http:// 2013-05-17T06:13:32Z 2013-05-17T06:13:32Z amd-introduces-the-world-s-fastest-notebook-graphics-card

(SYDNEY, Australia. – 17 May 2013 — AMD launched the AMD Radeon™ HD 8970M, the world’s fastest notebook graphics card1. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M graphics processing unit (GPU) delivers the best mobile gaming experience imaginable to gamers, powered by AMD’s award-winning Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture.“Today’s gaming notebooks need a graphics card that is fast, powerful and energy-efficient,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, Graphics Business Unit, AMD. “The AMD Radeon HD 8970M GPU is the perfect combination of technologies, blending performance, immersive features and an extensive battery life that delivers an unrivaled gaming experience, even on the go.”“When developing our new gaming notebook, the MSI GX70, we required a graphics card that would truly enhance the gaming experience. The AMD Radeon™ HD 8970M graphics card exceeded our expectations,” said Eric Kuo, vice president for Global Sales and Marketing, MSI Notebook. “Its speed, features and intelligent power capabilities perfectly complement our product. The GX70 is surely designed for professional and top tier gamers” Features and Benefits:• Speed: Featuring AMD’s GCN Architecture2 , the AMD Radeon HD 8970M GPU is built for speed and designed from the ground up to provide the best experience in the top PC games for today and tomorrow.• Intelligent Power Features: AMD’s Enduro™ Technology3 allows the AMD Radeon HD 8970M GPU to optimise battery life. The power features are inherently dynamic, delivering instant performance when needed and adjusting GPU requirements when in idle mode. • Multi-Display Optimisation: AMD Eyefinity technology allows for the highest quality multi-display gaming spread across several different monitors, creating an immersive experience4. • Engineered for Compute: AMD App Acceleration harnesses the compute power of the AMD Radeon™ GPU to take workload off the CPU and provide unprecedented performance in everyday applications. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M GPU offers improved performance and enhanced visual effects5.• Unparalleled Image quality & Video Playback: The AMD Radeon HD 8970M GPU is the ideal entertainment and productivity tool that provides smooth video playback and maximises image quality for all of your multimedia needs.• DirectX® 11.1 Support: Offers full support for DirectX 11.1 and Windows 8 for all of today and tomorrow’s games and applications.Supporting Resources• AMD Radeon™ HD 8970M GPU Product Page• Become a fan of AMD Gaming on Facebook• Follow @AMDRadeon on Twitter• View the AMD Radeon™ HD 8900M Series Press Deck About AMDAMD (NYSE: AMD) is a semiconductor design innovator leading the next era of vivid digital experiences with its groundbreaking AMD Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) that power a wide range of computing devices. AMD’s server computing products are focused on driving industry-leading cloud computing and virtualisation environments. AMD’s superior graphics technologies are found in a variety of solutions ranging from game consoles, PCs to supercomputers. For more information, visit www.amd.com.AMD, the AMD Arrow logo and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.Footnotes:1. The AMD Radeon HD 8970M is the world's fastest notebook GPU. In tests by AMD as of 18th, April 2013, the reference AMD Radeon™ HD 8970M showed higher average performance than NVIDIA's highest performing single GPU mobile graphics card, the GeForce® GTX 680M, in the 3DMark® Fire Strike test with a score of FS4571 vs. FS3749 and in Crysis 3 (FPS, 1080p at very high quality presets). System configuration: Intel® Core™ i7-3720QM (2.6GHz), 6GB DDR3-1600 and Windows 7 x64. AMD Radeon™ HD 8970M evaluated with AMD Catalyst™ 13.10 Beta 4. NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 680M evaluated with NVIDIA® ForceWare™ 307.17 WHQL. GRM-42. The GCN Architecture and its associated features (PCI Express® 3.0, AMD Enduro™, AMD ZeroCore Power technology, etc.) are applicable to select AMD Radeon™ HD 7000M & HD 8000M Series Graphics. Not all technologies are supported in all system configurations—check with your system manufacturer for specific model capabilities.3. AMD Enduro™ technology automatically turns off the AMD Radeon™ discrete GPU for non-intensive applications to help maximise battery life for more time unplugged, and requires either an AMD A-Series APU or an Intel processor, plus an AMD Radeon™ discrete graphics card and is available on Windows® 7 and Windows® 8 Standard and Professional editions. Linux OS supports manual switching which requires restart of X-Server to switch between graphics solutions. With AMD Enduro™ technology, full enablement of all discrete graphics video and display features may not be supported on all systems (e.g. OpenGL applications will run on the integrated GPU or the APU as the case may be). Always check with your system manufacturer for specific mode capabilities and supported technologies.4. AMD Eyefinity technology works with games 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. Support for five simultaneous displays may require complementary products compatible with DisplayPort 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport. Maximum number of configured displays may vary - check with your component or system manufacturer for specific model capabilities and supported technologies. SLS (“Single Large Surface”) functionality requires an identical display resolution on all configured displays. 5. AMD App Acceleration is a set of technologies designed to improve video quality and enhance application performance. Full enablement of some features requires support for OpenCL™, DirectCompute or DirectX® Video Acceleration (DXVA). Not all products have all features and full enablement of some capabilities and may require complementary products. requires an identical display resolution on all configured displays.

2013-05-16T07:09:21Z -38

Sydney, Australia – 16 May 2013 – WD®, a Western Digital company, today announced the availability of the My Passport® Ultra™ line of portable hard drives, which combine additional layers of data protection with super-fast USB 3.0 connectivity, a slim, compact design and four colour choices to offer mobile consumers the safest and easiest way to protect their digital content while traveling. Available in 500 GB, 1 TB and new 2 TB capacities, My Passport Ultra portable hard drives have built-in WD SmartWare™ Pro backup software with Dropbox integration, hardware encryption and password protection to safeguard against unauthorised drive access. A protective pouch is included with the My Passport Ultra to help shield it from the daily knocks encountered by today's mobile consumer. “WD's My Passport Ultra combines USB 3.0, a range of colours and capacities and the best software and hardware functions currently found in our line of My Passport portable storage drives to create the ultimate portable digital safe for today's active consumer,” explained Jim Welsh, executive vice president and general manager of WD's branded products and consumer electronics groups. “Adding WD SmartWare Pro technology with auto backup and password protection to one of the industry's fastest interfaces and largest capacity drives gives consumers the convenience and peace of mind to enjoy, share, and protect their personal digital content everywhere they go.”Pricing and AvailabilityManufacturer: WDProduct name: My Passport Ultra Portable Hard DrivesAustralian Distributors: SynnexNew Zealand Distributors: SynnexAvailability: NowWarranty: 3-year limited warrantyWebsite: http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1000Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WDAustralia , https://www.facebook.com/WDNewZealandRRP: Model Number Capacity AUD NZD WDBPGC5000Axx-PESN 500 GB $99.00 $139.00 WDBZFP0010Bxx-PESN 1 TB $139.00 $179.00 About WDWD, a Western Digital company, is a long-time innovator and storage industry leader. As a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives and solid state drives. These drives are deployed by OEMs and integrators in desktop and mobile computers, enterprise computing systems, embedded systems and consumer electronics applications, as well as by the company in providing its own storage products. WD’s leading storage devices and systems, networking products, media players and software solutions empower people around the world to easily save, store, protect, share and experience their content on multiple devices. WD was established in 1970 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.wd.com.Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), Irvine, Calif., is a global provider of products and services that empower people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content. Its companies design and manufacture storage devices, networking equipment and home entertainment products under the WD, HGST and G-Technology brands. Visit the Investor section of the company's website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the expected availability date for the My Passport Ultra 2 TB hard drive. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including changes in markets, demand, global economic conditions and other risks and uncertainties listed in Western Digital’s recent SEC filings, to which your attention is directed. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak on as of the date hereof, and WD undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.EDITOR’S NOTES: WD product photos: http://wdbrand.com/ Editorial review samples of the My Passport Ultra family may be requested via Gap Marketing and ManagementWestern Digital, WD, the WD logo, and My Passport are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries; WD SmartWare and My Passport Ultra are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Dropbox is a registered of Dropbox Inc. Other marks may be mentioned herein that belong to other companies. As used for storage capacity one gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes, and one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment. See support.wdc.com for limited warranty terms and conditions.

2013-05-15T02:21:25Z -37

Sydney, Australia – 13 May 2013 – WD®, a Western Digital company, and SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced that the two companies are collaborating to introduce hybrid storage devices that feature best-in-class flash memory technology from SanDisk and best-in-class hard drive technology from WD. SanDisk is supplying a SanDisk iSSD™ storage device for the WD Black™ solid state hybrid drive (SSHD), the world’s thinnest 2.5-inch SSHD solution, which utilises both WD proprietary hybrid technology and industry standard SATA IO technology. The SanDisk iSSD brings an elegant balance of performance, low power consumption, cost, reliability, and a compact form factor to this SSHD, which will offer ample storage to meet consumers’ growing appetite for digital content as well as flash-enabled speed, data throughput and responsiveness – all within ultra-slim form factors.“I am delighted for SanDisk to team up with WD on these exciting new hybrid products,” said Kevin Conley, senior vice president and general manager of client storage solutions at SanDisk. “By combining SanDisk’s unparalleled flash memory expertise and technology with the hard drive know-how of WD, WD Black SSHDs offer outstanding hard drive-like capacity, and the slim form factor and the level of performance that you will only get with flash memory solutions.” “Working with SanDisk, WD realised our vision for products that combine the best of both technologies,” said Matt Rutledge, vice president of client computing at WD. “WD’s SSHDs are a significant achievement in the continuing SSHD/flash storage revolution.” About WD Black Solid State Hybrid DrivesWD Black SSHDs use WD hybrid technology that blends responsive, intelligent flash memory technology from SanDisk with high capacity hard drives from WD. This powerful combination greatly improves the PC user experience, enabling both high capacity and a higher level of performance than traditional hard disk drives, including increased speed, instant-on and faster application launching. With device volume being a key concern for PC manufacturers who want to design slimmer devices, the WD Black SSHDs are designed to accommodate integration into the market’s thinnest notebooks. The WD Black 5mm SSHD offers 500GB of capacity, while utilising almost 50 percent less volume than current standard notebook hard drives (which are approximately 9.5mm). The low-profile of the solid state hybrid drive is complemented by the extremely small form factor of the SanDisk iSSD, which is built on 19 nanometer (nm) process technology, the world's smallest and most advanced semiconductor manufacturing process. The WD Black 5mm SSHDs are shipping to OEMs. WD is also currently shipping to OEMs ultra-slim, 7mm and 9.5mm SSHDs for portable devices. About WDWD, a Western Digital company, is a long-time innovator and storage industry leader. As a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives and solid state drives. These drives are deployed by OEMs and integrators in desktop and mobile computers, enterprise computing systems, embedded systems and consumer electronics applications, as well as by the company in providing its own storage products. WD’s leading storage devices and systems, networking products, media players and software solutions empower people around the world to easily save, store, protect, share and experience their content on multiple devices. WD was established in 1970 and is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.wd.com.Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), Irvine, Calif., is a global provider of products and services that empower people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content. Its companies design and manufacture storage devices, networking equipment and home entertainment products under the WD, HGST and G-Technology brands. Visit the Investor section of the company's website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.About SanDiskSanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) is a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, from research and development, product design and manufacturing to branding and distribution for commercial and retail channels. Since 1988, SanDisk's innovations in flash memory and storage system technologies have provided customers with new and transformational digital experiences. SanDisk's diverse product portfolio includes flash memory cards and embedded solutions used in smart phones, tablets, digital cameras, camcorders, digital media players and other consumer electronic devices, as well as USB flash drives and solid state drives (SSD) for the computing market. SanDisk's products are used by consumers and enterprise customers around the world.SanDisk is a Silicon Valley-based S&P 500 and Fortune 500 company, with more than half its sales outside the United States. For more information, visit www.sandisk.com.© 2013 SanDisk Corporation and Western Digital Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Western Digital, WD and the WD logo are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. WD Black is a trademark of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s). 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment. Some capacity not available for user storage.This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for markets, products and customers that are based on our current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: the market demand for our products may grow more slowly than our expectations or our products may not be available in the capacities that we expect or perform as expected, or the other risks detailed from time-to-time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q and our annual report on Form 10-K. We do not intend to update the information contained in this press release.

2013-05-08T04:43:09Z -35

Sydney, Australia – 8 May 2013 – WD®, a Western Digital company and a world leader in storage, today announced a new 3.5-inch SAS hard drive solution for legacy datacenter storage systems with the release of a the WD XE™, 2.5-inch, 10,000 RPM SAS hard drive, now available mounted in a 3.5-inch WD performance adapter. Shipping immediately, the WD XE hard drives provide best-in-class performance, low power consumption, and an easier upgrade path for existing 3.5-inch storage systems. While demand for 3.5-inch, high-performance enterprise-class hard drives slows, a need remains for an alternate high-performance storage device as a transitional solution for legacy systems. WD XE hard drives offer best-in-class sequential performance and provide a compelling upgrade for datacenters migrating away from legacy drives nearing end-of-life.“Delivering up to 50 percent higher capacity, similar or better maximum sequential performance, higher reliability and up to 67 percent lower power consumption versus 3.5-inch,15,000 RPM drives, the new WD XE drives are the answer for data center server and storage solutions needing a transition strategy,” said Rich Rutledge, senior vice president of WD’s datacenters business unit. “IT managers now have a worry-free migration path to the latest enterprise performance drives from WD, while preserving their chassis and solution investments.” WD XE 2.5-inch SAS hard drives in 3.5-inch performance adapters feature:Highest performance in its class – WD XE delivers ultra-fast 6 Gb/s transfer rates, best-in-class sequential data rate of 204 MB/s, and outstanding random I/O performance;Low power consumption – This 3.5-inch SAS drive delivers up to 67 percent lower power versus 3.5-inch 15,000 RPM drives, which can result in substantially lower total cost of ownership (TCO) while increasing capacity and reliability;Form factor – 2.5-inch drive mounted in 3.5-inch performance adapter for ease of upgrade and ultra-cool operation;Dual port, full duplex connectivity – Offers higher reliability, performance and data availability by eliminating single points of failure, designed for high-availability datacenter systems;NoTouch™ ramp load technology – The recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear to the recording head and media as well as better drive protection in transit; andIndustry’s highest reliability rating – 2 million hours MTBF. Pricing and AvailabilityManufacturer: WDProduct Name: WD XE SAS Hard Drive in 3.5-inch performance adaptersAustralian Distributors: Achieva AU and Synnex AUNew Zealand Distributors: Ingram Micro NZ, Synnex NZ and VST NZAvailability: NowWebsite: http://wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=10Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wdaustWarranty: Five-year limited warrantyMSRP:Model Number Capacity MSRP (AUD) MSRP (NZD) WD3001HKHG 300GB A$ 249 NZ$ 309 WD6001HKHG 600GB A$ 429 NZ$ 529 WD9001HKHG 900GB A$ 639 NZ$ 789About WDWD, a Western Digital company, is a long-time innovator and storage industry leader. As a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives and solid state drives. These drives are deployed by OEMs and integrators in desktop and mobile computers, enterprise computing systems, embedded systems and consumer electronics applications, as well as by the company in providing its own storage products. WD’s leading storage devices and systems, networking products, media players and software solutions empower people around the world to easily save, store, protect, share and experience their content on multiple devices. WD was established in 1970 and is headquartered in Irvine, Calif. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.wd.com.Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), Irvine, Calif., is a global provider of products and services that empower people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content. Its companies design and manufacture storage devices, networking equipment and home entertainment products under the WD, HGST and G-Technology brands. Visit the Investor section of the company's website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.Editor's NotesWD product photos: http://www.wdbrand.com Product information: http://wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=10Review samples of WD XE may be requested via Gap Marketing and ManagementWestern Digital, WD, and the WD logo are registered trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries; WD XE and NoTouch are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. Other marks may be mentioned herein that belong to other companies. All other brand and product names mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies. As used for storage capacity, one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment. As used for transfer rate or interface, gigabit per second (Gb/s) = one billion bits per second.

2013-05-06T02:00:42Z see-more-do-more-get-a-bigger-better-view-with-the-new-philips-monitors

 Sydney, Australia, 02 May 2013– MMD a leading display technology company and brand licensing partner of Philips Monitors, announces 3 new extended-resolution displays with multiple simultaneous inputs allowing users to view more on one screen. Quad HD resolution yields stunning image definition and greater content density within the conventional 16:9 screen shape, while UltraWide 21:9 models provide expanded screen space for multi-tasking and full-screen display of cinematic movies.1. MULTI-TASKING, MULTI-VIEW, ALL AT A GLANCE: A NEW PHILIPS DISPLAY FOR HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE WORKERSThe Philips 27” P-line 272P4QPJKEB display with PLS panel, it’s designed to give clear and accurate images. It equipped with a webcam and microphone, enabling hassle-free communication and collaboration with clients. It also saves your energy costs.Ultimate viewing quality PLS technology ensures a high pixel density of 109ppi, offering CrystalClear images with 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution with support for 178/178 ultra-wide viewing angles.Stay Connected Stay connected via the 27” P-line Quad HD display. The built-in 2 megapixel webcam lets colleagues and clients see you in crisp video, while the embedded high quality microphone carries your voice clearly, and you won’t miss a word of what they say on the built-in stereo speakers. Super Speed USB 3.0 ports work at a transfer rate about 10 times faster than USB 2.0 hubs, and can even charge your smartphone.Stay GreenPhilips 27” P-line Quad HD display helps you take care of the environment. The PowerSensor is a smart technology that adjusts monitor brightness automatically, to help cut electricity bills by up to 80%. 2. SEE MORE, ACCOMPLISH MORE WITH THE PHILIPS 29” P-LINE ULTRAWIDE21:9The all new Philips P-line 298P4QJEB UltraWide21:9 display is set to impress you with its Crystalclear images and versatile connectivity. Its superb 21:9 AHIPS screen with people-friendly ergonomic adjustments will gives you the ultimate using experience. MultiView in 21:9 – See the World in Diverse PerspectivesWith the UltraWide21:9, the vibrant CrystalClear display with 21:9 panoramic resolution of 2560 x 1080 pixels means even the tiniest detail will not escape your eyes. The advanced AH-IPS panel further contributes to superb picture quality with uniform colour reproduction and colour accuracy. Its MultiView technology and HDMI capacity allows dual connect and view at the same time so that you can work with multiple devices simultaneously.Ultimate Connectivity for an Immersive Multimedia ExperienceThe Philips P-line UltraWide21:9 is designed for those who look for versatile connectivity in addition to brilliant performance. The display comes equipped with SmartConnect that features HDMI, DisplayPort and Dual Link DVI ports. USB 3.0 ports enable faster data transfer and smartphone charging. Designed for PeopleIndustry leading ergonomics with 150mm height adjustment, 90° pivot as well as swivel and tilt maximize the reading comfort. 3. EXPERIENCE A DIFFERENT WORLD IN PANORAMIC VIEW WITH THE PHILIPS 29” X-LINE ULTRAWIDE21:9The Philips X-line 298X4QJAB UltraWide21:9 display will amaze you with its panoramic view, CrystalClear images, and brilliant colours. It is the best option in the market for both multimedia entertainment and productive work.Outstanding Viewing qualityThe advanced panoramic 21:9 AH-IPS panel with True 8 bit colour depth translates into superb colour accuracy. You will be awed by the vibrant 2560 x 1080 CrystalClear UltraWide HD images and vivid colours. Multimedia Experience Made Easy298X4QJAB features technologies to make the viewing experience easier. There is SmartImage Premium for easy image setup and SmartControl for easy performance tuning. SmartKolor, an exclusive colour extension technology to ensure you have vibrant images for best viewing of photos and video. SmartConnect provides the most popular device interfaces like HDMI, DisplayPort and Dual Link DVI ports. In addition, SmartTxt increases the contrast and boundary sharpness of text content for better readability so that less focus and concentration is required.PRICING AND AVAILABILITY Product Name RRP Availability WarrantyP-line 27” Quad HD monitor (272P4QPJKEB) $799 Now 4-Years P-line 29” UltraWide monitor (298P4QJEB) $699 Now 4-Years X-line 29” UltraWide monitor (298X4QJAB) $599 Mid-May 3-Years Manufacturer: PhilipsAustralian Distributor: Ingram Micro AustraliaWebsite: www.mmd-p.comABOUT MMD MMD is a wholly owned company of TPV established in 2009 through a brand license agreement with Philips. MMD exclusively markets and sells Philips branded LCD displays worldwide. By combining the Philips brand promise with TPV’s manufacturing expertise in displays, MMD uses a fast and focused approach to bringing innovative products to market.For additional information, please visit www.mmd-p.com.

2013-05-06T01:14:00Z -33

Sydney, Australia – 01 May, 2013 – WD®, a Western Digital company and world leader in storage and connected-life products, today announced it is shipping the world’s first ultra-slim 2.5-inch, 5 mm hard drives and solid state hybrid drives (SSHD), which are designed for integration into the slimmest devices and space-constrained computing environments. With 500 GB of storage capacity and models with high performance-enabling solid state hybrid drive technology, this slim product line helps to address the tradeoffs system designers often make between capacity, physical size and performance.“With the launch of our new WD Blue™ 5 mm ultra slim hard drives and our WD Black™ SSHD products, currently shipping to OEMs, WD is delivering to our customers a variety of solutions that maximise storage capacity and volumetric efficiency, as well as performance and system responsiveness, for consumers,” said Matt Rutledge, vice president of WD’s client computing business unit. “Our engineering team took a clean-sheet approach with 5 mm to deliver an ultra-thin hard drive that enables a world of possibilities and applications for mobile computing and beyond.” WD designed the new WD Blue and WD Black 5 mm drives to enable new levels of device portability. The new drives are aimed to increase internal storage capacity while enabling it to fit into smaller device slots. In addition, the slimmer and more portable the device, the more vulnerable the hard drive is to user-induced stress. To battle this, WD has designed key enablers to the 5 mm form factor:Ultra-slim Form Factor – 5 mm height with compact connector offers system designers a greater degree of chassis design freedom. This ultra-slim form factor reduces weight by up to 36 percent compared with a standard 9.5 mm drive. Best-in-class Acoustics and Shock – WD’s best-in-class acoustics use technologies that reduce noise when the drive is active or idle. The WD Blue and WD Black 5 mm drives deliver unprecedented operation and non-operation shock specifications with 400 G and 1000G, respectively.Edge Card Technology – WD designed the connector and board utilising cell phone miniaturisation technology to maximise the mechanical sway space in the hard drive and ensure shock performance.Edge Card Connector – WD Blue 5 mm hard drives also feature the first application of a new small form factor SFF-8784 edge connector. This new connector receives power from and interfaces with the host I/O bus via the SATA interface connector SFF-8784.StableTrac™ – The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilise platters for accurate tracking during read and write operations which enables consistently higher performance.Dual Stage Actuator – Leading-edge enterprise dual stage actuators provide two actuators that improve positional accuracy over the data track(s). The primary actuator provides coarse displacement using conventional electromagnetic actuator principles. The secondary actuator uses piezoelectric motion to fine tune the head positioning to a higher degree of accuracy.Price and AvailabilityShipping today to select industrial distributors and OEM customers in 500 GB capacities, WD Blue 2.5-inch 5 mm hard drives, (model: WD5000MPCK) has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of AU $99.00 and NZ $129.00. WD Blue 2.5-inch 5 mm hard drives are covered by a two-year limited warranty. WD Black SSHD versions are currently shipping to OEM’s and integrators with both WD proprietary hybrid technology and industry standard SATA I/O technology. More information on WD Blue 2.5-inch 5 mm hard drives may be found on the company's website at http://www.wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=800#tab11.About WDWD, a Western Digital company, is a long-time innovator and storage industry leader. As a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives and solid state drives. These drives are deployed by OEMs and integrators in desktop and mobile computers, enterprise computing systems, embedded systems and consumer electronics applications, as well as by the company in providing its own storage products. WD’s leading storage devices and systems, networking products, media players and software solutions empower people around the world to easily save, store, protect, share and experience their content on multiple devices. WD was established in 1970 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.wd.com.Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), Irvine, Calif., is a global provider of products and services that empower people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content. Its companies design and manufacture storage devices, networking equipment and home entertainment products under the WD, HGST and G-Technology brands. Visit the Investor section of the company's website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.Editor's NotesWD product photos: http://www.wdbrand.com Product information: http://www.wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=800#tab11Editorial review samples of WD Blue 5 mm hard drives may be requested via Gap Marketing and ManagementWestern Digital, WD, and the WD logo are registered trademarks in the U.S. and other countries; WD Blue, WD Black, StableTrac and NoTouch are trademarks of Western Digital Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Other marks may be mentioned herein that belong to other companies. All other brand and product names mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies. As used for storage capacity, one terabyte (TB) = one trillion bytes. Total accessible capacity varies depending on operating environment. As used for transfer rate or interface, gigabit per second (Gb/s) = one billion bits per second.

2013-05-01T00:01:53Z use-your-laptop-in-total-comfort-anywhere-with-the-notepal-u2-plus

Sydney, Australia – 30, April 2013 – Cooler Master, an award winning designer and manufacturer of computer, laptop and mobile devices, today introduces the NotePal U2 Plus.The NotePal U2 Plus is a compact laptop cooling pad and carry case all-in-one. The aluminum mesh and two fully adjustable fans cancel laptop heat at the source. Also, the NotePal U2 Plus can turn into a laptop carry case. The NotePal U2 Plus is ideal for anyone who travels with their laptop. Keep Any Laptop Cool and Running Smooth Heat is the enemy. It slows your laptop down to a crawl. Heat is generated by your laptops CPU. The NotePal U2 Plus is made from aluminum that spreads heat away from your laptop. Then two fans eliminate this heat. These two patented quick release fans can be adjusted to your specific laptops layout. Slim, Lightweight and Sturdy - A Perfectly fit.NotePal U2 Plus is made from a lightweight aluminum material that has been sand blast to a smooth surface. It’s clean, elegant and will fit in wherever you put it. Ease Laptop Neck, Wrist and Messy Wires PainNotePal U2 Plus has been ergonomically designed for a comfortable screen viewing position and typing angle. Two built-in cable management loops let you wrap excess cables around them, making your desk looks neat and clean.Transforms Into A Laptop Carry CasePlace your laptop inside the NotePal U2 Plus, attach the included safety belt, and ABRACADABRA! - it turns into a protective carrying case. Now you can use your laptop comfortably from anywhere. For laptops and Ultrabooks up to 17”.Pricing and AvailabilityManufacturer: Cooler MasterProduct Name: NotePal U2 PlusMSRP for NotePal U2 Plus: AU$ 29Website: http://www.coolermaster.com.auDistributors: Australia IT, Rectron, Direct Memory Access, and PB TechnologiesAvailability: NowAbout Cooler MasterCooler Master was founded to provide the best thermal solutions to our customers worldwide. Since its establishment more than two decades ago, we continue to invest in product development in order to provide leading-edge innovations to people and businesses. Cooler Master’s enclosure technology line-up includes heat sinks and fans, chassis, power supplies, function panels and accessories. Cooler Master has its headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, with global branch offices located in Europe, America and APAC, so that we can offer to our customers the best service in time. For more information on Cooler Master, please visit www.coolermaster.com.au.

2013-04-29T02:00:13Z amd-unleashes-the-world-s-fastest-graphics-card

Sydney Australia, — April 26, 2013 — AMD today launched the AMD Radeon™ HD 7990, the world’s fastest graphics card[i], designed for gamers who want to take their PC gaming experience to the highest level. Based on award-winning AMD Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture with AMD Eyefinity technology[ii], the AMD Radeon HD 7990 graphics card delivers unrivaled performance and world-class technology for playing the latest DirectX® 11 games in extreme resolutions and multi-monitor configurations.“If you crave the ultimate in PC gaming, the clear and commanding choice is the Radeon HD 7990 graphics card. No other graphics card on the market measures up to the unparalleled gaming experience it delivers, and it comes with eight AAA game titles optimized for AMD Radeon award-winning GCN architecture,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, Graphics Business Unit, AMD. “Once again, AMD shatters the industry benchmark for state-of-the-art graphics technology.”AMD underscored its commitment to offering the best PC gaming experience by introducing the AMD Radeon HD 7990 graphics card with a refreshed “Never Settle: Reloaded” AAA game bundle. In addition to “Crysis® 3,” “Bioshock® Infinite,” “Tomb Raider™” and four other titles, AMD is including the highly anticipated “Far Cry® 3: Blood Dragon” by Ubisoft®. This new title will also be offered as a thank-you gift to all previous “Never Settle: Reloaded” customers and will be loaded automatically onto existing redemption codes.“‘Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon’ is an all-out honest cyber shooter that doesn’t take itself too seriously. In a genre saturated with super-serious narrative and realistic settings we felt it was time to inject some good old fashioned robofun into it,” said Dean Evans, creative director, Ubisoft. “Ubisoft’s relationship with AMD’s Gaming Evolved program brings together today’s most sought-after titles in PC gaming with the most advanced graphics technology. With AMD Radeon technology, our top games – ‘Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon’ included – can be played with the quality and performance we intended.”Continued AMD innovations in graphics technology enables gaming enthusiasts to play the latest and most popular PC games at maximum settings: for instance “Tomb Raider” with TressFX Hair enabled, or the demanding “Crysis 3” in 4K resolution. Impressively, the AMD Radeon HD 7990 GPU was the graphics card of choice to showcase the Electronic Arts public unveiling of “Battlefield 4,” to be released in the fall of 2013.Key Features and Benefits of AMD Radeon™ HD 7990 Graphics Card· Ultimate in Speed: Combining two of the world’s most advanced GPUs with 6GB of GDDR5 memory, AMD Radeon HD 7990 is the world’s fastest graphics card;· More Screen, More Pixels: Supports up to six simultaneous displays with AMD Eyefinity technology and is the ideal graphics card for gaming on Ultra HD displays (4K resolution);· Silence is Golden: At 100% utilization, AMD Radeon HD 7990 GPU’s whisper-quiet triple-fan cooler is more silent than a typical library[iii].“Never Settle: Reloaded” is Now OverloadedWith the launch of AMD Radeon HD 7990 graphics card, AMD is offering the biggest free game bundle in history with a total of eight titles[iv]:· “Crysis 3”· “BioShock Infinite”· “Tomb Raider”· “DeusEx: Human Revolution™”· “Sleeping Dogs™”· “Hitman: Absolution™”· “Far Cry® 3”· “Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon”Pricing and AvailabilityManufacturer: AMDProduct Name: AMD Radeon HD 7990Recommended Retail Price: AU$1199 / NZ$1499Website: http://www.amd.comAvailability: Now Supporting Resources● AMD Radeon HD 7990 Graphics Card Product Page● AMD Radeon HD 7990 Graphics Card Launch Video● AMD Game Blog: “Unveiling the world’s fastest graphics card”● Become a fan of AMD Gaming on Facebook● Follow @AMDRadeon on TwitterAbout AMD AMD (NYSE: AMD) is a semiconductor design innovator leading the next era of vivid digital experiences with its groundbreaking AMD Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) that power a wide range of computing devices. AMD’s server computing products are focused on driving industry-leading cloud computing and virtualization environments. AMD’s superior graphics technologies are found in a variety of solutions ranging from game consoles, PCs to supercomputers. For more information, visit www.amd.com.AMD, the AMD Arrow logo and Radeon are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.[i] In tests by AMD as of 28 February, 2013, the AMD Radeon™ HD 7990 showed higher average performance than the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 690 in the 3DMark® Fire Strike Extreme (FS6407 vs. FS5316) and Crysis 3 (1080p & 1600p at all quality presets). System configuration: Intel® Core™ i7-3960X (3.30 GHz), MSI X79A-GD65, 16GB DDR3-1600 and Windows 8 x64. AMD Radeon™ HD 7990 evaluated with AMD Catalyst™ 13.2 Beta 6. NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 690 evaluated with NVIDIA® ForceWare™ 310.90 WHQL. GRDT-32[ii] AMD Eyefinity technology supports up to six DisplayPort monitors on an enabled graphics card. Supported display quantity, type and resolution varies by model and board design; confirm specifications with manufacturer before purchase. To enable more than two displays, DisplayPort™-ready monitors are strongly recommended. Maximum two active DisplayPort adapters supported. Additional hardware may be required; see www.amd.com/eyefinityfaq for full details.[iii] In tests by AMD, the noise level created by the AMD Radeon™ HD 7990 measured at 30.1 dBA (system idle) and 37.8 dBA (furmark). By comparison, a typical decibel level in a library is 40.0 dBA (“Comparative Examples of Noise Levels,” Industrial Noise Control, Inc.)[iv] Get Key Codes for free downloads of Deus Ex: Human Revolution™, Sleeping Dogs, Hitman Absolution™, Far Cry® 3, Far Cry® 3: Blood Dragon, Tomb Raider, BioShock Infinite and Crysis 3 PC Games accessed through the Steam®, EA Origin® and Uplay online gaming platforms when you buy an AMD Radeon™ HD 7990, Graphics Card from a participating retailer between April 16, 2013 and either October 1, 2013 or when supply of Key Codes is exhausted, whichever occurs first. Key Codes must be used by October 22, 2013, after which the Key Codes are void. LIMIT: One (1) free Key Code per game (8 total Key Codes) per person. Internet connection required. Internet connection fees may apply. You must be 17+ to redeem this offer. Offer is subject to geographical limitations. See www.amd.com/neversettlereloadedoffer for complete details. Void in any jurisdiction where prohibited.

2013-04-26T05:31:00Z -29

  Sydney, Australia, 23 April, 2013 – WD®, a Western Digital company, and a world leader in storage solutions for the connected life, today unveiled WD SmartWare™ Pro, an easy-to-use software tool that gives customers the power to back up their files to any USB external hard drive or the cloud using their personal Dropbox1. Additionally, in the event that a file is deleted, lost, or a previous version of a file is needed, WD SmartWare Pro makes it easy to quickly restore and retrieve backed-up data.WD SmartWare Pro is simple to set up with an intuitive installation interface that lets customers get up and running in just a few simple clicks. Once the software is setup and the drives are connected, WD SmartWare Pro visually presents customers' files and folders in a control center where they can manage multiple external hard drives and their Dropbox account. WD SmartWare Pro is compatible with WD products such as My Passport® and WD Elements™ portable hard drives, as well as external USB drives from other manufacturers. Additionally, WD SmartWare Pro works seamlessly with WD network attached storage drives such as My Book® Live™ .The software has two easy-to-use backup settings, allowing customers to set up their preferred file backup process. The "continuous backup" setting sets up an automatic, continuous backup that works quietly in the background so that whenever a customer adds or changes a file it is instantly backed up on the external drive. The "scheduled backup" setting allows customers to set up a regular pre-programmed backup schedule, including an hourly, daily or monthly setting for easy backup to their external drive or Dropbox. With WD SmartWare Pro customers can also back up files located in their Dropbox to an external hard drive.File restoration and retrieval is quick and easy with WD SmartWare Pro. If customers accidentally delete an important file or need to get an earlier version of a file, WD SmartWare Pro helps customers retrieve the file in seconds with the easy-to-use "retrieve interface" and the software can be configured to save up to 25 older versions of a file. Customers can navigate the retrieve interface to restore all the backed up files or select a particular file or folder to restore."The growth of digital content has continued to increase exponentially and our goal is to provide a simple and comprehensive way to ensure peace of mind that all of our content is safely backed up," said Jody Bradshaw, General Manager of WD's consumer storage solutions. "WD SmartWare Pro not only accomplishes secure backup of important photos, videos and files, but ultimately makes it easier to preserve precious digital memories."Price and AvailabilityWD SmartWare Pro is currently available as a free 30-day trial at the WD Store. After the 30-day trial a standard license, valid for use with up to three computers, is available or a special promotional price of AU$21.99 incl. GST. A premium license, valid for use with up to ten computers, is available for a special promotional price of AU$42.99 incl. GST. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is $31.99 incl. GST for the standard license and AU$53.99 incl. GST for the premium license.About WDWD, a Western Digital company, is a long-time innovator and storage industry leader. As a storage technology pacesetter, the company produces reliable, high-performance hard disk drives and solid state drives. These drives are deployed by OEMs and integrators in desktop and mobile computers, enterprise computing systems, embedded systems and consumer electronics applications, as well as by the company in providing its own storage products. WD’s leading storage devices and systems, networking products, media players and software solutions empower people around the world to easily save, store, protect, share and experience their content on multiple devices. WD was established in 1970 and is headquartered in Irvine, California. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.wd.com.Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC), Irvine, Calif., is a global provider of products and services that empower people to create, manage, experience and preserve digital content. Its companies design and manufacture storage devices, networking equipment and home entertainment products under the WD, HGST and G-Technology brands. Visit the Investor section of the company's website (www.westerndigital.com) to access a variety of financial and investor information.

2013-04-19T04:21:42Z cooler-master-announces-n-series-new-mainstream-cases

Sydney, Australia - 19 Apr, 2013 – Cooler Master, an industry leading PC component manufacturer today announces the N series, a brand new series of compact mainstream cases. The N series brings liquid cooling support up to 240mm radiators and improved air cooling performance wrapped in subtle and simplistic designs.N300 N500Compact - Simplistic – CoolN series cases were designed with cooling performance in mind, especially liquid cooling. The full mesh front panels and a large amount of vents all over let air stream through the case with ease. The N300 supports up to 8 fans, including a 120mm vent on the all important side panel to keep high-end VGAs fed with fresh air, and support for two 120mm fans or one 240mm radiator on top of the case. The N500 supports up to 9 fans, adding a second 120mm slot to the side panel, and extends to top mounted vents to dual 140mm vents, including support for 240mm radiators.HD7990 ready - Plenty HDD and SSD slotsDespite the compact designs, there’s plenty of room to install extra long graphics cards, several ODDs, HDDs and SSDs, and still have space to route and hide cables. The N300 supports up to 320mm long VGAs and has a maximum capacity of 2 ODDs, 8 HDDs and an additional SSD slot. Thanks to its height the N500 supports 3 ODDs. It makes away with half the HDD slots to provide a direct stream of fresh air from the front panel to the VGAs. This also allows it supports over 400mm long VGAs and makes room for a dedicated tool-less SSD cage for 3 SSDs. N500Modular Side Panel and Front IOBoth the N300 and N500 are available in 4 configurations – with or without a windowed side panel, and with two USB 3.0 ports (N2 edition) or with a single USB 3.0 port and two USB 2.0 ports (N1 edition). USB 3.0 Super Speed enables up to 10x faster file transfers and full speed charging of mobile phones (~1A). N300Pricing and AvailabilityManufacturer: Cooler Master Product Name MSRP(case only) Availability N300 AU$ 49.99 Middle of April N500 AU$ 74.99 The 1st week of MayWebsite: http://www.coolermaster.com.au Distributors: Australia IT, Rectron, Direct Memory Access, and PB TechnologiesAbout Cooler MasterCooler Master was founded to provide the best thermal solutions to our customers worldwide. Since its establishment two decades ago, we continue to invest in product development in order to provide the leading-edge innovations to people and businesses. Cooler Master’s enclosure technology line-up includes heat sinks and fans, chassis, power supplies, function panels and accessories. Cooler Master has its headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, with global branch offices located in Europe, America and APAC, so that we can offer to our customers the best service in time. For more information on Cooler Master, please visit www.coolermaster.com.au and http://www.facebook.com/coolermaster

2013-04-18T01:21:09Z introducing-the-new-cpu-cooler-of-tpc-series-tpc-612

Sydney, Australia – 16 April, 2013 – Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution, peripheral, and accessory manufacturer today adds to its line of industry firsts in CPU cooling, the TPC 612. TPC 812 began the vertical vapor chamber trend and showed the potential of the technology. With the TPC 612, the performance of vertical vapor chamber is opened up for builders of all levels. Two Great Technologies in OneCombining heat pipe and vertical vapor chamber technology into a single powerful solution, TPC 612 has been engineered from the ground up to handle large heat loads that are generated by the most demanding applications and overclocking. A 100% pure polished copper base combined with improved soldering techniques and four 6mm heat pipes further increase its thermal transfer capabilities. A special heatsink fin design coupled with an improved fan mounting system and air pressure optimising design all make the TPC 612 a great performing CPU cooler. An eye towards compatibility during design ensures that the TPC 612 and its slim profile provide clearance for various RAM modules that have tall heat spreaders.SpecificationsCPU Socket Intel® LGA 2011/1366/1156/1155/775AMD FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2Dimensions 145 x 97 x 161.6 mm (5.7 x 3.8 x 6.4 inch) Heat Sink Dimensions 134 x 85 x 161.6 mm (5.3 x 3.4x 6.4 inch) Heat Sink Material Copper Base / 2 Vapor Chambers4 Heatpipes / Aluminum FinsHeat Sink Weight 640g (1.72 lbs) Heat Pipe Dimensions Ø6mm Fan Dimensions 120 x 120 x 25mm (4.7 x 4.7 x 1 in) Fan Speed 600 ~ 2,000 RPM (PWM) ± 10% Fan Air Flow 24.9 ~ 82.9 CFM ± 10% Fan Air Pressure 0.3 ~ 2.7 mm H2O ± 10% Fan Life Expectancy 40,000 hrs Noise Level 9 ~ 36 dBA Bearing Type Rifle Bearing Connector 4-Pin Fan Weight 122g (0.33 lbs) Weight 762g (2.05 lbs) Pricing and AvailabilityManufacturer: Cooler MasterProduct Name: TPC 612MSRP for TPC 612: AU$ 69Website: http://www.coolermaster.com.auDistributors: Australia IT, Rectron, Direct Memory Access, and PB Technologies Availability: NowAbout Cooler MasterCooler Master was founded to provide the best thermal solutions to our customers worldwide. Since its establishment two decades ago, we continue to invest in product development in order to provide the leading-edge innovations to people and businesses. Cooler Master’s enclosure technology line-up includes heat sinks and fans, chassis, power supplies, function panels and accessories. Cooler Master has its headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan, with global branch offices located in Europe, America and APAC, so that we can offer to our customers the best service in time. For more information on Cooler Master, please visit www.coolermaster.com.au and http://www.facebook.com/coolermaster

2013-04-12T01:24:57Z aoc-21-9-cinema-monitor-q2963pm

Sydney, Australia, 9th April 2013 – Global LED monitor manufacturer AOC (“Art of Colours”) proudly announces the launch of its first 21:9 aspect ratio Cinema Monitor Q2963PM, a 29” screen designed for incredible cinema-wide viewing experience. With AOC 21:9 Cinema Monitor Q2963PM with AH-IPS Panel, you no longer have to tolerate black bars when watching movies. The perfect colour display is complemented by 3W stereo speakers for better sound quality and MHL compatibility for better connectivity with smart phone devices. AOC Q2963PM is a realization of the long-awaited comprehensive cinema concept.Ultra-Wide Cinema Viewing Experience with Enhanced ProductivityThe 21:9 aspect ratio (WFHD) of AOC Q2963PM offers you a widescreen movie viewing experience with no top and bottom black bars. Not only does AOC Q2963PM bring you an amazing new entertainment experience, it also enhances productivity because users can view more windows simultaneously across the screen. With Screen+ software, you can enjoy a Multi Task Worktable — the desktop splits into up to 4 adjacent panes, each displaying a different application window. The monitor supports the latest DisplayPort input, and you can even interconnect multiple displays to create a daisy-chain configuration. Well equipped with PIP (Picture in Picture) and PBP (Picture by Picture) functions, AOC Q2963PM allows users to view different sources of display at once, further expanding its multitasking potential for highly productive work.Easy Sharing of Content with Family and FriendsIf you ever find your smart phone or tablet inadequate for watching movies or playing games, AOC Q2963PM will be your ideal choice. MHL input allows easy sharing of video, audio and websites from mobile devices to the large 21:9 screen, maximising your entertainment pleasure. The MHL port is compatible with most smart phones worldwide, and can even charge your portable devices.An Elegant, Space-Saving Addition to Your Home or OfficeAOC Q2963PM sports a thin profile wrapped by an ultra slim bezel. Featuring a titanium finish, AOC Q2963PM will be a welcome addition to your home or office, saving desk space while decorating the interior.Pricing and AvailabilityManufacturer: AOCProduct Name: Q2963PM Cinema MonitorRecommended Retail Price: AU$549 / NZ$729Australian Distributors: Altech Computers, Compucon Computers New Zealand Distributors: Altech Computers, Dove Electronics, Ingram Micro New ZealandWebsite: http://www.aoc.com/anzAvailability: NowWarranty: 3 years, onsite pick up & drop offAOC Australia Service Centre: 1300 262 669 AOC New Zealand Service Centre: 0800 426 677About AOC:AOC is the world’s top brand in offering the best value CRT & LCD monitors and LCD TVs. Backed by over six decades of electronic manufacturing experience, AOC embraces technical innovation, quality production, and world-acclaimed design along with environmental and ergonomic features. Around the globe, AOC has been praised with numerous awards, among many others the renowned red dot design award, and excellent reviews for its first-class products. Equipped with a strong and comprehensive product platform, AOC is ranked No. 1 by volume in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) (Source: IDC AP non-bundled PC Monitor Tracker Q4 2010).For more information about AOC and its products, please visit www.aoc.com

2013-04-08T06:03:17Z sapphire-launches-amd-based-graphics-accelerator-for-mac-pro

Sydney, Australia, 04 April 2013 - SAPPHIRE Technology, the leading manufacturer and global supplier of graphics solutions based on AMD technology, has just announced an exciting new graphics accelerator compatible with the Apple Mac Pro series of desktop computers. Exclusive to SAPPHIRE, the HD 7950 Mac Edition is based on AMD’s latest Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture. This highly acclaimed architecture delivers a significant graphics performance boost for Mac Pro users in a wide range of applications including gaming, audio or video editing and content creation. For example, gaming frame rates are increased by over 200%, general benchmark performance increased by around 30% and graphics intensive benchmarks increased by as much as 300% compared with the NV 8800GT commonly used in these machines, (see accompanying table).The SAPPHIRE HD 7950 Mac Edition is equipped with 3GB of the latest GDDR5 memory, and its Dual Asynchronous Compute Engines (ACE) deliver up to 2.87 TFLOPS Single Precision compute power. It provides hardware support for Open GL 4.2 and Open CL 1.2 as well as AMD HD3D technology and APP acceleration. AMD’s GCN architecture supports a number of advanced post-processing and scaling operations. These include de-blocking, de-noising, automatic de-interlacing, Mosquito noise reduction and edge enhancement as well as advanced image quality enhancement technology, such as adaptive anti-aliasing and 16x angle independent anisotropic texture filtering. The SAPPHIRE HD 7950 Mac Edition features AMD PowerPlay technology which provides automatic power management during operation and ensures low power consumption under idle conditions.Flexible display supportCutting-edge integrated display support includes two mini DisplayPort outputs with a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 per display under MacOS X. The card also features a 3GHz HDMI 1.4a port. This output also supports a maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160. Finally, there is a Dual-link DVI port with HDCP, which supports a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1600. As this is a DVI-I port, it can also be used with the older style VGA monitors, with adapter supplied. The card supports two display outputs to be used at the same time, allowing dual monitor configurations to be used for increased productivity.The SAPPHIRE HD 7950 Mac Edition is compatible with Apple Mac Pro models from 2010 and later with an available PCI-Express x 16 slot. Two six-pin power cables required are supplied with the card. A driver disk is provided which enables the card to be used with Mac OS X 10.7.5 (Lion), 10.8.2 (Mountain Lion) or later. The SAPPHIRE HD 7950 Mac Edition can also be used in the latest PC architectures. It has Dual Firmware support via a simple Firmware (Dual BIOS) switch. In one position the Sapphire HD 7950 MAC Edition supports Mac OS X/Windows under non-UEFI compliant mode and in the other it supports Windows with UEFI hybrid firmware enabled. A Windows driver disk is also included.Under Windows, additional features are supported, including hardware acceleration of video decoding, HDMI audio pass through and additional display resolutions.All trademarks acknowledged.Comparison testing – SAPPHIRE internal dataBenchmark / Game Measure Generic 8800GT SAPPHIRE HD 7950 Percentage Gain Novabench Score 213 463 117% Xbench Score 296.7 381.3 29% Cinebench Frame rate 24.54 33.02 35% Heaven Score 415 1630 293% Heaven Frame rate 16.5 64.7 292% Portal Frame rate 130 490 277% COD Frame rate 15 49 227%*medium game playPrice and AvailabilityManufacturer: SAPPHIREProduct Name: SAPPHIRE HD 7950 Mac EditionRRP: AU$599.00 NZ$699.00Australia Distributors: AltechNew Zealand Distributor: PB TechAvailability: NowWebsite: www.sapphiretech.com

2013-04-08T00:03:39Z denon-expands-its-family-of-lifestyle-products-with-the-new-ceol-amp-ceol-piccolo-network-music-systems

Sydney, Australia, 03 April 2013 - Denon, a premier manufacturer of high-quality home entertainment components, is making it easier than ever for consumers to enjoy all their favourite music “anywhere, anytime” with the debut of the wireless CEOL & CEOL piccolo Network Music Systems. Featuring built-in Wi-Fi, the compact and stylish new CEOL & CEOL piccolo network music systems provide easy access to all of today’s most popular digital music content. They feature Apple’s Airplay1, which lets users stream iTunes music, whether from a Mac or PC, as well as directly from their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Both systems are available in sumptuous black and stunning white finishes and come with a full array of connectivity options for a truly satisfying musical experience. Both models share the same internal components and precision audio decoders with the only differences between the two models coming from connection options, size and feature set. CEOL or CEOL piccolo?The CEOL is comprised of two components, the RCD-N8 core unit and the SC-N8 speakers. The larger and more feature rich of the two models, the CEOL features an integrated CD player which can play music from CDs and also read MP3 and WMA format music from CD-R/RW discs. It comes with a bevy of connection options including two analogue inputs, a digital optical connector, Subwoofer output, USB input, an Ethernet port, FM Tuner antenna and the iPod dock connector. It also has a headphone port on the front of the device together with an input for direct playback from portable music players via a 3.5mm jack.The CEOL piccolo has a smaller footprint with a smaller base unit and speakers - the name piccolo is Italian for small. It has all the same core components as its larger sibling but has no CD player or front portable music port. It has the same iPod dock and similar rear connection options including a digital optical connector, an analogue input, Subwoofer output, USB input, an Ethernet port, FM Tuner antenna and the iPod dock connector.Both models are capable of Gapless playback, removing any pause between music tracks - a particularly excellent feature for those that listen to classical music but also important for music lovers of all genres. Both models also have integrated Wi-Fi, and are able to enter a low power consumption state in standby mode. Music Never Sounded Better – Total Connectivity and Ease-of-Use!The CEOL-Family of Network Music Systems are ideal for use as either a desktop or tabletop music system, as well as an easy and seamless way to upgrade the audio performance of today’s flat-panel TVs, the system additionally offers built-in WiFi connectivity. The main unit of each system features a powerful 65W + 65W audio amplifier that is easily able to deliver dynamic sound to fill virtually any room. With its wireless music access and streaming capabilities, the system maximises the benefits of today’s content-rich music environment, providing access to popular internet-borne content, such as thousands of internet radio stations. Adding to its extensive music content capabilities, the Denon CEOL-family also features built-in access to the award-winning Spotify digital music service. CEOL owners who have a Spotify Premium subscription will be able to bring a nearly unlimited number of songs into their homes.Each system’s built-in music dock is iPod and iPhone (30-pin) compatible, and features an automatic recharge function that charges the docked device when in use, and even continues to recharge the device when in standby mode. To save energy – and money – once the device is fully charged, the unit then enters the lowest power standby mode that draws less than one third of a watt. In addition, an easily accessible front panel USB port lets users connect their USB memory devices directly. For maximum audio quality and rich, immersive music, the precision audio decoder supports high resolution files up to 192 kHz/24 bit, including WAV and FLAC file types. The newly designed remote control allows easy operation, and both units can also be controlled with an Android smartphone or tablet, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch via “Denon Remote App”.Enjoy More Digital Content – and Even Better Sounding TVAdding even more flexibility in music sourcing, the CEOL-family features an optical digital audio input for connecting a variety of digital devices, including flat-panel TV sets, Blu-ray players, cable or satellite TV tuners. This capability will be especially welcomed by TV owners who want to dramatically step up the audio performance of their TV experience. When the TV is connected via the optical digital input, the TV’s audio signal is passed through the superior audio circuitry inside, bringing full, dynamic sound to all TV programming, as well as games and movies. Additional connectivity options include a stereo audio line input. There’s also an RJ-45 port for direct connection to your local area network, along with a subwoofer output. The USB port on the front panel lets users connect their USB memory devices directly, and it also features the automatic recharging function. Matching Speakers Expand and Enhance CEOL piccolo Experience The matching speakers deliver a stunning full range musical experience, with response extending all the way out to 20kHz for optimum reproduction of high resolution music tracks, and the system includes a special contour function that tailors the sound quality to match the characteristics of the speakers.For more information, visit http://www.denon.com.auPricing and Availability for CEOL Family Models Colours RRP (Inc GST) Availability CEOL RCD-N8 / SC-N8 (Black or White) AUD$999 NZD$1,399 Now CEOL piccolo DRA-N5 / SC-N5 (Black or White) AUD$799 NZD$1,099 Now The new Denon CEOL-Family is distributed in Australia and New Zealand by Audio Products GroupFor more information on the CEOL Family, visit http://www.denon.com.auD+M Group D+M Group is a global operating company providing worldwide management and distribution platforms for premium consumer, automotive, commercial and professional audio and video businesses including Denon, Marantz, , Boston Acoustics, Calrec Audio, Denon DJ, Allen & Heath, D+M Professional and D+M Premium Sound Solutions. Our technologies improve the quality of any audio and visual experience. All product and brand names with a trademark symbol are trademarks or registered trademarks of D+M Group or its subsidiaries.

2013-04-02T01:51:20Z brother-wins-two-prestigious-buyers-laboratory-pick-awards

Sydney, Australia - 27 March 2013 – Brother International, a leader in home and business IT space with a strong commitment to the ‘Customer-First’ approach, has this year won 2 of the prestigious Winter 2013 Buyers Laboratory Inc.(BLI) Awards. The MFC-8950DW was the pick for Outstanding A4 Monochrome MFP for Small Workgroups because of its high-speed output and robust reliability in even the most demanding environments with the second award going to Brothers new HL-S7000DN for Outstanding Achievement in Innovation. A colour touch screen and Web Connect has helped the Brother MFC-8950DW earn BLI’s “Pick” award in the small workgroup monochrome MFP category. “In spite of its low price tag, the MFC-8950 includes a robust feature set, with standard fax and wireless interface,” said Lynn Nannariello, BLI’s assistant managing editor. “Adding even more value is the full-featured scanning, support for printing from mobile devices via AirPrint and Brother’s iPrint&Scan app, and a touch screen display that features Web Connect, which lets users access Google Docs, Evernote and Dropbox accounts right at the panel.”“Brother is delighted to have received this recognition from BLI for the MFC-8950DW in the Outstanding A4 Monochrome MFP for Small Workgroups category” commented Kelly Wilson, Brand and Marketing Manager at Brother International Australia. “Passing BLI’s rigorous battery of tests with flying colours is a vindication of our strategy of providing customers with products that are proven to be reliable and productive.”“The HL-S7000DN is a new breed of inkjet printer engineered by Brother that offers high speed and a low running cost,” said head of BLI’s European Research and Lab Services David Sweetnam. “The HL-S7000DN has a class-leading 100-ppm simplex engine speed and 50-ppm duplex speed. In lab testing, it proved to have the fastest speeds of any departmental monochrome printer tested.”“Brother is greatly honoured to have received this award in innovation for the HL-S7000DN” commented Kelly Wilson, Brand and Marketing Manager Brother International Australia. “This product represents a major leap forward in the workgroup printer category and utilises a page wide print head to deliver breakthrough print speeds combined with low power consumption. We are delighted that the product has performed so well on BLI’s stringent reliability and productivity tests.” “Brother strives to constantly develop and introduce new technology into the product range to enable consumers to experience convenience and efficiency anywhere” said Ms Wilson.The Brother MFC-8950DW is the ultimate workgroup Performer offering high-speed output and robust reliability in even the most demanding environments.• Print / Copy / Scan / Fax• High-speed output at up to 40ppm• 2-Sided (duplex) print, scan, copy and fax• Wired and wireless network capability• 1,200 x 1,200dpi resolution• 550-Sheet standard paper capacity• First page out in less than 8.5 seconds• Up to 12,000¹ page high-yield toner cartridges The NEW Brother HL-S7000DN is the dependable productivity partner offering high print speeds of up to 100ppm, 2-sided printing and wireless network capability making it perfect for any business environment. Product specification will be released soon and the anticipated model is due for launch in Australia mid this year.Pricing, availability, warranty and supportProduct features and RRP:Model RRP PPM* 2-Sided Network Wireless Toner MFC-8950DW^ $1199 40ppm Y Y Y TN-3310/3340/3360 HL-S7000DN TBC 100ppm Y Y Y TBC^ Available from selected authorised partners only * A4 Plain paper in fast modeWarranty: 1 year return to base (RTB). For Brother’s warranty statement click here Website: www.brother.com.au Where to buy: Products featured are available from authorised Brother retailers and distributors nationally.Availability: The MFC-8950DW is in-store now. The launch date of the HL-S7000DN in Australia is yet to be announced About Brother International (Aust) Pty Ltd With over 100 years in operation, Brother International is a leading global manufacturer of laser printers, label printers, Multi-Function Centres®, fax machines, P-touch electronic labellers, typewriters and sewing machines. A specialist in its product lines, Brother combines customer satisfaction and comprehensive measures for environmental conservation, to manufacture innovative, reliable and practical products to enhance the consumer's lifestyle.Brother Australia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brother Industries, which was founded in 1908 in Japan. Brother Australia was established in 1977, with a head office located in Sydney and State offices located in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.About Buyers LaboratoryFor 50 years, Buyers Lab (BLI) has been the leading independent office-equipment testing lab and business consumer advocate. In addition to publishing the industry’s most comprehensive and accurate test reports on office document imaging devices, each representing months of exhaustive hands-on testing in BLI’s US and UK laboratories, the company has been the leading source of competitive intelligence for industry professionals on copiers, printers, fax machines, scanners, duplicators, wide-format devices and multifunctional products. The company’s databases cover over 13,000 products globally and have a long-standing reputation for being the industry’s most trustworthy and complete source for specifications and side-by-side comparisons, all of which are available as part of bliQ, BLI’s web-based encyclopaedic resource. Subscribers also have access to BLI’s renowned Lab Test Reports, First Look Reports, Solutions Reports, Environmental Reports, news articles and a complete library of manufacturer’s product literature, as well as valuable tools including a Product Configurator and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator.Buyers Lab also provides business consumers with How-To-Guides, a Needs Assessment Wizard and Free Vendor Quotes via its Buyers Lab Advisor website, as well as independent purchasing advice and consulting from its Buyers Alliance procurement experts. Business consumers and manufacturers can also select from a vast array of confidential for-hire private testing services that include document imaging device beta and pre-launch testing, performance certification testing, consumables testing (such as toner, ink and photoconductors) and software solutions and print media testing (including virgin and recycled papers).For more information on Buyers Laboratory visit www.buyerslab.com, or e-mail loretta.pang@buyerslab.comBrother Earth Brother Earth is Brother’s commitment to play a part in building a society with better sustainable development. By clicking on the Brother Earth site you can determine how funds are allocated and play a part in contributing to a variety of global environmental protection activitiesvisit www.brotherearth.com