| Daily Deals: Linksys Router, 256GB OCZ Vertex 4 SSD, and More Posted: 11 Oct 2012 12:53 PM PDT  
Top Deal: The Linksys Smart Wi-Fi N600 Router (refurbished) for $43 is our big catch for today (normally $120 - use coupon code: HSDISH5). The device also comes with free shipping courtesy of Cisco. The N600 router has four Gigabit Ethernet ports, extended range with its MIMO antenna array, and delivers speeds up to 300Mb/s. Computing Hardware & Peripherals: XFX Radeon HD 7850 1GB video card + Two Worlds II for $142 with free shipping after $20 mail-in rebate at Newegg (normally $180 - use coupon code: HARDOCP1X1XC). Intel Core i3-3225 dual-core processor for $135 at TigerDirect (normally $140 - use coupon code: NLR73237). OCZ Vertex 4 256GB SSD for $200 with free shipping at TigerDirect (normally $220). Logitech H800 wireless headset for $30 after $35 rebate with $2 shipping at TigerDirect (normally $100). |
| Touchy Subject: Acer Announces Aspire M5 Ultrabooks and V5 Notebooks with Windows 8 Posted: 11 Oct 2012 10:23 AM PDT  Someone should go ahead and que up a continuous loop of Gary Glitter's "Do You Wanna Touch Me" hit from the 1970s (which again became popular in the 1980s courtesy of Joan Jett) because almost every time we see a new product announcement these days, it's the first song that comes to mind. Manufacturers are launching touch-friendly Windows 8 devices at a breakneck pace, including Acer, which just unveiled a line of Aspire M5 Ultrabooks and V5 notebooks, both with touch support.
The Aspire M5 Ultrabooks come in two sizes -- 14 inches (Aspire M5-481PT) and 15.6 inches (Aspire M5-581T). For whatever reason, Acer only equipped the 14-inch model with a 10-point multi-touch display; the 15.6-inch model is non-touch. Size and touch differentiation aside, both SKUs sport 3rd Generation Intel Core i5 processors, 500GB hard drive, 20GB mSATA solid state drive, two USB 3.0 ports, backlit keyboard, and an optical drive, the latter of which is fairly rare in the Ultrabook arena. Both will also come with Windows 8 installed. Acer intends to make these available exclusively at Best Buy on October 26 starting at $700 for the M5-581T and $800 for the M5-481PT. There are three main versions of Acer's Aspire V5 Series notebooks: 11.6-inch Aspire V5-171, 14-inch Aspire V5-471, and 15.6-inch Aspire V5-571. All three come with Windows 8 installed, with the larger two models boasting 10-point multi-touch panels. Like the M5 Ultrabooks, the V5 notebooks sport Ivy Bridge hardware inside, though in addition to Core i5 processors, users can also opt for models equipped with Core i3 and Core i7 chips. 
"Acer continues to deliver on its promise to bring innovative technology with a superb blend of quality, performance and portability to consumers," said Sumit Agnihotry, vice president of product marketing, Acer America. "With Windows 8, the new Aspire V5 notebook series with touch allows consumers a premium feature even at mainstream price points." Pricing will begin at $500 for the V5-571 without touch and $750 for the V5-471P with touch. Acer didn't say how much the touch version of the 15.6-inch model or non-touch 11.6-inch SKU will run in the U.S., though in Canada they'll cost $700 and $450, respectively. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| OCZ Appoints New Chief to Address Credibility Problem and Save a Sinking Ship Posted: 11 Oct 2012 09:02 AM PDT  It's difficult to get a pulse on what's going on at OCZ Technology, though the fact that it still has one is at least a little bit encouraging. What investors didn't find encouraging is OCZ's warning that its customer incentive program will result in a "significant" quarterly loss and "materially lower" revenue than what was previously forecast. On the bright side, there's a new chief in town, and he doesn't seem much into sugar coating the situation.
OCZ appointed Ralph Schmitt as its new president and chief executive officer, effectively immediately. Previous to accepting his new role at OCZ, Schmitt served in the same capacity at PLX Technologies, a provider of semiconductor-based connectivity solutions aimed mostly at enterprise and consumer markets. The press release announcing his hiring is filled with the usual optimism that accompany such things, though Schmitt is quoted as saying there are some "near-term tactical challenges" facing OCZ. He was even more candid during a conference call with investors. "We are here to generate value for shareholders, and we've failed at that mission," Schmitt said, according to Mercury News. "We've lost credibility, but we'll gain it back with consistent execution that will achieve effective results." Honest assessment notwithstanding, investors didn't react all that positively to the news, promptly sending shares of OCZ's stock down 40 percent to $1.88. According to Bloomberg, that's the biggest drop since at least February 2010. Overall, shares of OCZ stock are down 72 percent this year. "There was such an emphasis in the second quarter from management to grow market share at all costs," Schmitt added. "Hence extraordinary incentives were undertaken." 
Those incentives occurred under the leadership of Ryan Peterson, company founder and former CEO of OCZ. Peterson stepped down last month, handing the reins over to Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Alex Mei, on an interim basis. At the time, there were reports OCZ might consider selling off its assets versus trying to relaunch the company. It appears with the hiring of Schmitt that it decided to go with the latter. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Mushkin Mingles in Ultrabook Territory with Slim 'Chronos Deluxe' SSD Line Posted: 11 Oct 2012 08:21 AM PDT  While the future of Ultrabooks might be in question, there's no doubt that manufacturers are trending towards thinner, lighter, and more powerful machines, and that has peripheral and component makers all vying a piece of the pie. Enter Mushkin, which just announced a line of slim 7mm solid state drives intended for Ultrabooks. In addition to their slim profile, Mushkin's new Chronos Deluxe SSDs sport performance-oriented SandForce controllers and SATA 6Gbps interfaces.
"Our new 7mm line of slim drives allows users to experience true performance without compromise," said Brian Flood, Director of Product Development at Mushkin, Inc. "With enthusiasts in mind, we continue to develop some of the highest performance storage devices on the market. Our products go beyond the needs of gamers, and provide a solution that delivers the performance needed for just about any application." The drives will be available in a variety capacities, including 60GB, 90GB, 120GB, 180GB, 240GB, and 480GB. Performance metrics vary by model and break down as follows: - 60GB: up to 550MB/s read, up to 515MB/s write; 90,000 IOPS
- 90GB: up to 550MB/s read, up to 515MB/s write; 90,000 IOPS
- 120GB: up to 560MB/s read, up to 515MB/s write; 90,000 IOPS
- 180GB: up to 550MB/s read, up to 515MB/s write; 90,000 IOPS
- 240GB: up to 560MB/s read, up to 520MB/s write; 90,000 IOPS
- 480GB: up to 540MB/s read, up to 455MB/s write; 42,000 IOPS
All models support TRIM and are backed by a 3-year warranty. No word yet on price or availability. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
