Transcend announced the launch of its new StoreJet Cloud Wireless Portable Drive. Featuring small dimensions, long-lasting battery, and capacity of up to 64GB, the portable StoreJet Cloud significantly extends the storage space available on Apple iOS and other Wi-Fi enabled devices. Photos, documents, eBooks, music, and movies are accessed via a dedicated wireless network, providing much-needed freedom from cables.

StoreJet Cloud offers support to the capacity limitations of mobile devices and presents an excellent value alternative to the ongoing expense and coverage demands of Internet storage. By physically storing media with flash-based technology, StoreJet Cloud can provide a further 28 hours of DVD quality movies or 16,000 songs in a small and lightweight design, as well as skip-free playback in an instant. When connected to a computer, StoreJet Cloud acts like any other portable drive. Simply drag and drop files from the computer into personalized folders for straightforward file management.

Leading international mainboard and graphics card manufacturer MSI today announces the official release of its X79A-GD65 (8D), X79A-GD65, X79A-GD45, and X79MA-GD45 mainboards. The new mainboards are based on Intel's latest X79 chipset and uses the LGA 2011 socket supporting the 2nd generation Core i7 processors. The X79A-GD65 (8D) features with 8 memory DIMMs, supports 16GB DDR3 memory modules, bringing maximum capacity up to a staggering 128GB! For superior quality and stability, MSI X79 series mainboards adopts Military Class III components. With DrMOS II - the next generation of DrMOS with improved double thermal protection - the lifetime of components is maximized, even in warmer environments or when the machine is heavily overclocked.

MSI X79 series mainboards also feature the latest PCI Express Gen 3 bus and MSI's proprietary Click BIOS II for maximum performance and user convenience. When taking into account all of the other advanced technologies supported such as 3-Way NVIDIA SLI and 4-way AMD CrossFireX multi-GPU processing technology, THX TruStudio PRO sound, Multi-BIOS II, Control Center II, and Super Charger, MSI X79-series mainboards are simply the best choice for enthusiasts!

In late September, S3 Graphics, still a subsidiary of VIA Technology and soon to be transferred to HTC, dragged Apple Inc. to court over charges of patent infringement related to graphics component IP of nearly all Apple products, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and iMac. Last month, AMD, now a main supplier of graphics processors for Apple's Mac products, intervened with a counter lawsuit claiming it owned the patents that S3 has asserted against Apple, and sought an immediate halt to S3's patent case against Apple.

In an October 28 filing with the ITC, S3 says that a federal judge struck down a request for an immediate halt into S3's case, but the Commission is scheduled to release its final decision on November 15. The case struck down is (rather was) Advanced Micro Devices Inc. v. S3 Graphics Co., 11cv965, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (Wilmington).

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 fourth quarter ended September 24, 2011. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $28.27 billion and quarterly net profit of $6.62 billion, or $7.05 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $20.34 billion and net quarterly profit of $4.31 billion, or $4.64 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.3 percent compared to 36.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 63 percent of the quarter's revenue.

The Company sold 17.07 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 21 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 11.12 million iPads during the quarter, a 166 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4.89 million Macs during the quarter, a 26 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 6.62 million iPods, a 27 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.

It took somewhat longer than expected, after having been promised for the summer and then a couple more times, but now this fresh new DLC called Portal 2: Peer Review will be released to eagerly waiting Portal 2 fans on October 4 on PC (Steam), PS3 & Xbox 360 platforms. This is a hard date, so there should be no more slips.

Soon to be subsidiary of HTC, currently held by VIA Technologies, S3 Graphics, fired off two more patent infringement charges against Apple Inc. Last week, VIA Technologies had sued Apple for alleged infringement of two of its CPU-related patents. These fresh charges by S3 Graphics, like those by VIA, seek sales ban on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, as well as Mac in the United States. The complaints were filed with the US ITC (United States International Trade Commission), and a district court in Delaware.

S3 Graphics patents that the company claims Apple infringed are: #5945997 "block- and band-oriented traversal in three-dimensional triangle rendering," and #5581279 "VGA controller circuitry". If S3 Graphics pulls it off, it could inflict significant damage on Apple's sales, as the company heads towards the winter shopping season.

Taiwan-based low-power computing technology company VIA sought a sales ban of Apple's iPhone and iPad, for what it alleges to be patent infringements of its microprocessor intellectual property. VIA sought a jury trial along with a sales ban on Apple products containing the inventions in the U.S., according to a complaint filed yesterday in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware.

In its complaint VIA says "The products at issue generally concern microprocessors included in a variety of electronic products such as certain smartphones, tablet computers, portable media players and other computing devices." This specifically impinges upon Apple's cash-cow products, the iPhone and iPad, and it isn't coming at a good time because Apple, according to market analyst Gartner Inc., will dominate tablet sales this holiday season. The case is Via Technologies v. Apple Inc. (AAPL), U.S. District Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).

Iomega, an EMC company and a global leader in data protection, today announced the new Iomega Mac Companion Hard Drive, a speedy, large capacity desktop hard drive styled to match the latest Mac computers with a first-of-its-kind convenient high-powered port to charge your iPad, iPhone and iPod, as well as selection of computer interfaces for connecting peripherals like a printer or other external storage device.

"With the new Iomega Mac Companion Hard Drive, Mac users now have a convenient and stylish way to quickly charge their iPads with the bonus of plenty of new storage capacity for their Mac computer," said Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega Corporation. "With more than nine million iPads sold in the last quarter alone, the new Mac Companion Hard Drive is the perfect complement for all those iPad owners. This futuristic drive blends effortlessly with the latest Mac computers and the Apple ecosystem of mobile devices. Together, form and function rarely looks as good or works as well as the new Iomega Mac Companion Drive."

Apple introduced iCloud, a breakthrough set of free new cloud services that work seamlessly with applications on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and automatically and wirelessly push it to all your devices. When anything changes on one of your devices, all of your devices are wirelessly updated almost instantly.

"Today it is a real hassle and very frustrating to keep all your information and content up-to-date across all your devices," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "iCloud keeps your important information and content up to date across all your devices. All of this happens automatically and wirelessly, and because it's integrated into our apps you don't even need to think about it-it all just works."

Seagate, today announced GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless storage, the first battery-powered external hard drive to wirelessly extend the storage capacity of any Wi-Fi enabled mobile device. With 500GB and Wi-Fi access over 802.11 b/g/n and a rechargeable battery, this latest member of the GoFlex family provides the ability to carry an entire library of video, music, pictures and documents with you. Devices are wirelessly connected directly to the GoFlex Satellite drive by use of the free GoFlex Media app-available now on iTunes and the Apple App Store-or a web browser. GoFlex Satellite is available immediately for preorder from Seagate.com, Amazon and BestBuy.com for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $199.99, and is scheduled to arrive in Best Buy stores in July 2011. Global availability is planned for later this summer.

"With the growth of the tablet and iPad markets and the larger volumes of high-quality media now being consumed, there is a clear need for access to content that is not plagued with the challenges of streamed video over the Internet," said Patrick Connolly, vice president and general manager of Seagate's retail group. "The unfortunate fact is that these popular new mobile devices are hampered by their limited storage capacity while one of their primary functions is that of media consumption.

Apple today updated its signature all-in-one iMac with next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, groundbreaking high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology and a new FaceTime HD camera. Starting at $1,199, the new iMac is up to 70 percent faster and new graphics deliver up to three times the performance of the previous generation.

"Our customers love the iMac's aluminum enclosure, gorgeous display and all-in-one design," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, Thunderbolt technology and a FaceTime HD camera, we've made the world's best desktop even better."

Apple today introduced its 2011 Macbook Pro, the company's premium line portable computers. Available in 13.3-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch sizes, the Macbook Pro binds the latest notebook hardware with the Apple Mac platform. The 2011 version makes use of Intel's second-generation Core "Sandy Bridge" processors, AMD Radeon HD 6000 series graphics, a minimum of 4 GB of DDR3 memory, and Intel's newly introduced Thunderbolt 10 Gb/s "Light Peak" interface. The new Macbook Pro also features a new Facetime HD camera that allows Facetime conversations with three times the video resolution, and a revamped glass-based multi-touch surface trackpad that gives pointing with the precision of an iPhone 4. Mac OSX "Snow Leopard" is the OS of choice.

The lineup, with available hardware configurations is split according to screen size. The 13.3-inch are the entry-level, starting at US $1,199. The base model features dual-core 2.3 GHz Core i5 with 320 GB HDD, topped by a dual-core 2.7 GHz Core i7 driven model with 500 GB HDD at $1,499. The 15-inch pair includes a quad-core 2.0 GHz Core i7 powered model with AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics and 500 GB HDD priced at $1,799, followed by a quad-core 2.2 GHz Core i7 model with Radeon HD 6750M graphics, and 750 GB HDD at $2,199. The series is topped by a 17-inch model with quad-core 2.2 GHz Core i7 processor, Radeon HD 6750M graphics, and 750 GB HDD, priced at $2,499. They are available right away from the Apple Store.

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world class NAS servers, NVR Video Surveillance Systems, and Network-based Media Players today announced the TS-x12 lineup of affordable high performance Turbo NAS servers intended for the fast-growing home and SOHO market segment. The new models utilize the latest Marvell 1.2GHz processor and include 256MB of DDRII memory and Gigabit LAN ports, offering up to 8TB of networked storage with a unique blend of solid performance, high reliability, and advanced features at very affordable price points. The TS-x12 series includes the 1-drive TS-112, 2-drive TS-212, and 4-drive TS-412.

NAS is becoming a popular addition to home networks as they solve the problem of how to centrally store and share digital content among computers in the home - especially in mixed Windows/Mac networks. QNAP's new TS-x12 models are easy to attach to existing networks and provides easy file sharing within the network, centralized backup of all networked computers, website hosting, printer sharing, even recording of surveillance video from IP cameras.

Verbatim, the information storage pioneer and computer peripherals leader, helps consumers nationwide get "plugged in" like never before with the brand-new MediaShare Mini, an easy-to-use home networking solution that makes any USB drive and its files network accessible. The new unit also allows for seamless content sharing with friends and family as well as multimedia streaming.

"With more than 18 million external hard drives expected to be shipped this year, coupled with the increasing need for users to be able to access and share their content whenever and wherever they are, the MediaShare Mini is the perfect solution for helping people manage their digital life in the most efficient possible way," said Verbatim Product Manager, Ron Hanafin. "Whether it's retrieving files remotely, streaming iTunes music or uploading photos directly onto Facebook, the MediaShare Mini is the must-have tool for today's connected consumer."

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world class NAS servers, NVR Video Surveillance Systems, and Network-based Media Players today announced the TS-x19P+ lineup of affordable Turbo NAS servers targeted primarily for home and SOHO users. The new models utilize Marvell's new 1.6GHz embedded processor and include 512MB of DDRIII memory and Gigabit LAN ports, mustering up transfer rates exceeding 100MB/sec and offering a unique blend of performance and features at very affordable price points. The new models include the 1-drive TS-119P+, 2-drive TS-219P+ and 4-drive TS-419P+. With up to 8TB of networked storage, the TS-x19P+ series NAS servers combine an attractive industrial design, outstanding performance, consumer-friendly features, and above all, legendary QNAP quality and reliability.

NAS servers are becoming a popular addition to home and SOHO networks as they solve the problem of how to share digital pictures, music, and videos among computers in the home without resorting to a USB keychain drive. QNAP's new TS-x19P+ models are easy to attach to an existing home network and provide easy file sharing between PCs, Macs, Linux, and UNIX-based computers. QNAP's TS-x19P+ NAS servers can also provide automatic backup of all computers on the network, host websites, record home security surveillance video from IP cameras on the network, be a UPnP-compliant media server, and act as a stand-alone file server for BT/FTP/HTTP and eMule downloads.

Synology Inc. today launched DiskStation DS110+ and DS210+, high-performance and secure NAS servers for SMB users to share and backup data efficiently and increase productivity with rich business-oriental features.

The Synology DS110+ and DS210+ are ideal for users who require a reliable data storage solution and demand high-performance speed for file sharing. The performance test conducted by Synology's lab showed that in a Windows environment, the Synology DS110+ serves an average of 108+ MB/sec reading speed and 68+ MB/sec writing speed while the Synology DS210+ delivers 108+ MB/sec reading and 58+ MB/sec writing. The web server responsiveness is impressive, too. The Synology DS110+ and DS210+ take 85.08 and 78.14 seconds respectively to handle 1,000 simultaneous requests.

Verbatim Americas LLC, the information storage pioneer and computer peripherals leader, introduces MyMedia Server, a home network storage solution designed to efficiently help consumers consolidate, preserve and share all their content on one dependable, high-performance device. Whether seamlessly transferring documents directly onto the server or uploading vacation photos from a remote location, Verbatim's MyMedia Server brings file storage and media sharing to the next level. MyMedia Server will be on display during CES at Booth #36523 in South Hall 4 of the Las Vegas Convention Center, January 7-10, 2010.

"Many homes today have more than one computer, creating the need for consumers to share or access their digital content from either the comfort of a living room or sitting in café or classroom." said Ron Hanafin, Verbatim Product Manager. "With a user interface and design that creates a more enjoyable experience, MyMedia Server is straightforward for anyone to set up and start saving their important data quickly and easily. From here it only takes a couple of clicks to easily access files, listen to music, or share photos with friends and family."

Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking, storage and memory solutions today announced the new, fully redesigned LinkStation Pro. As the answer to all your storage and sharing needs, this high performance NAS device allows iPhone owners to access their photos, videos, files, etc., via Buffalo's unique Web Access 2.0 feature. Web Access allows users to access data via a web browser from any computer.

As the latest addition to the award-winning LinkStation line of consumer NAS devices, the new LinkStation Pro comes equipped with a new, stylish chassis and faster processor for quick and easy file transfers and backups. With Web Access 2.0, iPhone users can conveniently download content stored on their home or office LinkStation Pro right to their iPhone, anytime, anywhere.

We all knew it would happen. Apple just made it official. The new 3G enabled iPhone will hit stores on July 11. The 8GB version will come in a black finish and cost a mere $199, while the 16GB variant will set you back $299 US Dollars. The latter can also be bought in white. Check out the Apple Online Store website for further details. Some notable additions are A-GPS, tri-band 3G support and longer battery life.

According to the Financial Times, Apple is currently in discussions with music companies regarding the possibility of providing users with unlimited access to music downloads. The plan would most likely involve customers having to pay a premium for iPods/iPhones and then being able to download as much music as they want - essentially embedding the cost of music into the price of the player itself. However, the discussions are apparently stalling a bit at present as the companies negotiate over pricing. Apple is reportedly offering only $20 per device, which is much lower than companies like Nokia, which is paying almost $80 per handset for a similar plan. Another possibility is that users may pay a subscription fee each month to have unlimited downloads, with the capability of keeping 40 to 50 tracks each year even if the subscription is cancelled.

Apple today announced that more than 100,000 iPhone developers have downloaded the beta iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) in the first four days since its launch on March 6. The iPhone SDK provides developers with the same rich set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and tools that Apple uses to create its native applications for iPhone and iPod touch. "Developer reaction to the iPhone SDK has been incredible with more than 100,000 downloads in the first four days," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Also, over one million people have watched the launch video on Apple.com, further demonstrating the incredible interest developers have in creating applications for the iPhone."

Two American universities have decided to try and attract more students by offering free iPhones and MacBooks. Oklahoma Christian University is offering all new students attending New Student Orientations a brand new MacBook, and current college students will be given the opportunity to trade in their current laptops to receive one. In addition to this, the University will also offer students an iPhone or iPod touch, depending on whether they're willing to pay the contract fees. Meanwhile Abilene Christian University in Texas is offering a similar deal to all freshmen, giving them the choice of an iPhone or iPod Touch. Dr Dwayne VanRheenen of ACU said:

Because 93 percent of ACU students bring their own computers with them to college, we are choosing to take them to the next level by providing converged mobile devices.

All you iPhone owners out there should know that Apple released firmware update 1.1.4 today for the iPhone. The last update - 1.1.3, introduced a few new capabilities such as the ability to customize the home page, but the only thing noted as new in 1.1.4 are "bug fixes". Please connect your iPhone to iTunes to start downloading the new software.

Despite much talk, Apple is currently "dead in the water" as far as negotiations with Chinese telecommunications companies go. However, Apple doesn't appear to need to be concerned: over one million iPhones have been sold in China so far. However, the clever people who live in China have a different idea than go along with corporate policy. A telecommunications company in China reported that over 400,000 iPhones, unlocked, have been activated and put onto their service. Considering that there are roughly one million iPhones in China, this means that two out of every five iPhone customers is likely to unlock theirs. What's really impressive about this is that the Chinese are still unlocking their iPhones despite many attempts to "brick" iPhones through firmware updates.

While some people felt that the iPhone would crash and burn, it has in fact done quite the opposite. Of those in America that own mobile phones, 28% own an iPhone. While most people would wonder how a very expensive product isolated to a single network could possibly sell so well, market analysts see this rather large market share as a wakeup call to mobile phone manufacturers. Hopefully, we'll see less generic phones in the future, and more phones that will seem to be works of art more than tools of necessity (for some more than others, obviously).