Corsair adds a new 256GB model to their Extreme Series Solid State Drive family of products today. The Extreme Series SSDs come with the Indilinx Barefoot controller as well as Samsung MLC NAND flash memory resulting in read speeds of up to 240MB/s and write speeds up to 170 MB/s. The drive also comes with 64MB of cache memory.

All Extreme Series SSDs come with user-upgradeable firmware to allow for new features to be added over time (e.g. the upcoming TRIM command for Windows 7). The product line is also available in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB storage capacities.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Corsair 256GB Extreme Series SSD, Solid State Drive

Onkyo announces three new A/V receivers in the form of the TX-NR1007, TX-NR3007, and TX-NR5007. This is great timing as I’ve been contemplating a receiver upgrade for some time and these new models will at least start putting pricing pressure on current inventories of Onkyo receivers.

In any event, here’s what you need to know about the three models (thanks to Crave for this info).

Onkyo TX-NR1007:

• 9.2 channel receiver – rated at 135 watts per channel
• 6 HDMI inputs
• Dual HDMI outputs
• Support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
• Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX surround processing modes
• Support for Internet streaming audio including Pandora, Rhapsody, vTuner, and Sirius Internet Radio
• DLNA 1.5 support
• Analog video upconversion to 1080p using Faroudja DCDi Cinema processing
• THX Loudness Plus
• Audyssey sound processing modes (MultEQ XT, Dynamic EQ, and Dynamic Volume)
• THX Ultra2 Plus Certified
• Available in Sept. for $1600

Onkyo TX-NR3007 comes with all the above features AND:

• 9.2 channel A/V receiver rated at 140 watts per channel
• 7 HDMI inputs and one front panel HDMI input
• Analog video upconversion using HQV Reon-VX processing
• Front panel USB port
• Dolby volume processing
• Available in Sept. for $2100

Onkyo TX-NR5007 comes with all the above features AND:

• 9.2 A/V receiver rated at 145 watts per channel
• 8 HDMI inputs including one front panel HDMI input
• Two USB ports (one in the front and one in the back)
• Available in Sept for $2700

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Onkyo, TX-NR1007, TX-NR3007, TX-NR5007, A/V receiver

Now if you’re looking for an inexpensive MP3 player from Sony, you might be interested in the newly announced E Series Walkman Video MP3 player. It has a similar design to the previously mentioned S Series Walkman and comes with the same “Clear Audio” technology for high quality sound. Other specs include:

• 2 inch QVGA display
• Support for MP3, WMA(DRM), AAC(non DRM) and Linear PCM for audio and WMV(DRM) for video
• 30 hour music playback battery life and 4 hour video playback battery life

As for the price, the 8GB E Series will be available for around $80 dollars while the 16GB model will be available for around $100 dollars. Both will be available in red or black.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Sony, E Series Walkman Video MP3 player

Ah.. innovation at its very best. (do you sense the sarcasm yet?)

Sony one-ups the competition today with the announcement of the new Sony S Series Walkman Video MP3 player which now features “high quality built-in stereo speakers”.  Yup.. that’s right folks – this new media player has built-in stereo speakers which according to Katie O’Brien, manager of the Walkman business unit at Sony adds “a new social element to the world of digital music and video.”.  Don’t you love it? Add a pair of speakers and your device is now “social”. 

Other features of the S Series Walkman (which are arguably much more respectable) include:

• Bright high contrast 2.4 inch QVGA LCD display with fast response time
• Clear Audio and Digital Linear Phase Speaker System for high quality sound
• Built-in FM tuner
• Headphones, mini USB cable, and hands-free stand included
• Voice and FM recording function
• Built-in alarm clock with sleep timer
• Supports wide variety of codecs including MP3, WMA (DRM), AAC (nonDRM), and Linear PCM.
• Video codec support includes AVC (H.264/AVC) Baseline Profle, MPEG-4 and WMV(DRM)
• Long lasting battery – 42 hours of music or 6.5 hours of video
• Available in 8 or 16GB capacities

The S Series Walkman will be available in several colors including black, red, violet and pink. AND OK.. if there’s one nice thing about the new S Series, it would have to be the pricing. The 8GB capacity will be available for around $110 while the 16GB model will be available for $130 dollars. Pre-ordering is available now at SonyStyle.com

Technorati Tags: Sony S Series Walkman Video MP3 player

Yes, as if we didn’t need more netbook vendors out there, Nokia has decided to enter the space with the announcement of their Booklet 3G netbook. Powered by Microsoft Windows, the Booklet 3G specializes in offering 3G connectivity with its embedded HSPA chipset. Other features include:

• Intel Atom Z530 processor
• Aluminum body
• Weight of 1.25 kg
• Measures a bit more than 2 cm thin
• 3G/HSPA connectivity
• Wi-Fi networking
• Microsoft Windows
• Nokia Ovi services integration
• HDMI port for HD video output
• Front-facing webcam
• Built-in Bluetooth
• SD card reader
• 10 inch glass HD ready display
• Built-in A-GPS

Additional information (including pricing and availability) about the Nokia Booklet 3G will be made available at Nokia World on Sept. 2nd.

[Check it out via NetbookTech]

Technorati Tags: Nokia, Nokia Booklet 3G, Nokia Netbook

As widescreen displays become more and more prevalent everywhere, it only makes sense that webcams would eventually make the switch to widescreen aspect ratios. That’s exactly what Microsoft has done with the introduction last week of the new LifeCam Cinema webcam – the first consumer webcam for the PC capable of capturing widescreen video with a native 720p sensor.

Features of the new Microsoft LifeCam Cinema include:

• Ability to maintain a high frame rate even under poor lighting conditions
• 720p HD video capture at 16:9 aspect ratio
• Auto focus
• Microsoft ClearFrame Technology which offers faster image processing technology to help deliver smooth video at any resolution and improved noise reduction technology to reduce image graininess and help keep videos sharp
• 74 degree angle of capture
• High precision glass element lens
• Digital microphone
• Aluminum body

In addition to the new widescreen-enabled LifeCam Cinema camera, Microsoft also announced the new LifeChat LX-1000 headset which provides high quality audio and a noise-cancelling microphone.

The LifeCam Cinema and LifeChat LX-1000 will be available starting in September with the LifeCam Cinema priced at $79.95 and the LifeChat LX-1000 priced at $24.95. Pre-sales on Amazon.com will begin today.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Microsoft LifeCam Cinema, Microsoft LifeChat LX-1000

If you’ve been thinking about switching to AT&T U-verse as well as AT&T wireless service, then this might be a great time to do so. The company announced today a new bundle called the “Buy Two, Get One Free” bundle, which would combine both services onto a single bill for “significant savings.”

Customers will be able to bundle U-verse TV (package U200 or above) with either an AT&T Wireless service (Nation 450 plan or above for new or renewing customers) or a U-verse Voice Unlimited plan and then receive U-verse High Speed Internet Pro service for free for six months. This amounts to a savings of $30 dollars a month or a total savings of $180 dollars.

The new bundle is currently available in the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio) and will be made available to all AT&T U-verse markets over the coming weeks.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: AT&T, AT&T U-verse, AT&T Wireless, Buy Two Get One Free

Apple announced today that the next version of OS X, version 10.6 (a.k.a. Snow Leapard), will go on sale starting on Friday, August 28th at Apple retail stores, Apple authorized resellers, and at Apple online. Snow Leopard includes:

• Hundreds of refinements – approximately 90 percent of the 1000+ projects within OS X. Improvements include

• More responsive Finder
• Faster Mail
• Faster initial backups with Time Machine
• Dock with Expose integration
• QuickTime X
• 64 bit version of Safari 4 which is 50 percent faster
• Half the size of previous OS X version and frees up approximately 7 GB of disk space

Pricing for OS X Snow Leopard will be as follows:

For 10.5 Leopard users, a single user upgrade license will cost $29 dollars while the Snow Leopard Family Pack will be available for $49.

For Tiger users with an Intel Mac, the Mac Box Set which includes OS X Snow Leopard, iLife 09 and iWork 09 will be available for $169 while the Family Pack will be available for $229.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Apple, OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

A little FYI for those of you with a distaste for Dell. CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington) has launched a new website called DELLception.org which will supposedly keep a “watching eye on Dell’s dishonest business practices.” According to the CREW press release, “CREW’s goal is to bring greater public awareness to Dell’s refusal to keep its promise of “Next Day Service” to its customers.” 

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: CREW, Dell, Dellception.org

You love that laser mouse of yours but you dread using it when the only surface available to you is a high gloss or glassy surface. Well folks – Logitech finally has a solution for you called Darkfield Laser Technology. I’ll let Logitech describe the actual technology (via their official press release):

“To track on glass (that’s at least 4 mm thick), Logitech Darkfield uses dark field microscopy to detect microscopic particles and micro-scratches on these surfaces, rather than tracking the surface itself. Similar to the way in which our eye sees the clear night sky, the mouse’s sensor sees the clean areas of glass as a dark background with bright dots – the dust. Then, the sensor interprets the movement of these dots to track exactly where you’ve moved the mouse.”

Darkfield Laser Technology is available in two new mice from Logitech – the Logitech Performance Mouse MX and the Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX for mobile users.

Features of the Performance Mouse MX include:

• Hyper-fast scrolling – fly through long documents with a single spin
• Sculpted right-handed shape
• 2.4 GHz wireless
• Logitech Unifying receiver – tiny USB receiver
• Flexible recharging system – recharge your mouse using a microUSB system through your computer or a standard wall outlet
• Four customizable thumb buttons
• Available beginning this month for $99.99

Features of the Anywhere Mouse MX include:

• Hyper-fast scrolling
• 2.4 GHz wireless
• Logitech Unifying receiver – tiny USB receiver
• Flexible recharging system – recharge your mouse using a microUSB system through your computer or a standard wall outlet
• Back and forward thumb buttons
• Available beginning this month for $79.99

Technorati Tags: Logitech, Logitech Performance Mouse MX, Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX, Darkfield Laser Technology