| Maingear Gets Into The All-In-One Game With The Solo 21 Posted: 13 Mar 2012 10:06 AM PDT  All-in-one PCs aren't known for their upgradability, but then again, all-in-one PCs haven't been built by boutique computer builder Maingear -- until now, that is. Today, the company announced it was spreading its proverbial wings with the Solo 21, which Maingear claims is the first AIO to sport an SSD caching solution out of the box.
"The MAINGEAR Solo 21 is the first fully upgradeable all-in-one today, including the ability to upgrade the motherboard to accommodate future technology advances," Maingear boasts in its press release. We can't back that claim without getting out hands on one, but we can pass along the specs from the default model. From the press release: - Intel Core™ i3 2125 3.3GHz, upgradeable to Intel® Core™ i7 2600S
- Intel DH61AG motherboard supporting USB 3.0, SATA 6G, 32nm and 22nm processors
- 4GB DDR3-1333, upgradeable to 16GB DDR3-1333 memory
- 32GB SSD caching drive standard, featuring NVELO Dataplex software
- 500 GB HDD, up to 2TB 7200 RPM SATA HDD
- DVD burner
- Intel 802.11n, Bluetooth wireless adapter
Upping that Core i3 to a Core i5 will set you back another $99, and adding a touchscreen display costs another $129. There's a ton of other upgrade options, too -- including the ability to color the AIO "Burple." You can customize and purchase the Solo 21 at the Maingear website right now. |
| Many U.S. Government Officials are MegaUpload Users, Kim Dotcom Says Posted: 13 Mar 2012 07:03 AM PDT  There's an old saying about throw stones from a glass house, which we imagine is just one of the many dangers of living in an ill-conceived all-glass abode. Hail, birds, robbers, and all kinds of dangers abound, but we digress. The reason we're bringing this up is because MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom claims that a bunch of high-ranking U.S. government officials are also members of the website that got him in hot water.
Surprise, surprise, right? U.S. authorities are in the process of trying to extradite Dotcom after shutting down his site and seeing him arrested in New Zealand for a number of no-nos, including money laundering. Since his site was seized, he and his legal team have been negotiating with the U.S. Department of Justice ways for MegaUpload users to retrieve their data. In sifting through the site's records, Dotcom claims many U.S. officials are on the list. "Guess what -- we found a large number of Mega accounts from U.S. government officials including the Department of Justice and the U.S. Senate," Dotcom told Torrentfreak. "I hope we will soon have permission to give them and the rest of our users access to their files." This could be a potentially embarrassing situation for government officials if the case ever goes to court, though our guess is that most will say they were working undercover. |
| Intel Wants a Piece of the Web-based TV Service Pie Posted: 13 Mar 2012 06:42 AM PDT  We already have Apple TV and Google TV, and if all goes to plan, Intel TV could be next. The Santa Clara chip maker has its eye on the pay TV business and for the past several months has been wooing media companies with a plan to create a virtual cable operator to stream U.S. channels over the Internet as part of a bundle that rivals subscription services by cable and satellite TV providers, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Intel is reportedly working on its own branded set-top box that would carry the TV service and has a channel browsing interface in place and everything. The chip maker's goal is to launch the service by the end of the year, though that won't be easy with the high cost of TV programming. Still, if there's a company that can afford it, it's Intel. This would mark a huge shift in strategy for Intel, and perhaps this is company CEO Paul Otellini's grand plan for the so-called post PC era that Apple's Tim Cook was so fond in talking about during the new iPad unveiling. According to WSJ, Otellini has been pretty clear about wanting to advance his company beyond computers. |
| Nokia Windows on ARM Tablet Rumored for Fourth Quarter 2012 Posted: 13 Mar 2012 06:27 AM PDT  Over the last two week, the Windows 8 Consumer Preview has been dissected from virtually every angle. In stark contrast, things have been very quiet on the Windows on ARM (WOA) front. But the fine folks at Digitimes seem to have broken the almost sepulchral silence surrounding WOA. Hit the jump for more.
According to the Taiwanese paper's unnamed sources at upstream component suppliers, Nokia is likely to launch a 10-inch Windows 8 tablet based on a dual-core system on chip (SoC) from Qualcomm in the fourth quarter of 2012. Further, the Finnish phone maker is expected to entrust Compal Electronics with the production of its WOA tablet, with the first batch of shipments expected to surpass 200,000 units. This is not the first rumor of its kind, though. In fact, there has been steady speculation over the possibility of a Nokia-branded WOA tablet ever since Microsoft and the Finnish company announced their Windows Phone partnership last year. |
| Upswing in Computer Memory Prices Means You Should Stock Up Now Posted: 13 Mar 2012 06:11 AM PDT  Running low on RAM? The sooner you stock up, the less you'll end up paying, which doesn't sound like a big deal when you consider how rock-bottom RAM prices have become, but don't be fooled into thinking that will always be the case. Memory prices have already started to creep upwards, and various sources warn that this is going to be the trend through March and possibly beyond.
Let's start with DigiTimes. The news and rumor site claims to have heard from "industry sources" that contract prices for DRAM are set to rise 5-10 percent in March, which is actually a little less than many expected when Elpida filed for bankruptcy earlier this month. It's not just DigiTimes that's reporting this. DRAMeXchange, a market research firm that constantly has its finger on the pulse of the DRAM market, says the average selling price of 4GB modules has already risen 5.7 percent in the first half of March and is likely to climb higher. The average price of 2GB modules went up 5.13 percent, while mainstream DDR3 2Gb (gigabit) contract pricing topped $1 for the first time this year. "With a US$6.23 billion debt, regardless of whether Elpida withdraws from the market or continues on after making changes, the manufacturer's troubles will surely impact and cause some reshuffling on the DRAM market," said DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce. "TrendForce believes, both buyers and sellers are basing their future price negotiation strategies on whether or not the Japanese government decides to bail out Elpida. As the third largest DRAM market share holder, Elpida's fate, as well as their capacity allocation, will have a significant impact on the DRAM price trend." If you've been eyeing a RAM upgrade, now's a good time to pull the trigger. |
| Acer's Five New Monitors Make Fashion Statements Posted: 13 Mar 2012 05:42 AM PDT  Gone are the days when ghastly looking CRT monitors cluttered your desk with a chunky footprint and all the grace of a sloth. Some of today's displays actually quality for design awards, like Acer's S235HL monitor, winner of a 2012 iF product design award and one of five new ultra-slim, LED-backlit S Series LCD panels unveiled to the U.S. market place today.
The other four models include the S200HL (20-inch), S230HL Abd (23-inch), S230HL Abii (23-inch), and S271HL (27-inch). All of these feature 100,000,000:1 contrast ratios (dynamic), 5ms response times, LED backlights, slim designs, and Acer's eColor Management tool that lets users tweak image performance for different viewing scenarios with the touch of a button. Not all five are created equal, however. The S200HL stands as the lone model with a 1600x900 screen resolution; all the rest boast Full HD 1920x1080 panels. Connectivity consists of VGA and two HDMI ports on the S235HL, VGA and DVI on the S200HL and both the S230HL Abd and Abii models, and DVI and HDMI on the S271HL. The S235HL ($219) and S271HL ($329) will be available in April, while the S200HL ($139), S230HL Abd ($169), and S230HL ($189) are available now. Image Credit: Acer |
| Report: Asus to Launch Ivy Bridge-based Zenbook UX31A and UX21A Soon Posted: 12 Mar 2012 11:09 PM PDT  The upcoming Ivy bridge launch will bring with it a new wave of ultrabooks. These Ivy Bridge-powered ultrabooks are expected to boast enhanced power efficiency and graphical capabilities. Among the first Ivy Bridge-based ultrabooks to hit the market will be the Asus Zenbook UX31A and UX21A, it has now emerged. Hit the jump for more.
According to The Verge, the Ivy Bridge-powered UX31A and UX21A will replace the UX31 and UX21, respectively. Even though the upcoming models are said to be almost identical to their predecessors where looks are concerned, they seem to have a lot less in common in other departments. Both the 13.3-inch UX31A and 11.6-inch UX21A will pack low-voltage Ivy Bridge processors, with CPU options including Core i3-3217U (1.8GHz), Core i5-3317U (1.7GHz/2.6GHz) and Core i7-3517U (1.9GHz/3GHz). Further, both models will come with the option of a matte, full HD IPS display. However, the standard displays options will be the same as the UX21 (1366 x 768) and UX31 (1600 x 900). Other specs are said to include up to 4GB of 1600MHz DDR3L RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000, up to 256GB SATA III SSD (512GB option also likely), Wireless Display (WiDi), 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, SDXC card reader, two USB 3.0 ports, and a micro HDMI-out. The two ultrabooks, according to the report, sport backlit island-style keyboards. The battery life is reported to be around six-seven hours on the UX31A and five fours on the UX21A. Last but not the least, the starting price is expected to be around $1,050 for the UX21A and $1,100 for the UX31A. |
| Firefox 11 Slips Out Ahead of Schedule Posted: 12 Mar 2012 10:13 PM PDT  These days it can be a bit difficult to get oneself excited about the release of a new version of a web browser, for the simple reason that it's something that happens far too often. But if for some reason you still want to get your hands on Firefox 11 just before its official release on Tuesday, you can do so as the said version seems to have slipped out ahead of time.
As is so often the case, the final version of Firefox 11 became available ahead of schedule on Mozilla's FTP site over the weekend. The direct download links, though, don't seem to be working any longer -- not a bad thing considering how early downloads from the outfit's FTP site can put its servers under a lot of stress. Not only that, according to one report, Mozilla is said to be preparing an update to replace this particular version. All said, it's still possible to download Firefox 11, albeit from third-party sites like Download Crew and Major Geeks. As far as new features are concerned, there is nothing to write home about. Firefox 11 brings the ability to migrate bookmarks, history, and cookies from Google Chrome. It also features a much improved Sync feature, which now includes the ability to synch add-ons across computers. The complete list of new features can be found here. Image Credit: Ghacks |
