As rumored, all six Star Wars movies will be released together on Blu-ray in 2011 for the 35th anniversary of the release of A New Hope. George Lucas personally announced the set on stage at the Celebration V event, and showed off a deleted scene from Return of the Jedi that will be included (embedded after the break.) While the “highest picture and audio quality” and extensive special features are promised, what won’t make it to Blu-ray are the original versions of the movies; Lucas told the New York Times that only the special editions will be included, since restoring the original versions in high enough quality would cost too much. No word on price, release date or any plans to release the films individually, but if you can stand living in a world where Greedo shot first then this will certainly be on next year’s shopping list.

[Thanks, @thunsaker]

Continue reading George Lucas officially announces Star Wars on Blu-ray in 2011

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Panasonic introduces the new AG-HMC80 professional AVCCAM HD shoulder-mount camcorder that features both solid state DV as well as HD recording capabilities. The HMC80 features a professional 3-chip 3 Megapixel 3MOS imager for capturing 1920×1080p Full HD or 1280×720p AVCHD video and 10.6 Megapixel still images.

The AG-HMC80 uses MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 high profile encoding and offers four professional AVCCAM HD recording modes, including the highest-quality PH mode (average 21 Mbps/Max 24Mbps), the HA mode (approx.17 Mbps), the HG mode (approx.13 Mbps) and the extended recording HE mode (approx. 6 Mbps). It can also records standard-definition DV directly onto SD cards in the AVI Type 2 file format and offers squeeze, letter box and side crop options.

The Panasonic AG-HMC80 has a built-in stereo microphone. It supports SD/SDHC memory card up to 32GB and offers HDMI output, USB 2.0, composite output, analog component (BNC x 3) and IEEE 1394 output. HMC80 will be available in September for $2895.

[panasonic]

• Panasonic AVCCAM AG-HMC45U Professional Full HD Camcorder
• Panasonic AG-HMC40 Professional AVCCAM Camcorder
• Panasonic AVCCAM AG-3DA1 Full HD 3D Professional Camcorder
• Panasonic AG-AF100 Professional micro43 Camcorder
• Panasonic AG-HSC1U – First AVCHD Pro Camcorder

Nokia presents its new C5, a candybar style smartphone from its newly introduced Cseries. The C5 features a 2.2-inch LCD display, a 3.2 Megapixel camera with LED flash, video recording and Full Focus EDOF (extended depth of field) technology, a secondary camera for video calls, Bluetooth and microSD card slot.

The Nokia C5 sports integrated A-GPS receiver and comes with Ovi Map 3.0 pre-installed for turn-by-turn navigation. This new smartphone runs S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 and comes with applications for messaging and social networking, such as Nokia Messaging for email and IM, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube. C5 has built-in music and video player and offers 3.5mm jack.

Nokia C5 supports dual band WCDMA 900/2100 and quad-band GSM/EDGE networks. It is available in White and Warm Grey and will be released in Q2 2010 globally in Europe, Eurasia, SEAP, China and MEA.

Nokia also announced its new naming scheme:

Nokia naming conventions

C5GLOBAL – This morning’s announcement of the Nokia C5 completes what some of you may have picked up on over the last few months – a shift in Nokia’s device naming convention. There are now four series of devices – Nokia Cseries, Xseries, Eseries and Nseries. Whilst the latter two have been around for a while, and Xseries has been around since last year’s Nokia World, the latest addition of Cseries rounds off the complete set. What’s more, within each series of devices, we’re seeing a new range of numbers, from 1 to 9, each signifying the range of functionality on offer, and the approximate prices of the devices – 1 being the lowest and 9 being the highest.

Today’s announcement of the Nokia C5 joins its similarly named cousins of the Nokia X3 and Nokia X6, both of which were announced at Nokia World last year. As yet, we haven’t seen a similarly named E or N series device and of course, we won’t be commenting on when either of those might be happening.

This new naming convention is designed to make things easier for users, so they can quickly and easily work out where a device sits within the series and beyond that have a clearer idea of what each series does. Nseries remains the flagship and most advanced range of products. Xseries comes next and focuses on social entertainment. Eseries remains focussed on productivity and business whilst Cseries represents the core range of products.

Work on the new naming convention started way back in 2008, when extensive consumer research was done around the subject. The results of this research culminated in a new naming convention being created and first introduced late last year. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

[nokia][nokia]

• Nokia E55 Semi-QWERTY Candybar phone
• Nokia N81 and N82?
• Nokia E52 Business Smartphone
• Nokia E61i Smartphone
• Nokia N78 Smartphone

Solid State Drives (SSDs) are getting more and more popular these days for obvious reasons – after all, who doesn’t want superior data transfer speed as well as less bulk in their notebooks and netbooks? Well, Western Digital seems to be moving towards the SSD segment by rolling out their first consumer-oriented SSD in the form of the new WD SiliconEdge 2.5″ SSD family. For those who want speedy read and write speeds alongside high capacities, then they will be able to look forward to the WD SiliconEdge Blue SSD range, making it ideal for read-intensive applications requiring high performance and plug-and-play compatibility. More details are available right after the jump.

WD SiliconEdge Blue SSDs comes in a wide range of capacities, where it can hit a whopping 256GB – still a far cry from the highest capacity hard drives, but in the world of SSDs, this is king at the moment. You will find that the SiliconEdge Blue SSDs sport a native SATA 3.0 gigabits per second (Gb/s) interface with read speeds up to 250MB/s and write transfer rates up to 170 MB/s. Being fast and rugged, WD SiliconEdge Blue SSDs will be able to offer a noticeable acceleration in application performance as it delivers maximum tolerance for drops, shock and vibration along with silent and low-power operation. Sounds like the perfect addition to your new netbook, eh?

It is also interesting to note that the new WD SiliconEdge Blue product family has already passed WD’s extensive functional integrity testing procedures with flying colors. Basically, this means each WD SiliconEdge Blue SSD that comes out of the factory was already subjected to more than 250,000 hours of testing to ensure it meets the industry’s highest data integrity, reliability and compatibility standards. Capable of handling read-intensive client/consumer applications and write-intensive, 24/7 OEM applications with aplomb, WD’s new multi-level cell (MLC)-based SSDs boast patented and patent-pending technologies including advanced wear-leveling and error correction control, TRIM and NCQ (Native Command Queuing) command support. You will be able to pick up the 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models for $279, $529 and $999.

Netgear XAVB5001

Netgear launches the XAVB5001 Powerline AV 500 adapter kit and the XAVB5501 Powerline AV+ 500 Adapter Kit. Both designed to be compatible with the draft international IEEE P1901 powerline standard, the XAVB5001 and XAVB5501 provide faster transfer speeds for bandwidth-hungry applications such as lag-free Internet gaming, Voice over IP (VoIP), large file transfers to networked devices, and even simultaneous 1080p HD video streaming.

Netgear XAVB5501

Netgear’s new Powerline kits are compact and each of them comes with two adapaters. The two models are nearly identical, except the XAVB5501 includes integrated filtered power socket for “pass-through” capability.

Common Features:

• Among the highest throughput of any consumer networking product available, with 500 Mbps PHY rates and Gigabit link rates, enabling greater coverage for every home outlet and making every room HD-capable.
• Backwards compatibility with other HomePlug AV products from NETGEAR, as well as the millions of installed HomePlug AV-certified products from other vendors.
• Designed for compatibility with the draft IEEE P1901 global standard for high-speed powerline communications (http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1901/).
• Compliance with the stringent European Code of Conduct (CoC) on Energy Efficiency and the European Union’s Energy-using Products (EuP) Directive for low power, green energy operation.
• Ideal for use with Internet-connected devices that demand high bandwidth, such as the NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100), Elite (EVA9150) and Live (EVA2000) digital media players, Blu-ray players, TiVo, AppleTV, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, DVRs and network-enabled TVs.
• Multi-colored “pick-a-plug” LEDs indicate current network performance, so the customer can determine the strength of the powerline connection without having to look at a computer.
• Advanced energy management and standby capabilities provide wake-on-activity functionality to reduce overall energy usage.
• Prioritized Quality of Service (QoS).
• Simple “push-and-secure” functionality enables average users to easily install and secure the devices with 128-Bit AES encryption — no software configuration, no knowledge of networking, and no PC required, all with the push of a button.

[netgear]

• Netgear XAVB1004 Home Theater Internet Connection Kit
• NetGear MoCA MCAB1001 Coax-Ethernet Adapter
• D-Link DHP-303 PowerLine HD Ethernet Adapter Starter Kit
• Netgear WNHDB3004 Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit
• Belkin Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit

Norway
Norway won 23 medals, including nine gold, and became the first region to win 300 medals at winter events and to win 100 golds. The timeline shows approximate Olympics-related queries from Norway. Although interest was slow to start, it built and repeatedly peaked as Norwegians won in cross-country skiing events: individual (February 17), team (February 22), and men’s 50km (February 28); and biathlon events: individual (February 18) and men’s team (February 26).

Japan
Japanese athletes won silver and bronze medals in speed skating and figure skating — correspondingly, interest peaked on the days when those competitions took place. And although they ended the Games ranked eighth in the world, チーム青森 (“Team Aomori”) generated a lot of queries for カーリング (“curling”), カーリング チーム青森 (“Curling Team Aomori”), and team member 本橋麻里 (Mari Motohashi). Queries also peaked when snowboarder Kazuhiro Kokubo, who had previously caused controversy by wearing sloppy attire, competed in the men’s halfpipe event. The timeline also clearly shows the effect of television, with each day’s first peak representing the actual time of the event and the second, larger peak occurring in the evening.

Korea
Korean athletes won medals in speed skating, short-track speed skating — and one gold medal in Ladies’ Figure Skating by Kim Yu-Na. Queries such as 김연아 세계신기록 (“Yu world record”), 김연아 007 (“Yu 007″), and just plain 김연아 (“Kim Yu-Na”) increased an order of magnitude as Kim won the Ladies’ Short Program on February 23 and ended the Ladies’ Free Skating on February 25 with a new world record score of 228.56.

United States
Americans were interested in both the opening ceremonies and the unfortunate death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. The men’s free skating program on February 18, when Evan Lysacek won gold, drew many more searchers than the women’s skating program on February 25, in which there was no American medalist. Interest in the unexpectedly good performance of the USA men’s hockey team versus Canada (February 21) and against Switzerland (February 24) was exceeded by the exciting Canada v. USA final (February 28), which ended with a Canadian win in overtime. (Incidentally, the success of the men’s hockey team also led searchers to look for information about a historic USA win. Searches for Miracle on Ice peaked the day after the USA team beat the Canadian team in the preliminary rounds.) Much of the television coverage in the U.S. was tape-delayed; queries arrived during the events but typically peaked during the evening TV broadcasts.

Canada
Canada was not only the host — it also won the most gold medals of any region during any such games. Like the U.S., interest began with the opening ceremonies, and was dominated by men’s hockey queries, causing a huge spike during the gold-medal game on February 28 as well as smaller spikes for games against USA (February 21) and Russia (February 24). The final women’s hockey game against the U.S. on February 25 also caused a small bump in searches.

Canada took home the most gold medals, while the U.S. won the most medals overall. But where did Games-related searches dominate? To find out, we looked at the regions which had the highest percentage of Games-related searches out of all queries. Perhaps not surprisingly, Canadians were more than twice as likely to search for “Vancouver 2010″, “medal count,” or their favorite athletes as their southern neighbors, which were the second most likely to make Games-related queries. And although the Netherlands was not a leader in the medals count, its citizens’ Games-related query proportion was the third highest in the world.

And finally, the Games wouldn’t be the same without the stars — the athletes. The most searched-for individual gold medal-winning athletes were:
1. Shaun White (U.S. men’s halfpipe)
2. 김연아 (Kim Yu-Na; Korea ladies’ figure skating)
3. Lindsey Vonn (U.S. ladies’ downhill Alpine skiing)
4. Sven Kramer (Netherlands men’s 5000m speed skating)
5. Evan Lysacek (U.S. men’s figure skating)

We hope you had a great time watching — and searching for info about — the Games. We’ll see you again in a few years!

Posted by Jeffrey D. Oldham, Software Engineer

New Delhi, February 09, 2010: Digital technology leader, Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd. today announced aggressive plans to capture the Indian AC market. In line with its plans, Samsung has set up a new production line for Split ACs at its NOIDA facility. The new production line, with a capacity of 0.6 million units per annum, commenced production this week. The Company had begun manufacturing Split ACs at its Sriperumbudur facility in November 2009. The Sriperumbudur AC line also has a capacity of 0.6 million units per annum. Thus, Samsung India now has a total production capacity of 1.2 million units per annum for Split Air conditioners across its NOIDA and Sriperumbudur facilities.
Announcing the inauguration of the AC line at NOIDA, Mr. R Zutshi, Dy. Managing Director, Samsung South West Asia HQ said, “The AC business is a key growth engine for our Home Appliance business. The setting up of the new AC facility will provide a strong fillip to this business on account of world-class, superior quality production at this facility and better supply chain management leading to faster response to the market. While the NOIDA unit will cater to the AC market of the North and East, the Sriperumbudur facility will cater to the West and South markets. Stringent quality measures like Digital Inspection, Auto Outdoor performance and Noise test, Auto Charging Measuring test and Digital Brazing system etc. have been put into place to ensure world class quality production.”
Samsung also announced the launch of its S series ACs, incorporated with the world’s first S-UTRTM compressor, designed to provide stable operation during voltage fluctuations or the highest temperature. The motor of the compressor has been strengthened to provide reliable performance in extremely low voltage or at 54 degrees Celsius without an external stabiliser. In fact, the S Series ACs is stabiliser free, thus saving on space. Also Samsung’s S-UTR compressor has enhanced the capability of the protector to endure unstable electrical condition and improve the overall efficiency, so that the user can have fresh, cool air in any condition.
Aesthetically, the S series is ideal for your ultra modern lifestyle. The Touch of Colour (ToC) feature presents a colourfully vibrant front panel, while the AC’s gently rounded edges, makes it perfect for any contemporary décor. Furthermore, harmful substances in the air including microscopic viruses and unpleasant odors are eliminated with Samsung’s Anti-virus and unique Catechin and Deodourising twin filters.
Additional features such as Smart Saver, Biosleep and Comfort Care ensure that your environment stays at the most comfortable temperature with the usage of the least amount of energy, enabling over 30% reduction in the electricity bills. While the entire Samsung AC range is Star rated, eight of the newly launched models have a 5 Star rating. The 2010 S series Samsung Air-conditioners are available in five exciting colours – Black, Chocolate Brown, Cherry Wine, Copper Gold and Pearl White.
Supporting the expansion in product line up, the Company today also announced a unique and industry’s first in terms of service – the 1-1-1 Service Campaign for Air-conditioners. Within this campaign, the Company is committed to calling the customer back within 1-Hour of his complaint registration; 1-Day Call Closure would have a Service Personnel visit your home in a day of the complaint call. And the 1-Visit Solution would ensure that either the repair of the AC would be done on site or a standby AC provided if your AC is to be taken to a Service Centre.
“On the foundation of our state-of-the-art AC production lines, our top quality, world class S series Air-conditioners and our unique 1-1-1 Service campaign, we are confident of doubling our AC volumes this year. We expect Split ACs to contribute approximately 70% to our total AC sales this year,” stated Mr. Zutshi. The Company aims to sell a total of one million ACs this year, thereby garnering a market share of over 30% for 2010.
Samsung’s Split AC range comprises of 38 models, available across the five series of S-Crystal, S-Max, Crystal, Max and Neo-Forte. With capacities ranging from 0.8T to 2.0T, the series are priced between Rs. 16,490/- to Rs. 33,490/-. The Window AC range includes 12 models within 0.8T to 2.0T capacities, priced between Rs.10,290/- to Rs.21,490/-.The 0.8T Window AC model is a addition to the Samsung 2010 Window AC range, which also features a new grill design.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of seven independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognised as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

New Delhi, September 18, 2009: Digital technology leader, Samsung India today unveiled its new, highly innovative, compact camera range in the Indian market. These new compact devices are differentiated on account of their innovative features, groundbreaking technology, ease of use and design. Representing the next step in the evolution of the digital camera, the World First Samsung 2View Camera range represented by ST550 and ST500 give consumers a whole new approach to personal photography.

Delivering twice the fun of any other compact digital camera, Samsung’s innovative ST550 and ST500 truly put the photographer in the picture. The ST550 and ST500 feature Dual LCDs, with one LCD being on the front and another one, on the back. “Today’s new Digital camera range launch is an important milestone for Samsung, reinforcing our position as a leading innovator in the digital camera market and setting a new benchmark for digital camera technology,” states Mr. R. Zutshi, Deputy Managing Director, Samsung India Electronics Ltd.

Samsung ST550 and ST500
The Samsung ST550 and ST500 bring the latest in compact camera innovation to consumers with Dual LCD screens on the front and back, offering twice the fun of any camera and allowing the user to take photographs they simply couldn’t take before. The growing popularity of social networking sites has given rise to the self-portrait or profile picture with many consumers turning their digital camera on themselves to become the subject of their photo.

The 3.81cm (1.5) LCD now on the front of the ST550 and ST500 allows consumers to take these self-portraits and profile pictures with ease, showing the user exactly what the picture will look like, enabling the desired result every time. Incorporating a 8.89cm (3.5) wide, 1,152K resolution touch-screen LCD, the ST550 delivers one of the highest resolution screens available on a digital camera. Complementing this is a 12.2 mega-pixel CCD and 27mm wide-angle Schneider KREIZNACH lens with 4.6x optical zoom, allowing a wider shooting range from a shorter distance, and producing clear, clean images with balanced resolution from the centre of the image to the edges.

Another innovation found on the ST550 and ST500 is Samsung’s new powerful Smart Gesture User Interface (UI) with a built-in Gravity sensor. Once the camera is on, a simple tap on the front LCD turns it on and the camera is automatically set into self portrait mode with smile detection. This means if users want to take a self portrait, they only need to tap and smile and the picture will be taken automatically. Teamed with innovative Samsung technologies such as Smile Shot, Smart Face Recognition and Smart Auto, users are given the ability to take the perfect image with ease .While the ST550 is priced at Rs.24,990/- , the ST500 is priced at Rs.20,990/-

Samsung today also announced the launch of its advanced, Ultra Compact, High performance WB Series of Samsung Smart Cameras: WB5000, WB 1000 and WB550, all with a 12.2 Mega pixel camera resolution. The WB5000’s high-performance Schneider-KREUZNACH lens offers an impressive 24X optical zoom with a 26mm wide-angle focal length (35mm film equivalent focal range of 26mm-624mm), which can be used for shooting high-quality digital still images as well as recording 720p HD video in H.264 format.

“The versatility of the lens gives any user the ability to be prepared for just about any shooting scenario. Serious shooters will gravitate toward the WB5000’s aperture and shutter priority modes as well as full manual control and RAW support. For the entry-level shooter, Samsung’s Smart Auto takes simplicity to a new level, ensuring a great shot every time without having to be concerned about camera settings,” states Mr. Zutshi.

The WB5000 and WB1000 put high-definition video recording in the palm of users’ hands. The camera can record 720p HD video using H.264 compression, an advanced codec that allows users to record video for longer periods of time. For added versatility, users can zoom in and out while recording video, taking full advantage of both the camera’s 26mm/24mm wide-angle focal length and 24X optical zoom.

The WB Series 26mm wide‑angle lens(WB5000) and 24mm wide angle lens(WB1000 and WB550) is supported by Samsung’s Dual Image Stabilisation, which combines both optical and digital stabilisation to help reduce blur, especially when using the lens at its maximum zoom. The WB5000 and WB1000 provide aperture and shutter priority and a full manual shooting mode for those users looking to exercise more control over camera settings.

The WB5000 and WB1000 feature an easy-to-use Smart dial, which provides effortless navigation through the camera’s menu and simplifies the way users select various settings and review their images. An advanced shooting mode which analyses the current environment, Smart Auto in the WB Series automatically chooses from one of 11 optimised settings to produce the best possible image. After pictures are taken, users can easily search for a specific image they have saved on their memory card using the Smart Album feature. Smart Album automatically organises the user’s digital images and gives them the ability to narrow their search based on specific criteria such as the date or week the image was taken, the overall colour tone, portraits or specific file types, including photos, videos, or voice memos.

Samsung’s Perfect Portrait System, which includes Face Recognition, Face Detection, Smile Shot, Blink Detection and Samsung’s Beauty Shot, can also be found in the WB Series. While the WB5000 is available for Rs.29,000/-, the WB1000 is available for Rs. 25,990/- and the WB550 for Rs.17,990/- .

In its Point and Shoot Smart Cameras, Samsung has launched its Ultra Slim ST 45 with 12Mega Pixel camera resolution and 3X optical Zoom lens; Smart and Easy PL70 with 12MP resolution, 28mm Wide angle, 5X optical zoom; HD Movie recording and HDMI connectivity; PL 55 and PL51 that come with 12MP and 10MP Camera resolution along with 5X and 3X Zoom lens respectively. Some of the other features of the Point & Shoot camera range includes Digital image stabilisation; Face detection; Beauty Shot etc. While the PL70 is priced at Rs.15,990/-, the PL55 and PL51 are priced at Rs.11,990/- and Rs.10,990/- respectively.

In the Essential Series, Samsung has launched its 12MP, 3X/4X Optical zoom cameras, ES60, ES20 and ES17 in the Indian market .These simple, stylish digital cameras which come in multiple colour options are priced in the range between Rs.9,490/- to Rs.10,990/-.With the launch of the 12 new digital still cameras, Samsung now has a range of 15 Digital still cameras priced in the range between Rs.7,990/- to Rs.29,000/-. “Based on the launch of our new, advanced , digital still camera range and the channel expansion that we will be carrying out this Year, we are looking at a 45% jump in Digital Camera sales this year and expect to reach the Top 3 Slot in the Digital Camera Market in India by next year”, states Mr Zutshi. For the Festival period, the Company is giving a 4GB memory card, a camera pouch and Reebok Sunglasses free with all the new cameras being launched today.

About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of two business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognised as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

New Delhi, April 7, 2009: Digital technology leader, SAMSUNG India today announced the launch of the largest ‘5 Star’ rated refrigerator range, ‘Freshtech Ultima’ in the Indian market. “Given the growing environmental consciousness amongst consumers and SAMSUNG’s own initiative towards producing eco-friendly products, we have introduced seventy one ‘5 Star rated’ Frost-free and Direct Cool models in the Indian market” states Mr. R. Zutshi, Dy. Managing Director, SAMSUNG India. All these models are manufactured at SAMSUNG’s state-of-the-art-manufacturing facility at Noida. The 5 Star rating reflects the highest rating in terms of energy efficiency as awarded by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), making the SAMSUNG refrigerator range, the most energy efficient range in the country.

In addition to being 5 Star rated, the SAMSUNG Frost free ‘Freshtech Ultima’ refrigerator range is differentiated on account of its Cool Pack feature .The Cool Pack feature , earlier available only in the Freezer section, has now been introduced in the Refrigerator section also. The ‘Cool Pack’ feature was developed by the Company’s R&D team in India and SAMSUNG has in fact applied for a patent on this technology in India. The Cool Pack feature in both the Freezer and the refrigerator section, maintains coolness in both the sections during a power cut/failure and prevents food from melting or getting spoilt.

Some of the Premium models in the Frost free Freshtech Ultima range are equipped with an electronic panel whereby the Freezer temperature can be adjusted without opening the door. For saving energy when the refrigerator is not in use, these models have the ‘E-Saver’ mode, which when switched on, keeps the freezer running but turns off the fridge. A convenient ‘Door Alarm’ notifies the user in case the fridge or freezer door has been left open for more than 2 minutes.

The Freshtech Ultima range comes with an embossed cabinet that gives it an elegant finish, is scratch and rust resistant and is available in several new colour options like anemone black, chrysanthemum wine and ultra inox. “From a new , more comfortable handle design to features like toughened glass shelves, use of fire retardant wires, a compressor that withstands voltage fluctuation between 135V to 290V, we have customised our refrigerator range to better meet the needs of Indian customers” states Mr. Zutshi.

All the SAMSUNG frost-free Freshtech Ultima refrigerators come equipped with a unique Freshness Lamp which keeps fruits and vegetables naturally fresh for a longer period of time. The frost-free ‘Freshtech Ultima’ range comprises of 46 models in the 230 L ~ 345 L capacity segment, priced in the range between Rs.13,400/- ~ Rs.25,200/-.

SAMSUNG has also strengthened its 5 Star rated Direct Cool ‘Freshtech Ultima’ range by launching two new capacities: 190 L and 210 L in its portfolio. These new refrigerator models have a Diamond Cut Liner design. This design ensures that the cool air spreads widely in each section of the refrigerator and maintains optimum temperature for a longer period of time. As in the frost-free Freshtech Ultima range, the Direct Cool Freshtech Ultima range is available in new colour options with a new handle design. The Direct Cool Freshtech Ultima range comprises of 25 models in the price range between Rs.9,350 ~ Rs.14,000/-

“Based on our innovative new range introduction, our channel expansion and our new marketing campaign to support this range , we are looking at attaining a 26% market share in the refrigerator market in India by the end of the Year” states Mr. Zutshi. The Company is aiming at establishing its leadership in the frost-free refrigerator market this Year and hopes to achieve a 50% growth in its Frost free refrigerator sales this Year over its frost-free refrigerator sales in the Year 2008. The Company has set up a new refrigerator testing lab at its Noida Complex for stringent quality testing and research projects on refrigerators.

With the launch of its new Freshtech Ultima range, SAMSUNG now has a range of 96 models in its product portfolio priced in the range between Rs.9,350 ~ Rs.1,41,000/- including its hi-end, over 350 L frost free and Side by Side refrigerator models.

About SAMSUNG Electronics
SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2007 consolidated sales of US$105 billion. Employing approximately 150,000 people in 134 offices in 62 countries, the company consists of two main business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognised as one of the fastest growing global brands, SAMSUNG Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs.

New Delhi, August 7, 2007: Digital Technology leader, SAMSUNG India today announced the launch of a series of high tech, lifestyle oriented Home Theatre systems in the Indian market, redefining the concept of personal entertainment. The new range of stylish, award winning home theatres with cutting-edge technologies – HT-X250 , HT-X30, HT-TX25 and HT-Q20, have been launched in the Indian market today in the price range between Rs.10,990/- to Rs.29,000/-.

The highlight of the new Home Theatre range is the HT-X250 model that is differentiated as much on account of its ultra stylish design as its superior features like Wireless Ready Rear Channel System, Dual layout and USB Host playback. It allows a user to enjoy various media files such as pictures, movies and songs saved in an MP3 player, digital camera or USB memory by connecting the storage device to the USB port of the home theatre. The incorporated Progressive Scan technology offers non-interlaced images sent to the latest Digital Television receivers giving unparalleled image quality. This technology eliminates even the slightest hint of blur or distortion. The HT-X250, like all other models in the new range offers support for many audio and video formats including MP3, WMA, MPEG, DivX, JPEG and more. With its Dolby Digital®, Dolby Pro Logic® and DTS™ decoders, one can experience theatre like picture and sound quality.

The SAMSUNG HT-X250 Home Theatre System delivers up to 600 Watts of audio power through 5.1 channels. In addition, it offers HDMI technology which allows for transfer of video data from DVD receiver to TVs at highest quality enabling ultimate home entertainment experience. The HT-X250 has been bestowed with the CES Innovation Award-2007 on account of its impressive design and superior features and is priced at Rs 29,000/-.

The 2007 SAMSUNG Home Theatre range is differentiated on account of its advanced, consumer friendly features like Multi format playback- DivX , DVD-Video, MP3, WMA, JPEG Disc Playback and USB Host Play; Wireless ready rear channel system; enhanced sound output and Progressive Scan feature. The HT-X30 is a stunning combination of superior performance and affordability with its 800W PMPO Sound output, HDMI feature and USB Playback, priced at Rs 13,900/-. While the HT-TX25 with its stylish, 4 floor standing speakers is priced at Rs 19,900/-, the entry level HT –Q20 is priced at Rs 10,990/-.

“The 2007 Home Theatre lineup should further fuel the growth of our Home Theatre segment which is seeing a huge interest linked with the exponential growth being witnessed by the Flat Panel TV category.” states Mr R Zutshi, Dy MD, SAMSUNG India. “We are targeting a 70% growth in terms of our Home Theatre volumes this year”, states Mr Zutshi.

About SAMSUNG India
SAMSUNG India is a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd. (SEC) in India. SAMSUNG Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2006 parent company sales of US$63.4 billion and net income of US$8.5 billion. Employing approximately 138,000 people in 124 offices in 56 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognised as one of the fastest growing global brands, SAMSUNG Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs.

The new range of products is designed to inspire experiences for a New Home and Mobile Life. Products showcasing the New Home Life range include the 70″ LED LCD TV, the Duo Player, the first BD Home theatre system and the smallest colour laser printer. Products which highlight the New Mobile Life range include the 3″ compact video player and compact HD camcorders.

Focusing on customers who want to create their own lifestyle, Samsung is displaying its design driven products together with leading furniture companies such as Fritz Hansen of Denmark. The Samsung style zone offers differentiated lifestyle concepts ranging from Minimal Luxury, Retro Modern to Cultural Mix style.

Dr. Jong Woo Park, President of Samsung’s Digital Media Business said “Our innovative products reinforce Samsung’s technology and design leadership in the CE industry. Samsung will continue to launch innovative products bringing to consumers not only new lifestyles but also the best technology.”

At IFA 2007, visitors will be able to see and experience a broad portfolio of products for New Home Life and New Mobile Life. Highlights include:

•The new F9 series TVs (52″, 70″) with new LED Smart lighting technology, known as “local dimming”, delivering more vivid colours and ultra-sharp images.

•Samsung’s New Full HD TV F8 line with 100Hz MotionPLUS technology which eliminates blurring in fast moving pictures. The new lineup comes in elegantly styled glossy black bezel that boast soft, understated lines touched off by Samsung’s signature crystal clear glass trim, icy-blue lighting, and the uniquely sophisticated side switches.

•The BD-UP5000, Samsung’s first dual-format High-Definition (HD) optical disc player, supports both Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats as well as their interactive technologies, BD-Java and HDi. Consumers can now enjoy additional studio content such as trailers, director’s comments, more elaborate interactive menus and behind the scene footage in any format.

•The HT-BD2, home theatre solution with Blu-ray, offers full compatibility with 24 movie frames per second playback and 1,100 Watts of total output power to keep movie and audio fans satisfied with a sleek and sophisticated component system.

•The VP-HMX10C delivers the highest level of HDTV picture quality with a 2.7″ high resolution touch panel LCD screen and easy-to-use functions.

•Only 9.9 mm slim, the high-tech mp3 player YP-P2 showcases a high resolution 3″ widescreen with
Bluetooth 2.0 support.

•A monitor embedded with simple networking modules, the SyncMaster 220TN enables users to go online and make video calls when connected to LAN cable even without a PC.

•A slim, sleek and silent mono laser multifunction printer, the SCX-4500, exudes a sense of luxury while displaying a sense of sensibility.

Widely recognized for its excellence in digital technology, Samsung products were honored with 4 EISA awards: LCD TV (LE40R81B/86BD), HT system (HT-TXQ120), Design Camera (i70) and Mobile Phone (SGH-U700). All of Samsung’s EISA award winning products will be on display in the Samsung booth (Hall 20).

Please visit Samsung Electronics’ stand in Hall 20.

More information on Samsung at IFA 2007 is available at www.samsung.com/ifapress

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2006 parent company sales of US$63.4 billion and net income of US$8.5 billion. Employing approximately 138,000 people in 124 offices in 56 countries, the company consists of five main business units: Digital Media Business, LCD Business, Semiconductor Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Business. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs.

New Delhi, March 9, 2007: In keeping with its thrust on its LCD Monitor and Printer businesses, SAMSUNG India has re-christened its IT peripherals Division as SAMSUNG ‘Digital Imaging Solutions’ Business. The Company, which is targeting a 100% jump in LCD Monitor sales (by volume) and 50% jump in Printer sales this Year, today announced several new initiatives to strengthen its ‘Digital Imaging Solutions’ Business.

SAMSUNG today announced the launch of three new, advanced, feature rich, premium LCD Monitor series –Myst, Mendel and Mobius –in the 17″ to 22″ screen size segment in the Indian market. The Company today also announced strategic new distribution tie ups for its printers –with Lipi Data Systems Ltd. for distribution of select hi end network printers and with Kores for distribution of its consumables. SAMSUNG also enhanced its Multi Function Printer range by launching the World’s smallest Colour Laser MFP, CLX-3160 and its Digital Multi Function Printer, SCX-6345N.

Announcing the Company’s new initiatives, stated Mr. Sanjay Sharma, VP- Digital Imaging Solutions Business, SAMSUNG India, “Our strategy to grow our LCD business will be to create consumer awareness and encourage consumers to upgrade to LCD Monitors basis the technology and feature enhancements of the new range.” Thus, while the flagship ‘Myst’ series of LCD Monitors scores on account of its unique design – it comes with a soft minimal (bolt-less) design, with a New Ball Hinge mechanism –and offers a response time of 5ms and Contrast ratio of 700:1, the SAMSUNG Mendel series of LCD Monitors are optimised for Windows Vista software.

Available in 19″ (932 B), 20″ (206 BW) and 22″ (226 BW) screen sizes, the Mendel series have a 16:10 Wide Format, a soft minimalist design and a response time as low as 2ms. The estimated street prices for the ‘Myst’ series, available in 17″(732N) and 19″(932B) are Rs.13, 800/- and Rs.19, 800/- respectively. The estimated street prices for the ‘Mendel’ series would be Rs.22, 000/- for 931BW, Rs.26, 000/- for 206 BW and Rs.35, 000/- for 226 BW.

The SAMSUNG ‘Mobius’ LCD Monitor, available in 19″ (971P) is unique both on account of its design –it comes with a triple hinge stand –and its performance. It offers the World Best image quality and contrast ratio of 1500:1, supports 16.7 million colours and has a response time of 6ms. The estimated street price for ‘Mobius’ 971 P would be Rs.28, 000/-. “We expect our LCD Monitor sales to contribute around 38% by volume and 60% by value to our total monitor business this year. Monitors and Printers are our key growth drivers in this year”, states Mr. Harry Ahn, Vice President, Digital Imaging Solution Business, SAMSUNG India. With the introduction of the new LCD series, SAMSUNG has a range of 18 LCD Monitor models in the screen sizes between 17″ to 46″, priced in the range between Rs.8900/- to Rs 210000/-.

SAMSUNG India today also announced its growth strategy for its Printer Business. “One of the key strategies for achieving our targeted growths for our printer business this year is to expand our dedicated sales force for printers. Accordingly, we are expanding our sales and marketing teams fourfold in the first Quarter of this year” states Mr. Ahn. In addition to growing its Printer manpower, the Company is also going in for strategic distribution tie-ups to enhance its reach for Printers.

The Company has announced a strategic tie up with leading Printing and Automation Solutions Company, Lipi Data System Ltd., for the distribution of its hi-end network printers like ML-2571N, ML-3051 ND, ML-3561ND and ML-4551ND. “We will leverage Lipi Data Systems reach in the Government and Corporate channel for fully tapping these sectors” states Mr. Sharma. Lipi Data Systems will also function as an authorised service partner for the above range of SAMSUNG network printers.

SAMSUNG today also announced its tie up with Kores for the distribution of its Printer consumables. The addition of Kores stationary channel will provide SAMSUNG a strong reach in B & C Class cities as well as give access to small retail stores for Consumable Sales. With its expanded network printer range (ML-2571 N, ML-3051 ND, ML-4551 N) launched in the last quarter of 2006, SAMSUNG expects to tap the fast growing, high potential Corporate and SMB segment.

SAMSUNG today also strengthened its Colour Laser offering by launching its compact, first colour laser multifunction printer, CLX-3160 FN model in the Indian market. The compactness and versatility of this 4-in-1 CLX-3160 FN Printer (Print-Copy-Scan-Fax) makes it the ideal choice for SMB and small workgroup printing needs.

Following on from the CLP-300 series, SAMSUNG’s patented NO-NOIS TM technology in the CLX-3160FN model allows for a 30% reduction in size and a 33% reduction in weight over its competitors. The SAMSUNG CLX-3160 FN is the quietest printer in its class. SAMSUNG’s unique USB Direct functions will enable PC less scanning and printing by utilising USB Memory. Supporting PictBridge, an industry standard to connect digital imaging devices to printing devices, the CLX-3160 FN can quickly and easily print images in digital camera with a connection to the printer’s USB port. The estimated street price for CXL-3160FN is Rs.44, 990/-.

SAMSUNG today also announced the launch of its powerful monochrome multifunction laser printer, SCX-6345 N, designed specifically for small to medium sized offices. With an impressive printing and copying speed of 43 A4 pages per minute, duplex built in and the highest paper capacity in its class of upto 2180 sheets, the robust SCX-6345 N (Printer-Copier-Scanner-Fax) present a powerful one-stop multifunctional printing solution for today’s demanding office needs. The estimated street price for SCX-6345N is Rs.1, 29,990/-.

“In addition to growing our dedicated channel of printer stockists by around 25% this year, we also plan to tap new retail opportunities like Croma and Reliance retail for our printer business”, states Mr. Sharma.

New Delhi, December 19, 2007:
Digital technology leader, SAMSUNG India achieved a new milestone in terms of its CTV manufacturing operations in the country by producing the 10 millionth CTV at its Noida Colour Television facility today. The Company commenced the production of Colour televisions at the Noida CTV facility in June, 1997. The 10 Millionth set rolled out today is the 29” Slimfit TV model, 29Z30. Speaking on the occasion, stated Mr.S.H.Oh, Managing Director, SAMSUNG India Electronics Pvt. Ltd,”The production of the 10 millionth CTV set at the Noida CTV facility derives its significance not only from the sheer quantum of sets produced, but also from the fact that this facility enjoys the highest productivity and the lowest loss ratio amongst all SAMSUNG subsidiaries in the world”.

The Noida CTV line enjoys the lowest tact time of 4.9 seconds in the industry today. Tact time represents the time gap of 4.9 seconds between two SAMSUNG CTVs rolling out of the production line. At the time of commencement of production in June 1997, the tact time of the CTV line was 16 seconds, with the average daily production being around 1000 sets per day. Today, that figure has crossed 5500 sets per day (8 hours) average and the process loss time at the Factory is just 0.5%, again, the lowest in the world. The Tact time of the Noida CTV Facility is also the lowest amongst all SAMSUNG CTV manufacturing units in the world.

States Mr. Y. B. Yoo, Director – Manufacturing, SAMSUNG India, “We could achieve these milestones in productivity and quality by training our Factory manpower, successfully implementing the ‘Hanaro’ production concept – an amalgamation of Pro 3M, Six sigma and TPS system – as well as having a very robust suggestion system in place, whereby our line operators make suggestions for improving the productivity and quality of the CTV line.”

Each operator at the Noida CTV unit goes through minimum 185 hours of training in a year and currently, each operator is making an average of over 20 suggestions in a month. In the year 2007 total no of suggestion are 65000 nos.(suggestion means small small improvements). These contribute towards enhancing the productivity and improving the Quality of the Noida CTV Line.

The Noida CTV Plant, on account of being the World Best SAMSUNG CTV Facility, is today benchmarked by overseas SAMSUNG subsidiaries for its production and quality systems. In the Year 2007, over 100 representatives from SAMSUNG subsidiaries in China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran and Korea visited the SAMSUNG CTV facility for benchmarking the best practices followed at the CTV Production line as well as the LCD Cell line. SAMSUNG India production experts are sent to various SAMSUNG factories for improving their productivity and quality standards as well as upgrading their skill levels.

SAMSUNG India is also working with its vendors to improve their quality, productivity and reduce their process cost by eliminating the wastages in their production processes. Based on the consistent productivity and quality improvements at its Noida CTV Plant, the Company aims to produce 20 Million sets from the Noida facility by the Year 2010.

The SAMSUNG CTV Production line has a production capacity of 1.5 million units per annum per shift and manufactures Flat CTVs in the 15″ to 29″ screen size segment. The Company also manufactures LCD televisions at the Noida CTV Facility and enjoys a capacity of 0.5 million units for LCD TVs. This Year, from November’07, the Company has also commenced manufacturing Flat Colour televisions at its second CTV manufacturing facility at Chennai, which has a production capacity of 1.5 million units per annum per shift.

Pentax’s K-7 digital camera isn’t something that is new to the market, as it was released a while ago but the folks over at Japan decided that a splash of silver is always welcome, hence the Pentax K-7 Limited Silver edition digital camera. As with any device which falls under the limited edition category, you can be sure that quantities will be limited, and the same applies to the Pentax K-7. It will be limited to a mere 1,000 sets worldwide, so collectors as well as hobbyists who want something different or special might want to give this Limited Silver edition run a go, otherwise picking one up in the second hand market or on an online auction site is going to cost you much, much more sometime down the road. Let us take a look at this rehash of a summer 2009 digital camera in greater detail right after the jump.

This special-edition model isn’t just about cosmetic changes, as it comes with several features that distinguish it from the original black-colored Pentax K-7, where among it includes a silver-colored body and a “golden section ratio” focusing screen. The silver used is identical with the color of the high-performance FA Limited interchangeable lens series, a family of lenses which was specially designed to offer the highest level of image description. Apart from that, the K-7 Limited Silver also stands out from the crowd due to its color, and is the perfect stylistic match for any FA Limited-series lens. You get the SR (Shake Reduction) lettering in gold color located in the lower segment of the body, where it stands out against the black-colored, leather-like finish.

As for the exclusive “golden section ratio” focusing screen, this allows the photographer to swiftly and effortlessly compose a perfectly balanced image. Its LCD display on the camera’s back panel receives additional protection against knocks and scratches thanks to a reinforced glass plate that is highly shock- and scratch-resistant. Pentax has also made sure that its camera firmware has been upgraded to the latest version (Ver. 1.03), heping make the camera’s lens compensation function operable with the FA Limited-series lenses. No idea on pricing, but it should cost a premium over the regular K-7.

Press Release

Ubergizmo found this 2 days ago on prnewswire.com

Find more top gadget news, videos, and blogs on GadgetBlips: Computing, Toshiba

New Delhi, February 09, 2010: Digital technology leader, Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd. today announced aggressive plans to capture the Indian AC market. In line with its plans, Samsung has set up a new production line for Split ACs at its NOIDA facility. The new production line, with a capacity of 0.6 million units per annum, commenced production this week. The Company had begun manufacturing Split ACs at its Sriperumbudur facility in November 2009. The Sriperumbudur AC line also has a capacity of 0.6 million units per annum. Thus, Samsung India now has a total production capacity of 1.2 million units per annum for Split Air conditioners across its NOIDA and Sriperumbudur facilities.
Announcing the inauguration of the AC line at NOIDA, Mr. R Zutshi, Dy. Managing Director, Samsung South West Asia HQ said, “The AC business is a key growth engine for our Home Appliance business. The setting up of the new AC facility will provide a strong fillip to this business on account of world-class, superior quality production at this facility and better supply chain management leading to faster response to the market. While the NOIDA unit will cater to the AC market of the North and East, the Sriperumbudur facility will cater to the West and South markets. Stringent quality measures like Digital Inspection, Auto Outdoor performance and Noise test, Auto Charging Measuring test and Digital Brazing system etc. have been put into place to ensure world class quality production.”
Samsung also announced the launch of its S series ACs, incorporated with the world’s first S-UTRTM compressor, designed to provide stable operation during voltage fluctuations or the highest temperature. The motor of the compressor has been strengthened to provide reliable performance in extremely low voltage or at 54 degrees Celsius without an external stabiliser. In fact, the S Series ACs is stabiliser free, thus saving on space. Also Samsung’s S-UTR compressor has enhanced the capability of the protector to endure unstable electrical condition and improve the overall efficiency, so that the user can have fresh, cool air in any condition.
Aesthetically, the S series is ideal for your ultra modern lifestyle. The Touch of Colour (ToC) feature presents a colourfully vibrant front panel, while the AC’s gently rounded edges, makes it perfect for any contemporary décor. Furthermore, harmful substances in the air including microscopic viruses and unpleasant odors are eliminated with Samsung’s Anti-virus and unique Catechin and Deodourising twin filters.
Additional features such as Smart Saver, Biosleep and Comfort Care ensure that your environment stays at the most comfortable temperature with the usage of the least amount of energy, enabling over 30% reduction in the electricity bills. While the entire Samsung AC range is Star rated, eight of the newly launched models have a 5 Star rating. The 2010 S series Samsung Air-conditioners are available in five exciting colours – Black, Chocolate Brown, Cherry Wine, Copper Gold and Pearl White.
Supporting the expansion in product line up, the Company today also announced a unique and industry’s first in terms of service – the 1-1-1 Service Campaign for Air-conditioners. Within this campaign, the Company is committed to calling the customer back within 1-Hour of his complaint registration; 1-Day Call Closure would have a Service Personnel visit your home in a day of the complaint call. And the 1-Visit Solution would ensure that either the repair of the AC would be done on site or a standby AC provided if your AC is to be taken to a Service Centre.
“On the foundation of our state-of-the-art AC production lines, our top quality, world class S series Air-conditioners and our unique 1-1-1 Service campaign, we are confident of doubling our AC volumes this year. We expect Split ACs to contribute approximately 70% to our total AC sales this year,” stated Mr. Zutshi. The Company aims to sell a total of one million ACs this year, thereby garnering a market share of over 30% for 2010.
Samsung’s Split AC range comprises of 38 models, available across the five series of S-Crystal, S-Max, Crystal, Max and Neo-Forte. With capacities ranging from 0.8T to 2.0T, the series are priced between Rs. 16,490/- to Rs. 33,490/-. The Window AC range includes 12 models within 0.8T to 2.0T capacities, priced between Rs.10,290/- to Rs.21,490/-.The 0.8T Window AC model is a addition to the Samsung 2010 Window AC range, which also features a new grill design.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of seven independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognised as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD) is one of the pioneers in the industry to bring small form factor enterprise-class and mobile hard disk drives (HDDs) to the market, and they relied on their expertise by unveiling a new high-capacity, high-performance, power-efficient small form factor product line which will target enterprise applications. Capable of holding up to 600GB of storage space in its high end range, the new MBF family will represent the industry’s highest-capacity 2.5″ enterprise-class HDD which boasts Toshiba’s first enterprise-class self-encrypting drive (SED) offering. We will see more about it right after the jump before you come to a conclusion on whether you would want to make a purchase decision or not.

The new MBF series is capable of demonstrating the successful integration of Toshiba and Fujitsu’s HDD business last year, where it underlines Toshiba’s capability and commitment to consolidating their leadership in the enterprise segment. This series is more than capable of meeting the exacting standards of the enterprise market with 10,025 RPM spin speed and a 6Gb/s SAS interface which is great for action in mid-range volume servers, mainstream storage arrays, blade and rack-mount servers and other business-critical, power-conscious, data-intensive applications. Apart from that, Toshiba has not forgotten about being green, thanks to its inherent lower power consumption which reduces power consumption up to 28%, thanks to a new enhanced power condition state that allows the hard drive to spin at a lower RPM when it remains idle.

Selected models of the MBF series do come with an option of drive-based encryption that was specially designed to the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) Enterprise Security Subsystem Class specification. Basically, it means that you don’t have to worry (too much) about your data being hacked into, leaving you with peaceful nights of sweet slumber whenever you are away from work. The MBF product line will come in 300GB, 450GB and 600GB capacities as they ship in volume this April 2010, where samples are already available for design development.

Press Release

Does it seem to you that the world of pico projectors have remained largely stagnant in terms of technological advancement? We think so in some ways, but it is nice to know that companies have not ditched this niche market just yet – with Texas Instruments coming up with their latest nHD chipset as an addition to the DLP Pico suite. Just what can nHD deliver? For starters, it will enable the thinnest, smallest DLP Pico engines to date, where nHD production availability is tipped to commence from the second quarter of this year onwards, further expanding DLP’s commitment to achieving world-class performance while enabling projector technology to be embedded into smaller devices in a wider range of product categories.

As you can see in the image above, the nHD chip is really small, that when placed with countless grains of rice, it is of a slightly larger size. With such a physical dimension, we are excited to see just what other devices will be able to incorporate projector technology which will enhance our everyday lives – guess we will just have to leave that up to the imagination of those engineers who are able to realize such dreams. Apparently, Texas Instruments claim that this new nHD chipset will set new industry-leading benchmarks in pico projection by enabling products with the highest efficiency and brightness from the industry’s thinnest, smallest physical footprint. It can deliver stunning picture quality in a small, dynamite package – what is there not to like? Among the features of the new DLP Pico solution include :-

• nHD (640 x 360) resolution
• Enables leading contrast ratio of better than 1,000:1 for the blackest blacks and most accurate whites
• Enables true RGB LED wide color gamut for rich saturated colors
• Improved power efficiency and electronic footprint
• Incorporates a new low power Pico DPP2601/2607 ASIC/Processor
• Enables a greater than 20 percent thinner optical module than WVGA chipset with full offset
• Enables a greater than 50 percent smaller optical module volume than WVGA chipset with full offset

Press Release