BUSINESS ERA

It is hard to believe, but it has been over a year now since ATI launched the 4850 and 4870 video cards. In June 2008 ATI delivered a great performing video card at a price that a lot of enthusiasts could afford. Here we are, it is now September 2009 and we are still patiently awaiting a major revision to the 4800 series. That isn't to say that ATI hasn't done anything for the last year as far as pushing the video envelope. In April we saw the launch of the Radeon HD 4890, a card that featured a nearly identical GPU that came clocked a full 100MHz higher than the 4870. What we have to look at today is what will probably be considered the most "future" proof of the 4800 series, the Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 2GB. That's right, it has a full 2GB frame buffer dedicated to just one GPU, unlike the 4870X2 that splits its 2GB between two GPU's.

Compared to a standard ATI Radeon HD 4890, our Sapphire card comes clocked at 870MHz, up from 850MHz. On a standard 4890 the GDDR5 memory is clocked at 975MHz, but our 2GB card from Sapphire is clocked all the way up to 1050MHz, which really helps in high resolution and anti-aliasing modes. Keep in mind that we're talking about QDR here (Quad Data Rate), which makes 1050MHz an incredible 4200MHz! Here you can see that our Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 2GB is very slightly longer than a Radeon HD 4870. I would not expect the added length to cause problems. It still fit very easily into an Antec 900 which is on the small side of video card space.

The biggest physical change is that of the heat sink and fan. Departing from the noisy OEM blower style, Sapphire has implemented a quieter, custom GPU cooling solution called the 'Vapor-Chamber Cooler". Regardless of what it is called, it works! The dual slot Vapor-Chamber Cooler has a noise level under 20 dbA in 2D operation and is still under 30 dbA in 3D operation before it reaches 85 degrees Celsius.

Something worth noting is that this card requires both 6-pin and 8-pin PCI-e power cables, due to the additional memory and overclocking capabilities. Sapphire suggests a 500 Watt or greater power supply with a 6-pin PCI Express and 8-pin PCI Express power connector for proper operation. If run in CrossFire they suggest at least a 600W power supply with double the number of power supply connectors.

On the back side of the card, we see another pair of heat sinks, underneath which are the additional RAM IC's to give our card 2GB.

This card has got connectivity in mind; it supports HDMI, Display Port, Dual Link DVI, and a standard VGA!

Source:legitreviews

While not typically known for their pointing peripherals, Verbatim recently released a line of small, portable notebook mice that should make your mobile computing more productive. Called the Color Nano Wireless Notebook Mouse, it features a tiny USB dongle / receiver that is designed to be left in your USB port without risk of snapping off, making setting up easier when working on-the-go.

Like the Lingo Wireless Mouse we’ve seen previously, Verbatim’s Color Nano Wireless Notebook Mouse also includes a small storage space in the mouse itself for the USB dongle (in case you run out of ports and can’t leave it plugged in). This optical Color Nano uses the 2.4GHz wireless spectrum for reliable and responsive performance, comes in your choice of 7 colors (hence the name) and plays equally well with both PC or Mac.

The dimensions of the mouse itself have been omitted, but the focus here is on the diminutive size of the transmitter and usability. It is certainly not a Z-Nano competitor.

Verbatim’s Color Nano Wireless Notebook Mouse is available now in pink, blue, red, green, purple, yellow or graphite - priced between $20 and $30 from Amazon.com.

Source:markstechnologynews

Staying connected no matter where you are is something that most of us take for granted these days, and Sprint aims to enable you to stay in touch with anyone online from anywhere thanks to their new range of Mobile Broadband Router products. These new devices not only allow one, but multiple folks to stay connected at 3G or 4G mobile broadband speeds as long as there are Sprint 3G and 4G networks around. The two new 3G/4G Mobile Broadband Routers are known as the Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S and Cradlepoint MBR-1000 Broadband Router, where each of them boast 3G and 4G connectivity and can be used in conjunction with any Sprint 3G or 4G data plan which will set you back anywhere from $39.99 to $79.99 monthly, depending on your choice.

First off is the Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S which allows one to connect up to a quartet of simultaneous Wi-Fi connections, while the Cradlepoint MBR-1000 Broadband Router will target businesses and small organizations, where up to 32 simultaneous Wi-Fi connections are supported. Either device is able to handle the entire range of Sprint 3G and Sprint 4G mobile broadband USB devices, so no worries for those who have backwards compatibility in their minds. These devices allow one to connect Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, notebooks, portable media players, digital cameras, gaming devices and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices simultaneously to the Sprint 3G and 4G networks.

If you want to bring home the Sprint Personal Hot Spot PHS300S, it will cost you $159.99 outright without including any monthly plan charges yet, while those who opt for the Cradlepoint MBR1000 broadband router will have to fork out an initial amount of $249.99. Bear in mind that not all territories are able to support Sprint’s 4G networks just yet, so you might have to make do with 3G connectivity for the moment until an upgraded service is introduced in your area. Image from BGR.

Press Release

Netgear is back with a brand new addition to their powerline networking family, unveiling the Home Theater Internet Connection Kit which is also referred to as the XAVB1004 if you prefer to go by model numbers. Just in case you wonder why is the Netgear unveils Home Theater Internet Connection Kit so familiar, that is because it picked up the 2009 CES Innovations Award earlier this year if you happen to drop by Vegas in January. This unique device enables home theater buffs to hook up a handful of Ethernet-enabled entertainment devices including gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, HDTVs and media streaming set-top boxes straight to the Internet as well as the home network simultaneously. This is made possible through the use of a high-speed powerline connection that can hit a theoretical maximum speed of 200 Mbps, making it more than capable of accommodating high-performance applications including HD video streaming, Voice over IP (VoIP), Internet gaming and large file transfers to networked devices in the home theater.

The kit comprises of a solitary Powerline AV Adapter with 4-port Ethernet Switch (XAV1004) as well as one Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101). Since it works without external wires, it enables one to use existing electrical wiring within the home to carry high-speed data network traffic courtesy of affordable and simple to install adapters. Not only that, advanced energy management capabilities will offer automatic port- and device-level sleep modes and wake-on-activity functionality so that you won’t be slapped with a hefty power bill at the end of the month which could prove detrimental to your blood pressure and heart.

Each purchase of the Netgear Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004) will come with a one-year warranty and round the clock support. The package will hold one Powerline AV Adapter with Ethernet Switch (XAV1004), one Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101), two Ethernet cables, one AC power cord, an installation guide and a set-up CD, retailing for $179.99. You can also add on other Netgear Powerline AV devices in the future for expansion options if you want, where these can be picked up separately.

With more and more folks jet setting around the world and the proliferation of fast mobile connectivity thanks to 3G technology, it makes perfect sense for notebooks to be similarly equipped in order to tackle the well seasoned traveler who absolutely cannot live without an Internet connection for more than a day. Instead of searching for the nearest Wi-Fi hotspot at your destination to get your daily Facebook fix, why not settle for something that is more reliable (and on-demand to boot) in developed areas, which comes in the form of a Mobile Broadband USB modem? Verizon Wireless and ZTE USA have teamed up to bring their latest Mobile Broadband USB modem, the AD3700 to the masses that boasts global connectivity, offering customers access to high-speed networks in over 175 destinations which covers Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM)/General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)/Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) and High Speed Packet Access (HSPA)/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) wireless platforms.

Among the key features found on the AD3700 include :-

Runs on Verizon Wireless’ high-speed network, which uses EV-DO Revision A (Rev. A) technology
Includes VZAccess Manager software for easy connection management and automatic installation
Swivel hinge USB
Windows Vista/XP/2000 Operating System compatibility
USB 2.0 high-speed interface
Weight of 1.6 ounces
3.1″ x 1.7″ x 0.5″
Lifestyle features:

The AD3700 can be said to be perfect for individuals and organizations that want to make sure there is a way to remain connected while on-the-go, where all you need to do is activate the global feature on your Verizon Wireless account and you’re good to go. Upon doing so, the AD3700 will detect the local network and connect to the fastest Internet speed available automatically, regardless of where you are in the world - of course, it does help if you tend to spend most of your time in fairly developed areas so that you won’t have to “suffer” on painstakingly slow GPRS speeds. The AD3700 USB modem will retail for $79.99 after a $50.00 mail-in rebate alongside a new two-year customer agreement on a Mobile Broadband plan.

Press Release

by Ally in DIY Gadgets, PC Gadgets