCase comes with a myGuard Screen Protector for iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S. “myCase adds a bit of flair to iPhone with a unique three dimensional look,” says Jerry Yang, president of Tekkeon, Inc. “With eight designs to choose from, it’s easy to find the case that expresses one’s personal style.” The MSRP for Tekkeon’s myCase for iPhone is $29.95. Tekkeon’s cases are available from the Tekkeon store at www.tekkeon.com. The cases come with a one-year limited warranty.

BoxWave’s ClearTouch screen protectors comes in two options: Crystal or Anti-Glare

ClearTouch Crystal screen protector benefits:
• True Color Display
• Eliminates 99% of UV
• Easily Cleaned

ClearTouch Anti-Glare screen protector benefits:
• Textured finish
• Enhanced contrast
• Masks blemishes

Crystal ClearTouch: http://www.boxwave.com/products/cleartouchcrystal/cleartouch-crystal-screen-protector-palm-pre_3558.htm

Anti-Glare ClearTouch: http://www.boxwave.com/products/cleartouch/cleartouch-screen-protector-palm-pre_3558.htm

Altec Lansing, a division of Plantronics Inc. and a market leader in digital audio, today announced the latest member of its acclaimed Expressionist™ PC speaker family, the Expressionist PLUS (FX3021). This boldly imagined, compact system brings large-as-life sound to any desktop for only $99.95 MSRP.

“The Expressionist PLUS (FX3021) subwoofer packs tremendous punch for its tiny size,“ says Don Milks, Altec Lansing’s Senior Manager, Product Management for PC Audio. “By doing away with the enclosure and making the satellites angle-adjustable, we’ve made it easy for the listener to enjoy a remarkably deep, precise soundstage, no matter what distance or angle they listen from. We think this is the best performing $99 PC speaker on the market.“

The new Expressionist PLUS is a 2.1 channel subwoofer-satellite system featuring a dramatic cone-shaped, bottom loaded subwoofer that at its base is about the size of a small Frisbee disc. This sleek, modern looking sub utilizes a 5.25-inch, long-throw driver for authoritative bass that extends down to 50 Hz, even when placed on a desktop. The bass output is conveniently controlled within fingertip reach, letting the user tailor the optimum balance between sub and satellites. The entire system is driven by an impressive 24 watts of power.

The dual 2-inch full range satellites of the Expressionist PLUS complete the system, and are remarkable achievements of design and simplicity. Their innovative form utilizes Altec Lansing’s Audio Alignment™ craftsmanship that precisely aligns the drivers, enclosure and electronics for natural-sounding audio performance, the way the artist intended. The satellites can be aimed in any direction to focus the soundstage for the ideal listening position, distance and height. The end result is a deep and realistic stereo image that’s exactly proportioned to the listening area.

The diminutive size of the Expressionist PLUS makes it a perfect accompaniment for desktop and laptop computers and other 3.5mm-connected entertainment such as an iPod®. Power and volume controls are conveniently located for easy access.

Altec Lansing’s Expressionist PLUS FX3021 PC Speaker System will be available in June of 2009 at consumer electronics retailers and at www.alteclansing.com.

Finding the right Bible software is always tricky. Finding a good one for the Mac is even trickier. No fear, though, as we just reviewed Logos Bible Software and wow, what a pretty amazing piece of software it is. This is far beyond just looking for a verse on hell or marriage or what Christ said at the temple. No, no, this far deeper than that and the SvenOnTech review dives right in and lets you know if this pool was refreshing on a hot summer day or something that made us jump right out onto the deck. Don’t dip your toes into the water, just read it now and you’ll know if you’ll be making a dive yourself or not. ]]> http://svenontech.com/2009/06/19/review-logos-bible-software-for-the-mac/feed/ http://svenontech.com/2009/06/18/treo-great-comes-to-the-iphone-in-a-single-icon/ http://svenontech.com/2009/06/18/treo-great-comes-to-the-iphone-in-a-single-icon/#comments Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:13:03 +0000 Sven Rafferty http://svenontech.com/?p=7742

SplashData has just brought its popular SplashTravel (iTunes link) suite to the App Store, but with all of the travel utilities combined under one icon. Until now, the suite has been available for Treo devices only.

SplashTravel offers:
* a Trip Organizer for Air, Hotel & Car reservations
* a Flight Tracker with gate, plane, and status info
* a Unit & Currency Converter
* a Tip Calculator
* a World Clock
* a Time Calculator
* a Packing List
* an Expense Report tool
* lists of country codes, clothing size charts, etc.

Beyond the existing travel applications included in the suite, SplashData also added the powerful Trip Organizer and Home screen features to bring it all together in a cohesive user interface.

SplashTravel is available in the App Store for $4.99. The company’s website is www.splashdata.com. ]]> http://svenontech.com/2009/06/18/treo-great-comes-to-the-iphone-in-a-single-icon/feed/ http://svenontech.com/2009/06/18/the-joke-is-on-your-iphone-with-ilaugh-20/ http://svenontech.com/2009/06/18/the-joke-is-on-your-iphone-with-ilaugh-20/#comments Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:28:28 +0000 Sven Rafferty http://svenontech.com/?p=7741

Azure Talon Software has launched version 2.0 of its popular iLaugh jokes database for iPhone and iPod touch users. With iLaugh on-hand, iPhone and iPod Touch users no longer have to rely on their memories to come up with hilarious jokes at the office or social events - or even when needing something clever to say to begin a speech or presentation. iLaugh 2.0 puts a database of over 50,000 jokes at anybody’s fingertips and is loaded with social features such as voting, favorites and sharing via Facebook and Twitter.

With iLaugh, users have complete control over which jokes they want to read. The Categories feature enables users to only read the jokes that are of interest to them. Further, iLaugh 2.0 offers filtering options to screen out adult jokes or jokes voted down by the iLaugh community.

“People need a good laugh these days, and my hope is that iLaugh will offer the humor our customers need when they need it the most,” said Kenneth Ballenegger, CEO of Azure Talon Software. “With such an enormous collection of jokes combined with features that make it a snap to share your favorites, iLaugh is clearly the most polished jokes application on the market.”

iLaugh comes in two editions: a free yet feature-rich “Lite” edition which is supported through non-intrusive ads, and an advertising-free “Premium” edition which gives users double the voting power on which jokes are jokes are hot and which are not. This version is available for the introductory price of $0.99.

A selection of joke categories includes:

* Bar Jokes
* Chuck Norris Facts
* Yo Mama!
* Pick up lines
* Bash.org IRC quotes

System Requirements:

* iPhone or iPod Touch 2.0 minimum

Pricing and Availability:

iLaugh 2.0 for iPhone is only $0.99 (USD) for a limited time only and available exclusively through Apple’s App Store. iLaugh Lite is free and also available at the App Store. For more information about iLaugh, visit its website at www.ilaughapp.com. Azure Talon Software’s website is www.azuretalon.com.

MAINGEAR Computers, award-winning builders of high performance custom computers for PC gamers and enthusiasts, is proud to announce the Axess HD Gamer, a luxury gaming PC that brings high end gaming to the living room. Built into a sleek, low profile, aluminum HTPC form factor with an acrylic trim, the Axess HD was designed to integrate seamlessly into any home theater set up with existing A/V components.

The impressive list of hardware for the Axess HD includes a powerful Core i7 processor combined with dual 9800 GT video cards in SLI to deliver a stunningly visual1080p experience. MAINGEAR also teamed up with NVIDIA to integrate GeForce 3D Vision so that gamers with Mitsubishi DLP’s or Samsung desktop LCDs can experience an unparalleled 3D gaming experience. MAINGEAR further enhances the luxurious home theater gaming experience by being the first company to offer the Phantom Lapboard, a unique keyboard that liberates users from desktop settings through an innovative 360-degree rotating design. The Axess HD Gamer also offers cutting edge media center capabilities including 7 channel pre amplified audio, Blu Ray and DVD Movies, Music, Home Videos, HD TV, Internet TV, based on Microsoft® Windows® Vista Home Premium which also provides access to Netflix’s online streaming through the Media Center interface.

”The Axess HD Gamer was conceived to deliver unsurpassed gaming performance fused with advanced media center capabilities all contained within a low profile case, making it the perfect cornerstone for any home theater environment” said Wallace Santos, CEO and Founder of MAINGEAR. “A lot of the media centers currently on the market don’t specifically address the PC Gamer and we want to give our customers a solution to game from the comfort of the living room without sacrificing quality or performance.”

“We’re thrilled that MAINGEAR is providing a Games for Windows solution that complements the wide range of media functionality that Windows Vista Media Center already provides,” said Megan Both, Snr. Director of OEM Sales at Microsoft. “This high performance 3D gaming system combined with the advanced functionality of Windows Media Center make the Axess HD Gamer a phenomenal option for the home theater enthusiast as well as the avid gamer.”

Gamers can purchase the Axess HD Gamer at MAINGEAR’s Web site www.maingear.com or order by phone at (888-MAINGEAR). The base price is $1,799. Axess HD Gamer comes with MAINGEAR’s standard 14 month warranty and is backed by the best in-house support team in the country.

Zoombak has announced the release of the first speed and directional tracking features for all Zoombak devices. Beginning today, all new and existing Zoombak customers can easily monitor the speed and driving direction of any vehicle. Speed tracking comes at no additional cost from Zoombak, which retails for $99.99 plus a small monthly service fee.

“Statistics around teen driving accidents are staggering, and studies have shown that teens’ driving habits improve when they are being monitored by a parent,” said Simon Buckingham, CEO of Zoombak. “Zoombak speed tracking is an easy-to-use and affordable solution for parents to monitor the location of their teen drivers and how fast they are driving. Our customer research has indicated that this added line of communication among families improves teens’ driving skills and give parents added peace of mind.”

“Since we launched Zoombak over a year ago, speed monitoring and alerting has been the most requested new feature from both parents and business users. We are therefore delighted to add this feature for all of our customers for no additional charge,” Buckingham added.

How Zoombak speed tracking works:
Following a quick over-the-air software update, Zoombak customers will be able to set up a speed threshold, (say 60 MPH) and receive alerts if that threshold is exceeded.
Setting up a speed alert for an account at Zoombak.com is simple and fast, and users can choose to receive alerts by SMS text to their mobile device, or by email. Users can set the speed alert to be always on, or set on/off schedules around certain times of day.
Zoombak determines the speed and direction (North, South, East, West) of the driver based on their location signal every 5 to 15 seconds.
When conducting Find-Now searches at Zoombak.com, in addition to the regular current location information, the email or text message will now also automatically display both the speed and the direction the driver was heading. So even if automatic alerts are not set up, parents can still see on-demand how fast and which direction their teen was driving. Direction is displayed as North, South, East or West.
The new “Speed” section of the Zoombak website provides Zoombak customers with more detailed instructions on setting up and getting the most out of the speed tracking feature.

Because speed and direction monitoring requires additional battery power, Zoombak recommends that consumers who use speed tracking hard wire the device to their vehicle with the Zoombak Car Installation Kit, or use the car charger that comes along with the Zoombak Universal A-GPS Locator.

For more information, visit www.zoombak.com/speed/.

Altec Lansing announced the addition of the BackBeat™ PRO to the award-winning BackBeat line of stereo earphones and headsets. The BackBeat PRO earphones includes high-end armature technology, engineered to deliver an in-studio sound experience at a price level far below competing headphones costing several hundreds more. The BackBeat PRO technology allows high-definition audio in a uniquely small package, providing a custom occluded fit for superior noise isolation and exceptional comfort.

Altec Lansing designs its audio products for authentic music reproduction, the way the artist intended the sound. The BackBeat PRO earphones use a single balanced armature to achieve musician-grade audio.“The armature is a high-precision microstructure that generates and moves the natural sound through the earphone chamber,” explains Will Squier, Product Manager for Altec Lansing Earphones. “The BackBeat PRO was inspired by custom fit monitor earphones that return only true, reproduced sound for the musical artist while on stage.”

There are three clear benefits to the BackBeat PRO’s armature technology. First, it generates highly-accurate audio frequencies that match the ear’s natural response to sound. Second, it requires less space than traditional speaker microdrivers, assuring a comfortable non-imposing fit within the ear canal. Third, the small size allows for a more custom-fit and a superior seal to block out ambient noise. The passive noise isolation is made possible with multiple sizes of ultra-comfort silicon ear tips, including a set of dual flange tips for extra noise reduction. The result is professional “studio quality” audio that doesn’t compete with outside noise.

Compatibility and Extras:
Compatible with iPod and other MP3 players, as well as the iPhone, the BackBeat PRO uses a standard 3.5 mm connector. The earphones are also ideal for use with desktop and laptop computers, making music editing more comfortable.

The BackBeat PRO cord goes well beyond the ordinary, featuring braided reinforcement for strength and tangle-resistance, smooth PVC coating for friction dampening, and oxygen-free copper for a superior audio conduit. A convenient neoprene carry case and eight-piece fit kit are included.

Best Buy Sound Matters Campaign
Altec Lansing is partnering with Best Buy and their Sound Matters Campaign, http://www.soundmatters.org, to raise awareness among young music listeners of the significance of hearing and hearing loss prevention. The audio performance and ambient noise isolation qualities of the BackBeat PRO earphones let the music enthusiast enjoy full sound definition at lower volumes.

Pricing and Availability
The new BackBeat PRO (model UHP606) is currently available exclusively at Best Buy and www.alteclansing.com for $99.95 U.S. MSRP. For more information visit www.alteclansing.com. ]]> http://svenontech.com/2009/06/17/altec-lansing-launches-professional-quality-earphone-at-breakthrough-price/feed/