Acer today announced the new Nitro 14 and Nitro 16 gaming laptops, powered by AMD Ryzen 8040 Series processors with Ryzen AI[1]. With up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060[2] Laptop GPUs supported by DLSS 3.5 technology, both are backed by NVIDIA's RTX AI platform, providing an array of capabilities in over 500 games and applications, enhanced by AI. Gamers are immersed in their 14- and 16-inch NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible panels with up to WQXGA (2560x1600) resolution.

Whether in call or streaming in-game, Acer PurifiedVoice 2.0 harnesses the power of AI to block out external noises, while Acer PurifiedView keeps users always front and center of all the action. Microsoft Copilot in Windows (with a dedicated Copilot key) helps accelerate everyday tasks on these AI laptops, and with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included with every device, players will enjoy hundreds of high-quality PC games. To seamlessly take command of device performance and customizations, one click of the NitroSense key directs users to the control center and the library of available AI-related functions through the new Experience Zone.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading global powerhouse in motherboards, graphics cards, and cutting-edge hardware solutions, proudly unveils the world's first motherboard designed to seamlessly support the native USB-C 40 Gbps signal when paired with the cutting-edge AMD Ryzen 8000 series processors.

"We are thrilled to introduce a motherboard that not only supports the cutting-edge AMD Ryzen 8000 series processors but also incorporates advanced features that cater to the evolving needs of our users. This marks a significant leap forward in terms of performance, user-friendliness, and design aesthetics." Said Jackson Hsu, Director of the GIGABYTE Channel Solutions Product Development Division.

Acer announced new additions to its Aspire laptop line, showcasing an extensive range of performance and design options to support everyday computing needs.

The Aspire Vero 16 is the latest from its Vero product line, powered by the new Intel Core Ultra processors with Intel AI Boost and Wi-Fi 7 compatibility. Acer has committed to carbon neutrality for the Aspire Vero 16, following international standards for carbon footprint calculation and carbon neutrality. Actions are taken at each stage of the device lifecycle to minimize its carbon footprint, and then, high-quality carbon credits will be applied to attain carbon neutrality. The Intel Evo Edition laptop has increased the usage of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials on the chassis, doubling that of the 2021 model, to combine eco-innovation and premium PC experiences on the device.

VIA Labs, Inc. (VLI), a leading supplier of USB4, USB 3.2, and USB Power Delivery Controllers, today announced that the VL832 USB4 Endpoint Device Controller achieved USB4 certification from the USB Implementor's Forum (USB-IF). VIA Lab's VL832 supports USB 40 Gbps operation and is now listed on the USB-IF Integrator's List under TID: 10033.

VIA Lab VL832's USB-IF Certification represents a key milestone in the USB4 ecosystem. The certified USB4 device controller with an integrated USB 3.2 USB 10 Gbps Hub, USB 2.0 Hub, and DisplayPort output, provides essential connectivity for peripheral devices such as multi-function adapters and docking stations. In USB4 40 Gbps mode, VL832 supports full DisplayPort HBR3 bandwidth (32.4 Gbps), and the USB 20 Gbps hub can enable multiple USB 10 Gbps devices to operate at full performance on supported host platforms. Both metrics are double what was previously possible using DisplayPort Alternate Mode, which is limited to 2-lanes of DisplayPort when supporting USB 3.2 functionality.

MSI is excited to announce today the brand-new MAX Series Motherboards for the Z790 chipset and Micro-ATX motherboards for the B760 chipset, which includes the MEG Series, MPG Series, MAG Series, and PRO Series. MSI's Z790 and B760 motherboards paired with Intel Core Next-gen, 13th Gen, and 12th Gen Processors are here to bring even more performance and fine-tuning on the success of the last generation of Processors. As a world-leading motherboard brand, MSI's Z790 MAX Series motherboards are designed to provide the very best performance for gamers and creators.

MSI Z790 MAX Series motherboards have a strong lineup of power phase design boards across every model ranging from our flagship MEG Z790 GODLIKE MAX that has 26 Duet Rail Power System CPU power phases with 105 A SPS to even our entry-level PRO Series motherboard that has increased up to 16 DRPS CPU power phases with 80 A SPS.

ProGrade Digital, Inc., founded with a mission to provide the highest quality professional grade digital memory cards and workflow solutions, announces the 3rd generation of its CFexpress Type B Cobalt-class memory card in a new 1.3 TB capacity. This new generation features the same industry-leading quality of ProGrade current 2nd generation 325 GB and 650 GB capacity cards, but now leverages PCIe Gen 4 interconnect with NVMe 1.4c host controller interface. ProGrade Digital's 3rd generation CFexpress Cobalt cards are fully compliant with the just released CFexpress 4.0 specification, and provide read speeds of up to 3,400 MB/s, burst write speeds of up to 3,000 MB/s, and sustained write speeds of up to 2,800 MB/s - ideally suited for the highest-resolution cinema-grade video capture applications. As in past Cobalt-class memory card generations, the highest endurance and reliability memory technology is utilized - ensuring years of trouble-free, high-performance capture.

"The introduction of our 3rd generation CFexpress Cobalt card at the 1.3 TB capacity point provides the extra space and unparalleled performance needed for the very highest resolution video capture needs," said Wes Brewer, Founder and CEO of ProGrade Digital. "Our inclusion of PCIe Gen 4 controller technology, coupled with upcoming USB4 high-speed readers will allow offloading speeds 3x greater than previously possible, providing a dramatic reduction in workflow processing time."

ProGrade Digital, founded with a mission to provide the highest quality professional grade digital memory cards and workflow solutions, announces its new PG05.6 card reader, a single-slot reader designed specifically for the latest CFexpress 4.0 (PCIe Gen 4) Type B memory cards. The PG05.6 reader is based on the latest USB4 technology which is designed to achieve speeds of up to 40 Gbits/sec. When used in conjunction with the latest CFexpress 4.0 (PCIe Gen 4) memory cards, benchmark tests highlight a tripling of data transfer speed from card to host. The PG05.6 is also equipped with ProGrade's patented magnetic base and an adhesive metal plate that allows users to mount the reader to any work surface, such as the back of a laptop. The new reader is also supplied with a certified USB 4.0 cable - assuring the maximum performance possible.

"Our new PG05.6 reader provides a tremendous leap forward in workflow performance by allowing content offload speeds to be reduced by 67% when compared to the performance of USB 3.2, Gen 2 technology of our current product line-up", said Wes Brewer, CEO and Founder of ProGrade Digital. "Along with faster speeds comes the need to provide extra cooling capability for reader and card - something we've spent more than a year perfecting in the new design."

In a groundbreaking leap forward for small form factor computing, Simply NUC, Inc, a leading mini PC solutions company, is thrilled to announce the launch of a new product family called Onyx. Powered by Intel's 13th Gen Raptor Lake "H" series processors, Onyx is the world's first 4x4 NUC to feature a Core i9 option. With support for up to an unprecedented 96 GB of DDR5-5200 memory, up to 16 TB of storage, and never before seen benchmark results, Onyx delivers unmatched computing performance for modern business.

"With the launch of Onyx we're redefining what is possible from a 4x4 NUC," said Jonny Smith, Co-CEO at Simply NUC. "Onyx is the culmination of customer-driven innovation and sets the new standard for ultra-small form factor compute power and performance."

World-renowned mobile accessory brand Spigen announced its newest series to their charging power accessory lineup: Spigen ArcDock Pro Multi Hub 6-in-1 and Spigen ArcDock Multi Hub 8-in-1.

Spigen ArcDock Pro Multi Hub 6-in-1 has 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, 1 HDMI and 1 ethernet port. Compatible with USB4 and Thunderbolt 4, each USB-C and USB-A port is faster than USB 3.0, with a 10 Gbps data transfer speed. Also, the HDMI port of the Spigen ArcDock Pro Multi Hub 6-in-1 supports up to 8K@60 Hz. Lastly, with pass-through charging, it provides USB PD 85 W charging power.

Vibrant and immersive visuals come standard with Plugable's USB4 Dual 4K HDMI Docking Station (UD-4VPD), one of the first docks on the market to support dual HDMI displays at up to 4K 120 Hz. But pristine display properties are only part of the proposition offered up by the UD-4VPD. In addition to the 11-port expansion, it supplies 100 W charging for your laptop and 20 W high-speed charging for your phone, tablet, or other USB-C peripherals.

Immersive Display Options
Leveraging the latest chipsets, the UD-4VPD delivers smooth and fluid images that are great for video editing, graphic rendering, gaming, and getting work done. The docking station can also support a single 8K display at 60 Hz to complement a wide range of professional and creative applications.

With the development of multimedia production and broadcasting technology, more and more film and television works are produced based on high-definition, 4K or even 8K environments, and the size of a single video material can reach dozens of GB, or even hundreds of GB. The space, reliability, and transmission performance issues of storage devices are becoming more and more difficult.

TerraMaster, a professional brand that focuses on providing innovative storage products for homes and businesses, provided Thunderbolt 3 RAID Storage and 10GbE NAS series, the 2 high-speed storage solutions for 4K video editing, which are perfectly suitable for professionals with high requirements.

Team Group's T-Create line of memory products is targeted squarely at content creators, and characterized by their slender, sober product design. The company unveiled several new products in this brand, spanning from DDR5 PC memory to portable SSDs, docking stations, USB flash drives, and even memory cards. On the memory front, Team Group showed us both standard-size DDR5 DIMMs for desktops, and SO-DIMMs meant for laptops. A simple matte-black heat spreader dons the desktop variant. The desktop DDR5 module comes in speed-based variants spanning between DDR5-6000 and DDR5-6800, while the SO-DIMMs come in DDR5-5200 to DDR5-5600. What's interesting is that both come in high-capacity variants, with the desktop T-Create DDR5 coming in 64 GB (2x 32 GB) to 128 GB (2x 64 GB), while the SO-DIMMs come in 16 GB thru 64 GB kit sizes.

The company also showed off a plethora of new storage products, beginning with the T-Create Classic TC-200 NFC, and the larger T-Create Expert USB4. The TC-200 has a USB 3.2x2 type-C interface that's capable of 20 Gbps interface speed, which it uses to offer sequential transfer rates of up to 2 GB/s reads/writes. It also integrates an NFC reader, so it can be locked and unlocked using smartcards or mobile applications running on NFC-capable smartphones. This drive comes in capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. The larger T-Create Expert USB4, as its name suggests, features a 40 Gbps USB 4.0 type-C interface, and an impressive 4 GB/s maximum sequential transfer speed. Rounding things off in the PC storage space is the T-Create Classic M.2 docking station. This looks a lot like a cylindrical water cooling reservoir, except you pop in an M.2 NVMe SSD. Don't add water.

AAEON, a leading manufacturer of AI development solutions, announces the UP Xtreme i12 Edge, its latest addition to the UP product series. The UP Xtreme i12 Edge makes substantial upgrades on its predecessor with the power-efficient multicore architecture of 12th Generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3/Celeron Processors (formerly Alder Lake-P), onboard LPDDR5, and AI module support all contributing to its potential as a system suited to industrial, healthcare, and transport applications.

Providing exceptional expansion options, the UP Xtreme i12 Edge has four M.2 Keys for Wi-Fi 6, 5G, AI and PCIe 4.0 storage module support. With such options, users are able to bring edge AI computing capabilities to a wider variety of markets. Further, the UP Xtreme i12 Edge supports Intel Iris Xe graphics, Intel DL Boost, and the Intel Distribution of OpenVINO Toolkit, boosting GPU image classification inferencing performance by up to 2.81 times that of the previous generation.

Acer today expanded its ChromeOS product line with the new Acer Chromebox CXI5 and Chromebox Enterprise CXI5. It also announced the Acer Add-In-One 24, a modular all in one solution consisting of either the Acer Chromebox CXI5 or the Acer Chromebox Enterprise CXI5 and a 24-inch FHD docking monitor. Both solutions help businesses and commercial institutions streamline space and simplify maintenance, upgrades, and repairs, resulting in less downtime and long-term cost savings.

"These new ChromeOS-based Acer systems are excellent choices for businesses and institutions that require reliable computers that are easy to setup, use, and manage while making the most of limited space environments," said Jeff Lee, General Manager, Stationary Computing, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. "Outfitted with the latest technology, including Intel vPro and integrated malware protection, these powerful devices are able to support the multitasking capabilities and tight security required in organizations today."

Ahead of CES, Lenovo unveiled its latest generation of consumer devices loaded with standout features and enhancements designed to help people connect with their passions and achieve their daily goals. With five new performance-driving and portable IdeaPad laptops, a sleek and compact IdeaCentre desktop, and a 9-inch Lenovo tablet, these devices are designed for all the spaces and places in line with the on-the-go lifestyle of today's consumer. Whether working, studying, creating, or just catching up with friends out of town, these new products offer speed, versatility, and convenience to suit their needs wherever they are.

"As consumers continue to seek out the most effective ways of working and studying in a hybrid world where versatility and convenience are paramount, Lenovo's IdeaPad products continue to provide reliability and performance at incredible value," says Jun OuYang, Vice President of the Consumer Segment, Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo. "This latest generation of products come with a range of striking new features and enhancements that significantly improve the user experience while still maintaining its reputation as an affordable product."

TECNO, a global innovative technology brand with operations in over 70 markets, recently announced the latest MEGABOOK S1 at TECNO Flagship Product Launch 2022 in Dubai, delivering its first flagship laptop to users.

In 2019, TECNO announced new efforts in building a digital product ecosystem by launching its AIoT business strategy, aiming to deliver digital to every person, home, and organization and help them create a fully- connected smart digital lifestyle. Following this vision, as the upgraded line of MEGABOOK T1, the flagship MEGABOOK S1 highlights the concept of ideas that create wonders, targeting users in professional fields like business and the creative industries, helping them work with ease while still achieving a higher efficiency.

OWC, the premier zero-emissions Mac and PC technology company, and a respected provider of Memory, External Drives, SSDs, Mac & PC docking solutions, and performance upgrade kits announces the new OWC Envoy Pro SX, the Thunderbolt portable SSD that can withstand any condition. The mild-mannered exterior of the OWC Envoy Pro SX hides its true nature. It's super-fast. Super-versatile. Super-portable. And rugged enough to endure the most challenging work and play settings.

This little beast of an SSD handles all data storage and backup challenges like a real superhero when put to the test. The OWC Envoy Pro SX is versatile enough to be used as a bus-powered drive for daily storage and backup tasks. It can handle workflows easily handle the speed demands of production-level audio, design, and photography workflows. And it serves up real-world performance speeds up to 2847 MB/s with modern Thunderbolt and USB 4 equipped Macs and PCs. Built along the OWC Envoy Pro EX's award-winning lineage, this tiny but mighty ½ pound portable drive is 1/3 smaller. It features a removable Thunderbolt cable and is test certified to handle the nastiest environments. From managing obstacles in the field to crushing deadlines at home, the OWC Envoy Pro SX lets you unleash your productivity power without needing a cape or mask.

At the beginning of 2021, MSI, a would-leading motherboards brand, had announed the latest Intel 500 series platforms will launch soon. Through few weeks of waiting, on January 27th, MSI Intel 500 series motherboards are officially launched.

As MSI official announcement mentioned, all of MSI 500 series motherboards with 11th Gen Intel Core processors support PCIe 4.0, and all of Z590 Wi-Fi motherboards have at least one 2.5G LAN and the latest Wi-Fi 6E solution which extends to 6 GHz spectrum providing remarkble user experience when streaming, gaming and even working from home.

DisplayPort 2.0 was supposed to see its implementation beginning by the end of 2020, but that time has come and gone without a single DisplayPort 2.0-touting product on sight. According to VESA, the rollout has been delayed mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented the standards body to perform its PlugTest events, where engineers and hardware developers convene to discuss, tinker, and decide on the standard's implementation. VESA held multiple of these events per year, but none in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; thus, the delay we are now witnessing surged.

VESA plans to have their first 2021 PlugTest event in Spring of this year, however, and aims to see products on the shelves later, and likely not before 2H 2020. The standards body said that there are, indeed, DisplayPort 2.0 monitors currently in-development, but that these too have been affected by the lack of PlugTests. DisplayPort 2.0 is an update to the current 1.4 implementation, and currently, there are no launched products (monitors, graphics cards, etc) that can make use of the new version. The new standard will technically support up to 80 Gbps max, nearly three times the currently available bandwidth in the DisplayPort 1.4 spec. DisplayPort Alt Mode 2.0 also brings most of these capabilities to USB Type-C connectors via the USB 4.0 revision.

AMD is always in development mode and just when they launch a new product, the company is always gearing up for the next-generation of devices. Just a few months ago, back in November, AMD has launched its Zen 3 core, and today we get to hear about the next steps that the company is taking to stay competitive and grow its product portfolio. In the AnandTech interview with Dr. Lisa Su, and The Street interview with Rick Bergman, the EVP of AMD's Computing and Graphics Business Group, we have gathered information about AMD's plans for Zen 4 core development and RDNA 3 performance target.

Starting with Zen 4, AMD plans to migrate to the AM5 platform, bringing the new DDR5 and USB 4.0 protocols. The current aim of Zen 4 is to be extremely competitive among competing products and to bring many IPC improvements. Just like Zen 3 used many small advances in cache structures, branch prediction, and pipelines, Zen 4 is aiming to achieve a similar thing with its debut. The state of x86 architecture offers little room for improvement, however, when the advancement is done in many places it adds up quite well, as we could see with 19% IPC improvement of Zen 3 over the previous generation Zen 2 core. As the new core will use TSMC's advanced 5 nm process, there is a possibility to have even more cores found inside CCX/CCD complexes. We are expecting to see Zen 4 sometime close to the end of 2021.

Micro-Star International (MSI), the technology and laptop giant debuted its brand new "Business & Productivity" lineup,: The Summit, Prestige, and Modern series. The company also revealed its new, minimalistic, and modern logo for the new lineup. This bold new direction is a major milestone for MSI.

The new line also includes one of the first laptops, Prestige 14 Evo certified on Intel's Evo platform, which indicates advanced efficiency and better mobility. The gaming series also unveiled the world's thinnest 15-inch gaming laptop, the Stealth 15M. All powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel processor, the new lineup provides unprecedented efficiency and performance in the face of the new remote working trend due to COVID-19.

Device IDs of Intel's upcoming line of standalone USB 4.0 host controllers leaked to the web, courtesy Hardware Leaks (@_rogame). The controller possibly comes in three variants, bearing device IDs 0x9A1B, 0x9A1D, and 0x9A13. The alleged Intel confidential document screengrab speaks of USB 4.0 and USB 3.2 support (no mention of USB 2.0/1.1), and USB Power Delivery 3.0.

With USB 4.0, the USB-IF (USB Implementers Forum, or the special interest group behind USB), appears to want to standardize the USB type-C connector, eventually phasing out the type-A connector. To that effect, the document leaves out mention of USB 2.0/1.1 backwards compatibility. USB 4.0 debuts with an interface bandwidth of 40 Gbps, or 8 times that of USB 3.0, or over 80 times that of USB 2.0.

The graphics cards of the near-future could see a gradual phase out of standard-size DisplayPorts in favor of USB 4, starting 2021, according to a CNET report. Within the USB standard, the type-C port could see a significant growth in proliferation, and a possible phase-out of type-A ports, beginning with notebooks. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), had in Q3-2019 announced the USB 4.0 specification, with development of the first implementations of the standard underway.

According to the CNET report, some time in 2021, USB 4.0 type-C ports could include DisplayPort 2.0 wiring, enabling 8K and 16K displays with a single cable. USB 4.0 will also make significant strides in other directions, such as support for 40 Gbps bandwidth (80 Gbps in x2 mode). It also implements tunneling technology carried over from the Thunderbolt specification, allowing you to daisy-chain devices (such as plugging in an external hard drive to a USB 4 monitor).

As we are nearing the launch of USB4, which will feature Thunderbolt 3 like speeds of up to 40 Gbps, PCIe and DisplayPort support within USB-C form factor, there are already drivers showing up to support the new standard and ensure the launch and transition to the newest USB version will go smoothly.

According to the finds of Phoronix, Intel's open-source engineers have been working on a patch to support the new standard in the Linux kernel. Being based on Thunderbolt 3, the bring-up of USB4 isn't very difficult as it allows for a lot of code reuse, making things easier for kernel developers. Only 22 patches were submitted that resulted in under 4,000 lines of new code in total. For now, the support is in the stage of a pull request, so it should go mainstream very soon, most likely with the release of Linux kernel 5.5, if other features like power management are worked out soon.

USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the support organization for the advancement and adoption of USB technology, today announced the publication of the USB4 specification, a major update to deliver the next-generation USB architecture that complements and builds upon the existing USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 architectures. The USB4 architecture is based on the Thunderbolt protocol specification recently contributed by Intel Corporation to the USB Promoter Group. It doubles the maximum aggregate bandwidth of USB and enables multiple simultaneous data and display protocols.

The development of the USB4 specification was first announced in March 2019 by the USB Promoter Group. It is now officially published by USB-IF and available for download here.