Kontron launched today the feature-packed, yet highly cost-efficient, embedded Flex-ATX motherboard KTA75/Flex based on the new AMD Embedded R-Series Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) and the AMD A75 controller hub. It is designed for graphics intensive and highly parallel embedded computing applications and provides outstanding, long-term stability and reliability due to its sophisticated board layout with long-term stable solid capacitors and a high-quality selection of components.

With its integrated discrete-class AMD Radeon HD 7000 Series Graphics it delivers leading edge 3D/HD graphics and accelerated processing capabilities together with the ability to drive up to four displays simultaneously, either as independent displays, or as a single large surface. This makes the long-term available Kontron KTA75M/Flex an ideal solution for applications requiring high graphics and/or parallel computing performance in markets such as industrial automation, medical, and POS/POI, digital signage as well as gaming.

Yesterday at the Credit Suisse 2012 Annual Technology Conference Microsoft's Tami Reller (Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Financial Officer for the Windows division) has announced that, in its first month of life, Windows 8 has reached 40 million sold licenses, outspacing Windows 7 in terms of upgrades.

Microsoft did not provide one-month numbers for Windows 7 but the estimates back then were that it sold about 40 million copies, meaning Windows 8 is pretty much on par with its predecessor after one month. Not a bad start for Windows 8 but certainly not a raging success.

PNY Technologies, Inc. is considered a leading designer, manufacturer and a worldwide leader in DRAM Memory and Flash Memory products. PNY continuing with its enormously successful and popular USB pendrives has now launched the new HP v180w with a very different philosophical message. Designed to appear like the infinity "∞" symbol, this USB pendrive attempts to deliver the message of infinite love and peace, which is very much necessary in this era where there is so much negativity around because of natural disasters and other things going around. The HP v180w's refreshing cool blue color is yet another subliminal way of delivering the same message.

The HP v180w is made of strong polymer that even covers the tapering front USB plug, protecting it against corrosion. While most of the surface is glossy, the end where it is required to hold it has been intelligently given a matte finish to make it easier to retrieve it from the port. The cap-less design ensures that you don't have to worry about losing the cap. Measuring a mere 8.0 mm x 21.0 mm x 44.1 mm, this drive is incredibly lightweight at just 2.62 g, making it very compact and highly portable.

NVIDIA has today made available a new beta-tagged graphics driver, the GeForce 310.61 which is a small update from the GeForce 310.54 offering improved compatibility for PlanetSide 2 and Hitman: Absolution.

The GeForce 310.61 Beta supports GeForce 8, 9, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 Series cards and is available for Windows 7, 8 and Vista, in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors.

Microsoft released Internet Explorer 10 Consumer Preview for Windows 7, the only other operating system to support it, apart from Windows 8 and Windows RT, with which it made its stable debut last month, earning Mozilla's cake. Posted as "Pre-Release," the browser provides most functionality as its Windows 8 stable version. Most of its performance enhancements, including the ability to flip through pages in articles by swiping across a touchscreen, are available.DOWNLOAD: Internet Explorer 10 Consumer Preview for Windows 7

Showcased back in January and expected in August, the ThinkPad T430u ultrabook has now found its way to Lenovo's online store and is set to begin shipping next week (on November 11th to be exact). Running Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 8, the T430u features an aluminum construction, a 14-inch (1366 x 768) LED-backlit display, a Core i3/i5 mobile processor, Intel HD or NVIDIA GeForce GT 620M graphics, 4 GB of RAM, up to a 500 GB hard drive or a 128 GB SSD, a 720p webcam, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and mini DisplayPort outputs, and a battery allowing up to 7 hours of operation.

The ThinkPad T430u starts at $740 and can be found here.

Still reeling with over-production, swelling inventories, and spot-prices on free-fall, the DRAM industry had been banking on Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system launch to come to their salvation. Apparently, it didn't. As is customary with each new Windows launch, orders for DRAM components go up, as PC makers announce new products, and consumers purchase new RAM to upgrade their systems. Windows 8, which is essentially based on the same (albeit slightly tweaked) kernel as Windows 7, isn't really heavier on system resources. Let alone that, Windows 8 in itself is not expected to bring consumers to get a new PC, because Microsoft made it extremely simple and cheap to upgrade Windows 7 to 8. The industry's only real hope now is for hardware makers Intel, AMD, and ARM to introduce platforms that make use of DDR4 DRAM.

Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) introduced today the Yuma 2 rugged tablet computer-a powerful mobile computing solution that provides full office capabilities in the field for construction, transportation, public safety, field service, forestry, utilities, mapping, insurance and any other outdoor or service-related industry.

The Yuma 2 offers a 7-inch capacitive multi-touch screen in an easy-to-hold form factor that measures 6.3 inches x 9.6 inches, and weighs less than three pounds. Featuring new display technology for even clearer readability in direct sunlight, the Yuma 2 can be used by mobile workers in the brightest outdoor conditions. The 3.75G dual-mode cellular data capability enables connectivity anywhere GSM or CDMA cellular networks are available.

Microsoft has no plans to release a new service pack (SP) for Windows 7. Sources at Microsoft's engineering team told The Register that breaking precedent (of releasing a new SP every 2 or so years), Microsoft will not release SP2 (service pack 2) for the operating system. Apart from being a collection of important software updates over a period, a service pack allows Microsoft to introduce major updates to key components of the operating system, such as its kernel. Apparently, Microsoft's Windows team is too busy with Windows 8, and it is observed that by choosing to not release an SP, Microsoft could be pushing users to its newer OS. Instead of newer SPs for Windows 7, Microsoft will release timely updates for Windows 7 SP1 over Windows Update, till the operating system's support lifetime runs out (that's January 2020).

Fremont-based company Digital Storm has today introduced its newest gaming system, a slim and sleek desktop called Bolt. Featuring a chassis just 3.6 inches wide, Digital Storm's latest creation can be equipped with a 3rd generation Intel Core processor, up to 16 GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 600 Series graphics card (up to a GTX 680), a 1 TB hard drive and, optionally, a 60/120 GB SSD, a DVD writer, and a 500 W power supply.

The Bolt comes with Windows 7 Home Premium pre-installed and it starts at $999.

German company Wortmann has just added a new, business-oriented laptop to its portfolio, a 15.6-inch model known as TERRA MOBILE 1541 PRO. Pictured below, Wortmann's notebook features a Full HD (1920 x 1080) screen, an Intel Core (i3, i5 or i7) processor, up to 16 GB of RAM, integrated graphics, up to a 1 TB hard drive and, optionally, a 256 GB solid state drive, a 2-megapixel webcam, Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 9-in-1 card reader, an ExpressCard slot, three USB 3.0 ports, plus D-Sub and HDMI outputs.

The TERRA MOBILE 1541 PRO runs Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) and starts at €759.

HWBot.org Test lab put the A10-5800K APU through its paces by overclocking its CPU component to 5.242 GHz (124.8 MHz x42 @1.644V), and its Radeon HD 7660D GPU component to 1.58 GHz (up from 1.275 GHz), to yield a 3DMark Vantage score of P10002 (performance preset), a level of performance unheard of for integrated graphics. The feat was made possible by picking the best of three A10-5800K chips cooled by Der8auer Fusion rev3 CPU pot, a Gigabyte FM2A85X-UP4 motherboard, G.SKILL RipjawsZ F3-19200CL9Q-16GBZMD 2x 4 GB memory, Corsair AX1200i PSU, and Windows 7 OS. Find more details in the source link below.

Microsoft Group Program Manager Rob Mauceri has today revealed that Internet Explorer 10 will be bringing its bells and whistles over to Windows 7 in mid-November. The catch is that the release planned for next month is (still) a preview as the Redmond company wants to "collect developer and customer feedback" before rolling out a final version.

Internet Explorer 10 integrates Adobe Flash Player and comes with improved JavaScript performance, better HTML5 support, the Enhanced Protected Mode, plus other tweaks and fixes. IE10 can be experienced in full on Windows 8 which arrives on October 26.

PC giant Dell will continue to offer Windows 7 pre-installed on its Precision, Optiplex, and Latitude brands of notebooks and business desktops, post-Windows 8 launch, the company said. Dell's gaming PC subsidiary Alienware, too, will offer Windows 7 as an option. Microsoft has been generally laxed about OEMs offering older versions of Windows pre-installed, after the launch of a newer one. PC makers were allowed to pre-install PCs with Windows Vista for two years after the launch of Windows 7, however, Windows XP was allowed to be loaded for nearly a decade after its launch.

"We're still moving our business customers from [Windows] XP to Windows 7," said Alison Gardner, director at Dell. "The OS migration for a large company is no small feat. We make it easier but it takes some planning and work," he continued. "For Alienware customers, they know what they want and we give them that choice," Gardner continued. Analysts expect Windows 7 to maintain its popularity post Windows 8 launch, at least with computing devices that lack touch interface.

According to a report, European Commission is planning to level a criminal case against Microsoft for failing to meet the conditions laid down by the judgement of a 2009 case that forced Microsoft to strip its Internet Explorer browser from Windows operating system copies sold in the EU, and presenting new installations of the OS with a browser selection menu. With the advent of Windows 7 SP1, the browser selection menu was not implemented for tens of millions of PCs (out of an error, Microsoft argues). The new case could lead to penalties in billions of Euros for Microsoft.

MSI announced the WindTop AP1612 series compact all-in-one (AIO) PC. Built for basic personal computing such as internet access and office applications, the WindTop AP1612 is a 15.6-inch AIO PC driven by Intel Celeron B830 processor ("Sandy Bridge" architecture, dual-core, 1.80 GHz, 2 MB L3 cache). The processor is backed by Intel HM65 Express chipset, 2 GB of DDR3-1333 MHz memory (expandable to 4 GB), and Intel HD graphics. The 15.6-inch LED-backlit LCD screen features 1366 x 768 pixels resolution. It features a resistive touchscreen layer. A 250 GB SATA 3 Gb/s HDD is the only storage device.

The WindTop AP1612 has plenty of network and legacy connectivity. It features two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, an 802.11 b/g/n WLAN interface, 4 in 1 Card Reader (SD+MS+MMC+XD), and a smartcard reader. Legacy connectivity includes a pair of serial COM and parallel LPT interfaces. Its body embeds a 320p web-camera, and 3W stereo speakers. Wired keyboard and mouse come included. Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit comes pre-installed. The company did not give out pricing information.

Creative technologies developer Modbook Inc. today announced that customers with shipping addresses in the United States can place orders beginning at 2 p.m. PDT today for the Modbook Pro, the company's innovative 13.3-inch pen tablet computer.

To create an easy one-stop shopping experience, Modbook Inc. has opened ModbookShop.com as the exclusive online source to purchase the Modbook Pro. Customers can visit this page and use the dynamic product configurator to customize their Modbook Pro system's processor (up to 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7), memory (up to 16 GB) and internal storage (up to 480 GB solid-state drive), as well as to build out complete single- or dual-display desktop installations, and even to get Microsoft Windows 7 preinstalled and configured as a primary or secondary operating system.

AMD today announced retail and distribution channel availability of its second generation AMD A-Series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) for desktop, small form-factor and home theater PCs. These new APUs target do-it-yourself (DIY) PC builders, mainstream gamers and value-added resellers who want to upgrade their PC infrastructure with affordable performance, discrete-level graphics, multiple cores and fast processing for outstanding responsiveness.

The second generation desktop AMD A-Series APU is available at prices ranging from $53 to $122 USD. Compared to similarly priced competitive offerings, the new APUs offer more cores, more speed, best-in-class entertainment experiences and an easy upgrade path based on a stable socket infrastructure. AMD APU users also gain access to the AMD AppZone and a comprehensive list of accelerated applications that leverage the full compute power of the APU. With hardware-accelerated support for DirectX 11 on AMD Radeon graphics and AMD Eyefinity technology delivering a more immersive experience, the AMD A-Series APUs are the ideal solution for systems running the highly-anticipated Microsoft Windows 8 and today's Microsoft Windows 7 operating systems.

Creative technologies developer Modbook Inc. today announced that its highly portable 13.3-inch Mac-based pen tablet computer, the Modbook Pro, will forego the traditional internal storage method of hard disk drives (HDDs) in favor of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs). The standard internal storage option on the Modbook Pro will be a 64 GB solid-state drive, with upgrades possible to increase internal SSD storage to 480 GB.

Modbook Inc. today also announced that the ordering process for the Modbook Pro is scheduled to begin next Wednesday, October 3, 2012. Customers with shipping addresses in the United States will be able to order the Modbook Pro online for shipment as early as mid-November.

In addition to the upgraded GE60 and GE70, MSI also announced the CR61 series multimedia notebooks. Built in the same 15.6-inch chassis as the CX61, the CR61 is a tad lighter on the specifications. It does away with discrete graphics, for starters. Driven by 3rd Generation Intel Core processors and Intel HM76 Express chipset, the CR61 supports up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1600 MHz memory, up 250/640/720 GB HDD storage options, and DVD SuperMulti drive.

The 15.6-inch glossy LED-backlit LCD display packs 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, and is driven by integrated Intel HD graphics. Connectivity options include 802.11 b/g/n WLAN, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0 with 100 meters range, 5-in-1 memory card reader, HDMI, D-Sub, USB 3.0, and stereo HD audio. The body embeds a 1.3 megapixels web-cam, and 4W stereo speakers. A 6-cell battery powers the CR61 on the move. Measuring 383 x 249.5 x 37.6 mm (WxHxD), the CR61 weighs about 2.4 kg. It comes in all-black and red+black color options. Windows 7 Home Premium comes pre-installed. Pricing differs with market.

Following launches of its GeForce GTX 660 and GTX 650 graphics processors earlier this day, NVIDIA released the latest stable version of its GeForce driver suite. GeForce 306.23 WHQL was released for Windows 7/Vista and Windows XP. This is NVIDIA's first WHQL-signed driver launch after GeForce GTX 660 Ti was launched last month. Hence, it includes official support for GeForce GTX 660 Ti, GeForce GTX 660, and GeForce GTX 650. The company also notified that the next WHQL-signed drivers will remove support for legacy GeForce GPUs such as 6-series and 7-series.

GeForce 306.23 WHQL also adds GPU and game-specific performance improvements. Along with the latest patch by its developer, Total War: Shogun 2 will see up to 60% performance improvement with GeForce GTX 680. Performance is also significantly improved for games such as Batman: Arkham City, Dragon Age II, STALKER: Call of Pripyat, and Battlefield 3 (in SLI). SLI profiles were added or improved for a large number of games. The drivers provide early support for applications built with CUDA 5 Preview.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 306.23 WHQL for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit

A list of changes follows.

At IDF 2012, NEC showed off its newest 13.3-inch Ultrabook, the LaVie Z. Made of a magnesium-alloy chassis, the notebook tips the scales at just 875 g, and is just 15 mm-thin. Its 13.3-inch screen features a native resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. Under the hood are Intel Core i7 "Ivy Bridge" dual-core processor clocked at 1.90 GHz, with Intel HD 4000 graphics; 4 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory, 128 GB SSD storage, and connectivity that includes USB 3.0 and HDMI. Bluetooth and 802.11 b/g/n make up network interfaces. The screen is decked with a 1.3 MP web-cam. It ships with Windows 7 pre-installed.

Over the weekend, Activision released the minimum system requirements (MSR) list of its upcoming AAA title, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, for the PC platform. The publisher maintains that with the new engine being designed for DirectX 11, the game will no longer support Windows XP, yet it can make do with DirectX 10 hardware running on newer operating systems (Windows Vista and above). All you need to run Black Ops 2 is:

• Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 (2.66 GHz) or AMD Phenom X3 8750 (2.40 GHz), processor
• 2 GB for 32-bit, 4 GB for 64-bit environments, memory
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT 512 MB or ATI Radeon HD 3870 512 MB, video card
• Windows Vista SP2 or Windows 7 or above, operating system

Acer America today announced its entry into the thin client market with a new commercial offering, the Acer Veriton N Series. The new thin and rich clients provide simplified manageability and energy-efficiency in a secure, space-saving form factor for virtual environments. These practical systems are designed for small and medium businesses, call centres and customers in education, financial services, healthcare and government wanting to tightly manage data, while reducing overall costs.

By increasing hardware utilization and consolidation, the Acer Veriton N Series provides superb performance while keeping operational costs and power consumption low. Centralized processing makes it easy to manage data and hardware assets, monitor system access and enforce security policies and procedures, significantly increasing internal data security.
"Our new thin client line will help organizations meet today's reality of ever shrinking budgets by simplifying IT without compromising on business deliverables," said Michael O'Beirne, Acer senior director, commercial product marketing. "The Acer N Series are easy to configure, maintain and manage, while reducing the overall cost of ownership."

Today Logitech unveiled the latest in its line of PC keyboards, the Logitech Washable Keyboard K310. From a light dusting to a rinse in the kitchen sink, this keyboard is easy to clean and easy to dry. It's also designed for a comfortable typing experience with a familiar layout and sleek, thin profile.

The Logitech Washable Keyboard K310 can be hand washed time and time again, and can be submerged (with the exception of the USB cable) in up to 11 inches of water. Convenient drainage holes at the back of the keyboard allow for easy drying while key characters are laser printed and UV coated to help ensure the letters don't fade in the wash. Plus, the keys can last up to five million keystrokes, meaning this keyboard can take a washing, as well as a pounding.