Leaving AMD to deliver on the hardware front, NVIDIA has today rolled out its first official graphics driver of 2012, the beta-tagged GeForce 295.51. This build has support for GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 series desktop cards and for ION GPUs, it comes with updated versions of the PhysX software (v9.11.1111) and HD Audio driver (1.3.12.0), and it brings new and up-to-date SLI and 3D Vision profiles.

Windows 7/Vista 32-bit / Windows 7/Vista 64-bit / Windows XP 32-bit / Windows XP 64-bit

Initially set for a December 20th roll-out, the student-friendly ThinkPad X130e 11.6-inch laptop has now found its way to Lenovo's online shop and where it's awaiting orders (actual shipments start on February 9).

The X130e features a durable construction (rubber bumper around top cover, extra-tough bezel, hinges, keyboard and ports), it runs Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, and packs an Intel or AMD processor, an LED-backlit (1366 x 768) display, integrated graphics, up to 8 GB of RAM, up to a 500 GB hard drive (or a 128 GB SSD), Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, optional Bluetooth and mobile broadband, and a 6-cell battery allowing for up to 8 hours of operation.

Currently Lenovo is offering two base configurations for this machine, one priced at $429, with an AMD E-300 (1.3 GHz) APU, 4 GB of RAM and a 250 GB HDD, and one costing $549 that boasts an Intel Core i3-2367M (1.4 GHz) CPU, 4 GB of RAM and a 250 GB HDD. Both are available here.

In addition to releasing the Catalyst 12.1 suite, AMD has today rolled out another graphics driver, a preview version of the Catalyst 12.2 which is set to come in WHQL-tagged form next month. Recommended for 'gamers', this preview release includes all the updates of Catalyst 12.1 as well as the following:

- AMD Eyefinity 2.1 technology enhancements
- Additional resolution support: Users can now choose from a larger set of resolutions when running AMD Eyefinity
- Dynamic Configuration Changes: Switching between different display configurations will occur automatically when physically plugging/un-plugging displays
- HydraVision enhancements: The Windows Task bar can now be moved and resized based on users preference
- Profile Manager improvements: Increased support for Display Groups (including 5x1) and Extended configurations within the Profile Manager

The Catalyst 12.2 Preview Driver can be downloaded (for Windows 7 and Vista) from this page (Radeon HD 7970 users need not click, this driver doesn't support their card).

AMD has now made available the first WHQL-certified graphics drivers of 2012, the Catalyst 12.1. This release includes support for Radeon HD 2000, HD 3000, HD 4000, HD 5000 and HD 6000 series desktops (and mobile) cards (but not the HD 7970), for Radeon 3000 and HD 4000 chipsets, and features the following:

AMD HD3D technology support enhancement

- Enables support for AMD HD3D technology in conjunction with AMD CrossFireX configurations
- Delivers a new Stereo 3D mode over HDMI 1.4a connections - 1080p at 30Hz is now enabled on supported displays

To download the Catalyst 12.1 WHQL drivers just see these links: Windows 7/Vista 32-bit / Windows 7/Vista 64-bit / Windows XP 32-bit / Windows XP 64-bit

One month after making its North American debut, ASUS' ET2700 27-inch All-in-One desktop PC is now gearing up to reach European retail and e-tail. Set to ship in Europe next month, the All-in-One (codenamed ET2700INKS-B005C) has a Full HD (1920 x 1080) MVA display, a Core i5-2400S processor, 6 GB of RAM, a 2 TB (5400 RPM) hard drive, a GeForce GT 540M 1 GB graphics card, and a Blu-ray combo drive.

ASUS' PC also packs Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, a 3-in-1 card reader, a 2.0-megapixel webcam, a TV tuner, two 3.5W speakers (an external subwoofer is included in the package), two USB 3.0 ports, and both D-Sub and HDMI outputs.

The ET2700 runs Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, it comes bundled with a wireless keyboard and mouse and a remote control, and is set to cost 1,399 Euro.

Japanese PC manufacturer StormST unveiled the Still Tower Gamer Edition desktop PC, which is configured to offer decent features and performance at a value price point. It's more of a "pre-integrated PC", since even its chassis is sourced from other brands. The chassis is an NZXT H2 (white or black) silent case.

Innards include Intel Core i7-2600K processor cooled by SCYTHE APSALUS2 120 closed-loop water cooler, ASRock Z68 Pro3 motherboard, 8 GB (4 GB x2) DDR3-1333 MHz memory, ELSA Gladiac GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1 GB graphics, Intel SSD 320 Series 80 GB holding the OS and Program Files, 2 TB storage HDD holding Users and Documents folders, Pioneer DVD writer, Antec Earthwatts Green 650W PSU, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. All this, for 129,780 JPY or US $1,685.

Number one PC maker HP has today introduced the Mini 1104, a new 10.1-inch netbook targeting mobile professionals and students. This machine is 0.89 inches thick and features a 1.6 GHz Atom N2600 dual-core processor, an LED-backlit (1024 x 600) display, 2 GB of RAM, Intel GMA 3600 graphics, a 320 GB (5400 RPM) hard drive, and a 93% full-sized (spill resistant) keyboard.

HP's netbook also packs 10/100 LAN, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0 (HSPA+ support is optional), a media card reader, a VGA webcam, a D-Sub output, three USB 2.0 ports, and a 3-cell (28 WHr) or 6-cell (55 WHr) battery.

The Mini 1104 starts at $399 and can be pre-loaded with Windows 7 (Starter, Home Premium or Professional) or FreeDOS.

Without making much noise ASUS has made available, in Germany at least, a new, Fusion-flavored (or should we say heterogeneous-heavy?) Eee PC, the 10.1-inch R051BX. Available in black (but coming soon in white), this netbook weights 1.17 kg, and has an LED-backlit (1024 x 600) display, an AMD C-50 (dual x86 cores @ 1.0 GHz, Radeon HD 6250 graphics) APU, 1 GB of RAM, a 320 GB hard drive, and a 2,200 mAh battery.

The Eee PC R051BX has Windows 7 Starter pre-installed and costs 259 Euro.

Sunnyvale-based heterogeneous computing promoter AMD has today made available an updated driver for its recently-released Radeon HD 7970 graphics card. Dubbed 8.921.2 RC11, this fresh driver brings the following:

Super Sampling Anti-Aliasing and Adaptive Anti-Aliasing Preview support for DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 applications

- AMD Radeon HD 7900 users can now enable Super Sample Anti-Aliasing and Adaptive Anti-Aliasing through the AMD Catalyst Control Center for DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 applications.
- Applications must support in game Anti-Aliasing for the feature to work (Forced on Anti-Aliasing through the Catalyst Control Center is not supported for DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 applications).

Samsung Electronics has today officially launched (in South Korea) its Series 9 premium all-in-one desktop, a sleek and sexy machine with an asymmetrical design which makes use of a 27-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) 3D panel.

Samsung's PC runs Windows 7 and also features an Intel Core i7 processor, up to 8 GB of RAM, an AMD Radeon mobile GPU, and a TV tuner. The Series 9 AiO comes bundled with a pair of 3D glasses, wireless mouse and keyboard. No word on pricing though.

ASUS B23E 12.5-inch Business Laptop goes up for Pre-order

The ASUSPRO B Series of business-grade laptops will soon be added a new model, one known as the B23E which weights as low as 1.55 kg and features a durable magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis, a spill-proof keyboard, a 12.5-inch (1366 x 768) display, a Sandy Bridge processor, and a Sonata long life (900-charge cycle) battery.

Now available for pre-order is one B23E SKU (the B23E-XH71) which packs a 2.7 GHz Core i7-2620M CPU, 4 GB of RAM, Intel HD graphics, a 500 GB (7200 RPM) hard drive, a 5-in-1 card reader, a 2 megapixel webcam, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, an ExpressCard slot, and a HDMI output. The B23E-XH71 runs Windows 7 Professional 64-bit and costs $922.43.

Ideum has announced the release of its new MT65 Presenter multitouch wall display. The MT65 Presenter is a huge 65" interactive display with a 3D LCD, robust multitouch sensor, ultra‐clear tempered glass, a powerful integrated computer, built‐in audio, and webcam housed inside a hardened aluminum case.

The MT65 Presenter features a 65" 3D LCD display with full 1920x1080 HD resolution and flicker‐free FPR 3D imaging that uses an LED backlight rated for 50,000 hours. The integrated touch sensor supports up to 32 simultaneous touch points. The 4" thin Presenter is protected by hardened 3mm tempered glass and a vandal‐proof metal housing.

Following the success of their v175w ice cream flash drives PNY Technologies, Inc. ("PNY") is considered a leading designer, manufacturer and a worldwide leader in DRAM Memory and Flash Memory products, introduced a new USB flash drive, the v270w. The innovative flash drive comes in an egg shaped design that gives a light-hearted and fun vibe whilst offering fast and convenient transfer of files on the go.

The HP v270w is covered in a distinctive multicolored rubber material offering water and shock resistance that protects and prevents any data loss from accidental drops or external collisions. The egg shaped cover is embossed in wavy design which provides better grip and easy disconnection. The bright use of white and sunshine yellow exudes a playful and radiant appearance.

Very quietly Microsoft has released two new patches available for the Bulldozer platform. According to the AMD blog these patches seem to offer little more then a 10% boost but the do improve over all performance. This is what Adam Kozak a product marketing manager at AMD had to say,

"Some of you may remember that AMD FX processors use a unique dual-core module architecture codenamed "Bulldozer", which current versions of Windows 7 were not specifically architected to utilize. In essence, for those with an AMD FX-8150 Processor, for example, Windows 7 sees the eight available cores and randomly assigns threads to them.

In initial testing of the upcoming Windows 8 operating system, we've seen performance improvements of up to 10% in some applications, when compared to Windows 7. This is because the system correctly recognizes the AMD FX processor architecture and cores. Thanks to close collaboration between Microsoft and AMD, Microsoft recently completed back-porting some of the Windows 8 scheduler code for AMD FX processors into a hotfix for Windows 7."

In addition to a few new Android tablets, at this year's CES ViewSonic also unveiled a fresh dual-boot Windows/Android tablet PC which is set to hit North American stores before the end of this month, the ViewPad 10pi. This quite bulky (266 x 13.5 x 180 mm) tablet is pre-loaded with Windows 7 Professional and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), has a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) IPS touchscreen, and is powered by a 1.5 GHz Atom Z670 processor.

ViewSonic's device also features 2 GB of RAM, a 64 GB SSD, a 3.2-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1.2MP front camera, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, an SD card slot, two USB 2.0 ports, and a 2890 mAh battery enabling up to 4 hours of operation per charge. The ViewPad 10pi is expected to sell for $849.

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, along with EXOPC, today announced the EXOdesk, an interactive touchscreen desk. The companies will showcase the technology demonstration at CES 2012 as part of a strategic partnership.

Built by ViewSonic, the EXOdesk is a 32" 10-point touch tabletop that uses an HTML5 powered user interface created by EXOPC. The EXOdesk demonstrates an intuitive design aesthetic and supports gesture-based control of applications including productivity tools, social networking and games. The desk will be powered by an external PC configured with an Intel Core i7 processor, Intel's integrated graphics, and Windows 7.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the Accelerator Series solid-state cache drives.

The Accelerator Series is designed for desktop PC users who want to give their Microsoft Windows based PC a dramatic performance boost with minimal cost and hassle. Corsair's new line of SSD cache drives includes premium caching software from NVELO, for improved boot times and lightning-quick file access. After connecting an Accelerator Series SSD cache drive to their computer's SATA port and installing the caching software provided with the drive, users will see an immediate speed boost. No drive mapping, no reinstallation of the operating system or applications, and no complex file management is needed - the Accelerator Series SSD cache drive works in tandem with the customer's existing hard drive to provide optimized performance. Customers may see an improvement in file read/write speeds of up to 5x their current hard drive performance after installing a Corsair Accelerator Series SSD cache drive.

Today, after talking tablets big and small, ASUS mentioned no less than four new Eee PC netbooks, three models boasting a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) display, the Eee PC 1025C, 1025CE and X101CH, and one equipped with a 12.1-inch (1366 x 768) screen, the Eee PC 1225B.

All three 10-inch models are powered by Intel's Cedar Trail platform while the 12-inch machine is based around AMD's Brazos solution. The Eee PC 1025C and X101CH make use of the 1.6 GHz Atom N2600 CPU, whereas the 1025CE packs the 1.86 GHz Atom N2800 processor. The 1225B comes with the E-450 Brazos APU.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and a channel manufacturer, today kicks off the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show with a trio of versatile 2nd-Generation ZBOX mini-PCs for all your computing needs. The new ZOTAC ZBOX ID81, ID80 and AD04 series deliver outstanding energy-efficiency and stunning high-definition video playback in a compact form factor.

2nd-Generation ZBOX platform enhancements debuting with the ZBOX ID81, ID80 and AD04 series include an external WiFi antenna for superior wireless reception, integrated Bluetooth 3.0 technology and a bundled Media Remote with USB IR receiver for use with Microsoft Windows Media Center, XBMC and other popular media player applications.

VIZIO, America's #1 LCD HDTV Company, announced today an innovative line of five premium personal computers designed to turn the PC market upside down and accommodate the entertainment needs and wants demanded by consumers. Set to launch with Windows 7 in spring 2012, the elegantly designed PCs will provide an entertainment experience only VIZIO can deliver, complete with top notch 2.1 audio and video quality. The personal computing line consists of two all-in-one computers, two thin + light notebooks and one notebook. VIZIO's line was developed to raise the bar in personal and home entertainment while also keeping powerful performance at the forefront.

Much like its entrance into the HDTV category nearly a decade ago, VIZIO believes it has identified a need in the PC world for a device that addresses a recent change in consumer behavior. Growing popularity in video streaming services has resulted in the need for personal computers that can stream content for a family movie night and put together an important business presentation the following day. The VIZIO PCs address this change by meeting both the entertainment and productivity demands.

Here are some of the first pictures of Toshiba's NB510 netbook, which will be released at CES, next week. The NB510 will be a middle-ground in terms of value and features, in between the NB520 and NB500 launched in late-2010, although it's driven by the latest 3rd generation Atom processors. This 10-incher sports a display resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, and is driven by Atom N2600 or N2800 processors; along with 1 GB of DDR3-800 MHz memory, 320 GB storage, and Windows 7 Starter Edition making up its feature-set. Available in three color options, its prices start at around US $400.

Unveiled last month, Tranquil PC's ultra-slim MMC-12 media center PC started selling, with an introductory price of £649.00 (about US $1007), its original price will be £749. Measuring 395 (w) x 225 (d) x 40 (h) mm, the MMC-12 is about as big as a consumer Blu-ray/DVD player, and relies entirely on its heatsink-fitted aluminum chassis to passively cool the processor and chipset. The base model is driven by an Intel Core i3-2100T dual-core processor, with 4 GB dual-channel DDR3 memory, 80 GB OS and programs mSATA storage, Internal MCE IR RX and MCE, and Windows 7 Home operating system.

The main unit has an empty 2.5-inch HDD bay, and a slot-in DVD-writer drive, other optical disc formats could probably be opted for. The system has a rated power consumption of 19W (about as much as a consumer DVD/BD player), and uses an external power brick. The drive relies on external storage to hold your media library. It has one eSATA 3 Gb/s port, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and gigabit Ethernet connection to help it do that.

Taiwan-based tablet PC developer BungBungame unveiled Photon 100, a Windows 7 Home Premium-driven tablet PC with a highly-customized user-interface that makes it ideal for use by businesses, in the healthcare industry, restaurants, hotels and insurance, according to the company. The 10.1-inch tablet PC is driven by AMD Z01 accelerated processing unit (APU), with 4 GB of DDR3 memory, and 64 GB SSD. It weighs 820 grams. It is priced at NT $20,000 (US $662), and will be available in February 2012. BungBungame will demo the Photon 100 at the upcoming CES event.

Although not officially announced, Lenovo's Ideapad S110, which is based on the Intel "Cedar Trail" Atom processor platform, showed up on a teaser video by the company. Lenovo is referring to this 10.1-inch netbook as a "mini notebook". Generally, big vendors such as Lenovo refer to portable computers in this category as "netbook" or "sub-notebook". In its video, Lenovo revealed the Ideapad S110 to come in four fabulous color options. The S110 is driven by Intel Atom N2600 processor, 1 GB of RAM, 320 GB HDD, a 10.1-inch HD screen featuring 720p resolution, a 2 megapixel web camera, 98-percent full-size chicklet keyboard, Lenovo's Quick Start feature, and USB 3.0. 10/100 ethernet and WiFi b/g/n are standard, though 3G HSDPA can be opted for. Windows 7 Starter is the OS of choice. ProVantage already listed the Ideapad S110 (base) for US $321.62Lenovo's teaser video follows.

According to the latest information received by industry observer DigiTimes, Intel plans to launch the first processor platform for ultra-thin Android tablets based on its x86 architecture, codenamed "Medfield", in Q2 2012. Tablets based on this will be able to run Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich". Then in Q4 2012, Intel plans to launch the more powerful Clover Trail-W platform. Currently, Intel's Oak Trail platform consisting of Atom Z670 processor and SM35 chipset drive Windows 7 or Android Honeycomb tablets.

The fundamental difference between Medfield and Clover Trail-W with its predecessor Oak Tail, is that Medfield will be designed for ultra-thin tablets with long batter life, currently only ARM processors provide the kind of performance-per-Watt to achieve this form-factor. Oak Trail and its succeeding Clover Trail-W, are designed for slightly more capable tablets. Oak Trail is opted today, to design tablets that run Windows 7 PC operating system. Microsoft will design performance and UI-optimized Windows 8 variants when its next-gen operating system sees the light of the day next year.