Seagate launches new Momentus XT hybrid drive

Seagate has begun shipping the next generation of its Momentus XT solid-state hybrid drives, improving upon its predecessor with faster speeds and increased capacity. Whereas the original drivefeatured a 500GB HDD paired to 4GB of SLC NAND flash and a SATA 3.0 interface, today's update brings a maximum storage capacity of 750GB, with 8GB of SLC NAND flash, and a faster SATA 6.0Gbps interface.

Much of the underlying technology is similar, but Seagate has tweaked its hybrid data management tools and adaptive memory algorithms to boost performance. The latter monitors what applications and data are first loaded into a system and then "learns" to place that data on the SSD for faster read speeds.

Besides these enhancements, Seagate has added what it calls FAST Boot, which cuts a computer's boot time in half compared to the previous generation Momentus XT. The feature basically sets aside a small portion of the solid-state cache for data used during the boot process, where it will remain for the life of the drive, so that your system always boots from flash and not the Momentus XT's spinning disk.

All in all Seagate says the new Momentus XT drive should be around 70% faster than the first iteration, and up to three times faster than traditional HDDs. The 750GB drive is now shipping worldwide with a MSRP of $245.

VIA launches ultra-compact DIY computer with Eden X2 chip

VIA has revamped its Artigo mini PC, an ultra-compact machine that offers a basic computing platform, but leaves a few doors open for end-user customization. Billed as a "DIY kit," the Artigo A1150 comes readily equipped with a 1.0GHz dual-core VIA Eden X2 processor, a 40nm chip that was unveiled earlier this year for embedded solutions such as the Artigo. The system also packs VIA's VX900H integrated graphics, which provides hardware acceleration to play popular codecs such as H.264, VC-1 and MPEG-2/4 in 1080p HD.

That's a respectable amount of power considering the Artigo's 5.7 x 3.9 x 2-inch chassis -- similarly sized to Zotac's Zbox Nano. The tiny box is riddled with connectivity, including audio in/out jacks, a mic jack, four USB 2.0 ports (two in front and two in back), a micro-USB 2.0 device port, VGA and HDMI outputs, and a Gigabit Ethernet jack. The "DIY" claim refers to the fact that you can add your own RAM and storage. There's one SODIMM slot supporting up to 4GB of DDR3 1066MHz along with a SATA port and room for a 2.5-inch drive.

There's not a huge market for compact low-powered machines, so by excluding storage and RAM, VIA ensures that it covers as many bases as possible. Users also have the option to install a module for 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity as well as an SD card reader. The Eden X2 has native support for 64-bit operating systems, so you can install your preferred edition of Windows or Linux. We haven't seen any pricing information yet, but the single-core Artigo A1100 is fetching about $240, while similar Fusion-based Zotac machines are ~$220.

AMD quietly adjusts processor pricing, launches new Athlon CPU

AMD quietly changed the pricing on some of their Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) and even introduced a new Athlon-branded CPU. Such changes took a back seat to the launch of enterpriseOpteron 6200 and 4200 processorsbased on Bulldozer architecture earlier this week.

In a rather unusual move, AMD increased the price of two budget dual-core APUs, the A4-3300 which operates at 2.5GHz and the A4-3400 with a frequency of 2.7GHz. The A4-3300 went from $64 to $66 while the 3400 variant saw a $2 increase as well, from $69 to $71. The triple-core A6-3500 with a clock speed of 2.1GHz saw a price break of $4, down to $85 from $89. Finally, AMD’s six core FX-6100 processor is now $10 cheaper at $155.

The company also introduced a new processor, the socket FM1 Athlon II X4 651, a quad-core CPU with a 3GHz operating frequency. This chip features 4MB of L2 cache and has a 100 Watt TDP rating. Pricing on the 651 is set at $92, which is comparable to a Phenom II X2 560 Black Edition. As of writing, the new Athlon has yet to show up for sale online.

Earlier this week AMD launched two new Opteron processors, the 6200 and 4200 series (formerly code-named “interlagos” and “Valencia”. The 16-core Opteron 6200 was selected in the top five products to watch for 2012 by HPCwire. Systems from Acer, Cray, Dell, HP and IBM are expected on the market in the coming days and weeks.

Corsair launches quad channel memory kits for Intel LGA-2011

Corsair has announced multiple quad channel DDR3 memory kits designed for use on Intel’s new Sandy Bridge-E platform. 32nm, socket LGA-2011 processors feature an upgraded integrated memory controller with four channels supporting DDR3-1600 memory for a theoretical peak bandwidth of 51.2GB/s.

Corsair is offering multiple quad channel kit sizes under various product lines. In terms of sheer operating speed, the 8GB Dominator GT package is rated at PC3-19200 (2400MHz) at tested latencies of 10-12-10-27. A 32GB Dominator GT kit is also available, although these modules are only tested at 2133MHz with timings of 9-11-10-27.

"The new Dominator 32GB Quad Channel memory kit is designed for high-performance PC enthusiasts using the latest motherboards, whether they're overclockers, gamers, or simply want a large amount of state-of-the-art memory," said Thi La, vice president of memory products at Corsair. "Corsair is a market leader in high-performance memory, and we're pleased to be first to market with a high-performance 32GB quad channel kit."

Standard Dominator and Vengeance kits are also available should you not require such high operating speeds. For example, the 32GB Vengeance kit operates at 1600MHz at 10-10-10-27. A low profile version of the Vengeance kit is offered in a 16GB capacity kit that features tighter tested timings of 8-8-8-24 at 1600MHz.

Both Dominator and Dominator GT lines support Dual-path Heat eXchange (DHX), Corsair’s patented memory cooling technology. DHX Pro takes it one step further by including circuitry to measure various memory parameters which can then be output to a diagnostic device like the AirFlow Pro Memory parametric display.

Pricing varies depending on which kit and capacity you are interested in. As of writing, a 32GB Dominator GT quad channel kit is listed at $261.35 on Corsair's website which seems to be in error as the kit is listed at $999 in Corsair's press release. A 32GB Vengeance kit with a slower speed rating costs $527.65.

Asrock launches Z68M-ITX HTPC board with MCE remote

Unlike the Gigabyte board we examined, this ASRock's Mini-ITX unit won't ship with an onboard cache drive, so you'll have to purchase an SSD separately if you want to utilize SRT. In addition to hybrid storage, the Z68M-ITX/HT comes with Lucid's Virtu graphics switching technology, which can dynamically assign tasks to integrated or discrete GPUs.

ASRock's board supports all LGA1155 Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, 16GB of dual-channel DDR3 2133MHz RAM, and one PCIe 2.0 x16 graphics card. Connectivity includes Gigabite Ethernet, two SATA 3Gb/s and 6Gb/s ports, four USB 2.0 ports (four more via headers), two USB 3.0 ports, eSATA, as well as HDMI, DVI-D, D-Sub, and Optical SPDIF outputs.

The board also comes with a Windows MCE-compatible remote for home theater users and the company isn't shy about mentioning its XFast USB, XFast LAN, AXTU, UEFI and other in-house features -- there's really too much to cover without a lengthy review. We haven't seen anything about pricing on the Z68M-ITX, but the company's H67M-ITX is only $87.

Google launches Map Maker in the US

Google today launched Google Map Maker, a product that enables people to add to and update the map for locations around the world, in the US. The feature has been available internationally for quite some time, but now the search giant is making it available stateside as well.

Before Map Maker, Google says that only 15 percent of the world's population had detailed online maps of their neighborhoods. Map Maker has helped users build out and edit the maps for 183 countries and regions around the world, resulting in that number growing to 30 percent, thanks to the contributions of citizen cartographers who have mapped entire cities, road networks, bike lanes, and university campuses that were never previously recorded online. Their contributions have been incorporated into Google Maps and Google Earth, so that millions of people using these products globally can benefit.

To make sure that Map Maker user contributions are accurate, Google reviews each edit. After approval, the edits appear in Google Maps within minutes. The company has also added some new features for users globally: you can now get a street-level perspective on places with Street View imagery directly in Map Maker, see and edit all points of interest, and find exactly what you're looking for with advanced search options.

For more information, check out the Getting Started Guide at google.com/help/mapmaker. To see examples of what people around the world are adding to Map Maker, you can watch mapping in real-time over atgoogle.com/mapmaker/pulse.

"Today we’re opening the map of the United States in Google Map Maker for you to add your expert local knowledge directly," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "You know your neighborhood or hometown best, and with Google Map Maker you can ensure the places you care about are richly represented on the map. For example, you can fix the name of your local pizza parlor, or add a description of your favorite book store."

Dell launches business desktop with Sandy Bridge

Dell has launched a new desktop for small and medium businesses looking to adopt Intel's new Sandy Bridge platform. Despite its starting price of $599, the lowest-specced Vostro 460 Mini Tower packs the new 3.1GHz Core i5-2400, which e-tails for $195 alone. Another $110 or $210 gets you an upgraded 3.3GHz i5-2500 or 3.4GHz i7-2600.

All the CPUs are paired with Intel's H67 chipset, which utilizes Sandy Bridge's on-die graphics core. We imagine Intel's new HD Graphics 2000 IGP is plenty sufficient for standard office use, but the Vostro 460 can be outfitted with a 1GB Radeon HD 5450 ($60), 1GB GeForce GT 420 ($145), or a 1GB Radeon HD 5670 ($195) if you need a little more horsepower.

The default $599 configuration is only equipped with a gig of RAM, but you can add up to 16GB if that isn't sufficient. Hard drive capacities range from 320GB to 1.5TB, and although a secondary drive is available, it maxes out at 1TB. A DVD reader comes standard, while a Blu-ray burner tops out the optical drive category with an added expense of $235.

Besides the standard ports and connectors, you can add a 19-in-1 media card reader, a USB 3.0 PCIe card, and an IEEE 1394a adapter. OS options include Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. Systems ordered today have a preliminary ship date of February 2 and come with a basic keyboard/mouse as well as a one-year warranty.

Asus launches Eee Pad Transformer with Honeycomb

Asus has officially launched its Eee Pad Transformer in Taiwan today, though US availability is still unknown. Unveiled at CeBIT 2011, the primary system is a 10.1-inch Android tablet which is accompanied by an optional chiclet-style keyboard dock that essentially transforms the device into a netbook. The slate is priced at a rough equivalent of $500 US, while the keyboard runs an extra $100.

Besides its added flexibility, the Eee Pad Transformer has a few noteworthy specifications such as its 1280x800 IPS Gorilla Glass capacitive touchscreen and Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Inside its 0.51-inch, 1.49-pound body, the tablet carries a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 SoC, 5MP rear and 1.2MP front cameras, 16GB to 64GB of storage with a Micro SD expansion slot, and 1GB of RAM.

You'll also find speakers and audio jacks, USB 2.0 and HDMI ports, 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, as well as a G-sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, e-compass, and GPS. Asus preloads the system with its "Waveshare" interface which includes MyNet (streams media to networked devices), MyLibrary (digital bookstore) and MyCloud (cloud storage and remote access tool).

The Eee Pad Transformer is somewhat reminiscent of Lenovo's IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, except the base isn't an entirely separate $800 Windows 7 machine. Although Asus doesn't take things quite that far, the Transformer's keyboard dock does contain a second battery that nearly doubles the tablet's maximum runtime from 9.5 hours to 16 hours. That's not a bad deal for $100 if you ask us.

NZXT launches the H2 'silent' mid-tower chassis

NZXT has unleashed a new desktop computer chassis for enthusiasts who demand a little peace and quiet. The company'sH2 mid-tower chassis is said to feature advanced noise dampening technology that reduces annoying hums, clicks and whirls. Despite muffling your system's chatter, NXZT says the H2 maintains enough airflow to keep your high-end components cool.

Besides a layer of "premium" noise dampening foam, the enclosure has a magnetic fan cover on top of the 140mm fan which provides another element of silence, but can be removed if you need the extra cooling capacity. The case also ships with a fan controller that lets you set speeds at 40%, 70% and 100%. There's also talk of "wireless touch-powered" fan compartments.

Although the H2's product page lists the touch-powered fans as the top feature, the company doesn't elaborate on how they work. After skimming through the pictures, it looks like each fan is in a removable housing that provides a standard 3-pin power connector. That housing is mounted in dock of sorts on the chassis which provides power courtesy of the fan controller.

This introduces another point of failure, but assuming it works properly the design means you won't have to fish around in your chasses for fan wires -- a seemingly favorable tradeoff. Other key features include a hot swappable SATA HDD dock, tool-less drive bays, USB 3.0 connectivity, and support for up to 31cm GPUs by removing an HDD cage. The H2 is available now for $99.

Intel officially launches dual-core Atom N570 processor

Intel has announced the release of its second dual-core Atom chip for netbooks. The Atom N570 is a slight variation of the N550 dual core chip offering higher clock speeds without any major change in power consumption. Specifically, the dual-core processor runs at 1.66GHz instead of 1.5GHz and includes 1MB of L2 cache while drawing just 8.5 watts of power.

Besides the bump in frequency, Intel is also adding two new features: the Atom N570 is the first low-power Atom processor to support virtualization and the amount of RAM supported has doubled from 2GB to 4GB. Interestingly enough, though, it looks like the new chip might not support Hyper-Threading. While the Atom N550 has 2 cores and 4 threads listed, Intel's N570 product page says the chip has 2 core and 2 threads.

The Intel N570 processor is already shipping in Acer Aspire One AOD255E and HP Mini 110 netbooks, and will arrive in other systems from Asus, Samsung and Lenovo later this month. It can also be found on SeaMicro's newest ultra-dense, ultra-low power Atom-based server solution, the SM10000-64, which holds as many as 256 Atom N570 processors.