Leading mainboard and graphics card maker MSI and the world's best system benchmarking software developer Futuremark have partnered up to jointly announce the newest version of the 3D benchmarking program 3DMark. The new version of this 3D benchmarking utility supports Windows, Windows RT, Android and iOS platforms, and has an all new user interface that will provide enthusiasts with a rich and novel user experience.

The 3DMark series has long been acclaimed among gamers for its original visual design and wide range of special effects. 3DMark 11 in particular has been the No.1 choice for testing graphics card performance since it was released in 2010, and remains the benchmarking utility of choice for enthusiasts today. Due to the previous successful cooperation on 3DMark 11, MSI has partnered with Futuremark again to release the next generation of the world renowned 3DMark benchmarking utility.

AMD today announced the SeaMicro SM15000 server, another computing innovation from its Data Center Server Solutions (DCSS) group that cements its position as the technology leader in the micro server category. AMD's SeaMicro SM15000 server revolutionizes computing with the invention of Freedom Fabric Storage, which extends its Freedom Fabric beyond the SeaMicro chassis to connect directly to massive disk arrays, enabling a single ten rack unit system to support more than five petabytes of low-cost, easy-to-install storage. The SM15000 server combines industry-leading density, power efficiency and bandwidth with a new generation of storage technology, enabling a single rack to contain thousands of cores, and petabytes of storage -- ideal for big data applications like Apache Hadoop and Cassandra for public and private cloud deployments.

AMD's SeaMicro SM15000 system is available today and currently supports the Intel Xeon Processor E3-1260L ("Sandy Bridge"). In November, it will support the next generation of AMD Opteron processors featuring the "Piledriver" core, as well as the newly announced Intel Xeon Processor E3-1265Lv2 ("Ivy Bridge"). In addition to these latest offerings, the AMD SeaMicro fabric technology continues to deliver a key building block for AMD's server partners to build extremely energy efficient micro servers for their customers.

IEEE, the world's largest professional organization advancing technology for humanity, today announced the approval of IEEE 802.3-2012 "Standard for Ethernet." IEEE 802.3 defines wired connectivity for Ethernet local area, access and metropolitan area networks around the world.

"'IEEE 802.3 technologies and the varied Ethernet networks that they enable are found everywhere, and the standard's application horizon continues to expand," said David Law, chair of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group and distinguished engineer with HP Networking. "When Ethernet networking was conceived in the 1970s and the IEEE 802.3 standard was first published in 1985, its founders could not possibly have foreseen the global transformation that their ideas and efforts would ultimately set into motion. The standard has helped spawn whole new business models, industries and ways of life. And that cycle of innovation continues today."

IEEE, the world's largest professional association advancing technology for humanity, today announced the formation of the IEEE 802.3 Next-Generation BASE-T Study Group. The new group is designed to measure industry interest and needs in the next generation of the IEEE 802.3 BASE-T family of technologies for Ethernet transmission over twisted-pair cabling.

Widely deployed for physical-layer connectivity in data centers, IEEE 802.3 BASE-T represents the highest-volume Ethernet port type today. IEEE 802.3 BASE-T technologies typically utilize server-uplink data rates of Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet today, but platform transitions and systems innovation on all fronts are driving new networking requirements.

External enclosures are a great way to have high capacity data storage on the go. Data can also be a critical factor for users in the media business or who work with data centers. Some of the top tier hard drive companies have made their own all in one enclosure with hard drive included. However, one of the known major causes of hard drive failure is due to excessive heat buildup caused by a lack of a proper cooling system.

Also, a majority of hard drive manufactures only allow a 1 year warranty on their all in one external hard drives. This can be fatal for someone who has just lost their data and has to spend a significant amount of money in order to recover their data. There are other external enclosures in the market that provide a cooling system to help prevent this, but the physical placement of the cooling system does not always allow for the optimal airflow to cool the hard drive. Going above and beyond, the MB080U3S-1SB Blizzard is the next generation of external enclosures dedicated for maximum performance in cooling.

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in the development of standards for the microelectronics industry, today announced the publication of key updates to its Universal Flash Storage (UFS) standard. Specifically tailored for mobile applications and computing systems requiring high performance and low power consumption, the new UFS v1.1 standard is an update to the v1.0 standard published in 2011, incorporating feedback from industry UFS technology implementers. JESD220A Universal Flash Storage v1.1 contains important amendments and references to the latest related MIPI Alliance specifications, and may be downloaded free of charge from the JEDEC website here.

JEDEC has also published a complementary standard, JESD223A UFS Host Controller Interface (HCI) v1.1. JESD223A defines a standard host controller interface on which system designers can create a common host controller software driver layer to work with UFS host controller hardware from different manufacturers. The HCI functionality also enables higher performance and power efficiency by minimizing the involvement of the host processor in the operation of the Flash storage subsystem. JESD223A Universal Flash Storage Host Controller Interface v1.1 may also be downloaded free of charge here.

MIPI Alliance and the USB 3.0 Promoter Group today announced the completion of the SuperSpeed USB Inter-Chip (SSIC) specification. The specification defines a chip-to-chip USB based internal interconnect for mobile devices as well as other platforms. SSIC offers MIPI Alliance's M-PHY high bandwidth and low power capabilities combined with SuperSpeed USB performance enhancements.

The M-PHYSM interface, a high speed serial interface, targets up to 2.9 Gbps per lane with scalability up to 5.8 Gbps per lane and offers a low pin count and exceptional power efficiency. SuperSpeed USB offers a 5 Gbps signaling rate, up to 10 times faster than Hi-Speed USB (USB 2.0), enhanced protocol and power management and backward compatibility with the existing USB device and software model.

NVIDIA today announced that its GPUs will be used by scientists at Germany's Forschungszentrum Jülich, which hosts the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, one of Europe's largest and most powerful supercomputing resources, to accelerate advanced neurological research targeted at unlocking secrets of the human brain.

NVIDIA also announced a new, multiyear collaboration with the center to drive the next generation of GPU-accelerated scientific research in neuroscience and a range of other fields, including astronomy, astrophysics, material science, particle physics, and protein folding. Together the two organizations are launching the "NVIDIA Application Lab," a jointly run and staffed resource for the European scientific community located at the center's facilities in Jülich.

Noctua's booth at last week's Computex Taipei not only hosted world's first public demonstration of a PC fan with integrated Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) but also gave a stage to upcoming Noctua products such as the new A-series fans, third generation NF-S12 fan and 37mm low profile CPU coolers. In addition to these upcoming products, Noctua also gave an exclusive insight on some of its current development projects for its D-, U-, C- and L-series heatsinks.

Firstly, Noctua has displayed its completely new A-series fans that feature a novel aerodynamic design measure called Flow Acceleration Channels to reduce boundary layer separation as well as Noctua's AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation) frames. The new A-series fans are scheduled for launch in September/October and will come in square 140mm, round 140mm, slim 92mm plus 60 and 40mm sizes.

NETGEAR, Inc., a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, today announced that it will showcase several innovative solutions for cable operators, including a groundbreaking DOCSIS3.0 gateway integrated with 802.11ac wireless technology, at the ANGA Cable show taking place June 12- 14 in Cologne, Germany. In addition, NETGEAR will also demonstrate its 24 x 8 channel bonded DOCSIS/Euro-DOCSIS gateway to support up to 1.2Gbps downstream and 320Mbps upstream data rate.

The NETGEAR 802.11ac DOCSIS3.0 gateway supports wireless connectivity that is up to three times faster than today's 802.11n routers. With multiple antennae and dual band WiFi, the cable gateway increases the coverage area for HD streaming in the home while enabling consumers to download web content from any device in the home significantly faster than it would take on a similar 802.11n device.

SK Hynix Inc., today announced a joint development agreement and a technology license agreement with IBM for the development of Phase Change Random Access Memory (or 'PCRAM') technology.

IBM brings years of research experience in phase change memory technology, as well as profound know-how in developing multi-level cell (MLC) technology. Last June, IBM researchers demonstrated a reliable multi-bit, phase-change memory technology that would allow computers and servers to boot instantaneously and significantly enhance the overall performance of IT systems. Combining IBM's expertise in such disciplines with SK Hynix's cutting-edge manufacturing process optimization and cost competitiveness will help to accelerate the commercialization of PCRAM technology.

Today during a keynote address at COMPUTEX, Steven Guggenheimer, corporate vice president of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) division at Microsoft Corp., demonstrated the breadth of innovation happening across Windows and the Windows ecosystem. He announced the second community technology preview (CTP) for Windows Embedded Standard 8, unveiled Quanta's new private cloud server solution, highlighted Ford's launch of its award-winning SYNC in-car connectivity system for Taiwan, and showed off some of the latest Windows devices.

When it comes to delivering Windows technologies across PCs, servers, phones and specialized devices, Microsoft is taking a holistic approach by providing familiar tools and technologies that enable customers and partners to maximize their investments. To that end, Microsoft today announced the second CTP for Windows Embedded Standard 8, which delivers the power of Windows for specialized devices running line-of-business applications within intelligent systems. Windows Embedded Standard 8 encompasses tools for natural, immersive user experiences and the ability for OEMs to define and control the device capabilities, with additional technologies that extend the power of Windows on industry devices. The CTP is available immediately for download by visiting this page.

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced its enhanced business laptops product line with 3rd generation Intel Core processors and new technology developed with IBM that enables IT professionals to better control the security and power management across enterprise deployments. The new models include the Portégé Z930 Ultrabook and the Portégé R930 ultraportable, as well as upgrades to its Tecra line of laptops, business workhorses with enhanced durability, security and reliability.

SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced it is using the world's most advanced semiconductor manufacturing process to produce SanDisk's highest performing embedded memory products.

iNAND Extreme is now being built on SanDisk's 19 nanometer (nm)* process technology to enable the large-capacity, high-performance embedded NAND flash memory products that are ideally suited for high-end tablets and smartphones. Products running the Android operating system as well as the upcoming Microsoft Windows RT version of the Windows 8 operating system can benefit from iNAND Extreme capacity, performance and small size.

As every year, COUGAR, leading German PC case and power supply brand, will be showing a strong presence at the Computex 2012 Tech Fair in Taipei, Taiwan. At booth J0409a, Floor 1 in the Nangang Exhibition Hall from June 5 through June 9, COUGAR will be challenging serious gamers with their latest high-end PC equipment line-up. Prominently on the floor ground will be the long-awaited Challenger ultimate gaming case, the most power efficient 80 Plus Platinum certified PC power supply Platinum PTX, as well as the patented and award-winning Vortex series of PC case fans.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced the record highest validated CPU clock speed on the Intel Core i7 3770K processor using a GIGABYTE Z77X-UD3H motherboard, as well as the new world record highest DDR3 memory speed using the GIGABYTE Z77X-U5H motherboard.

The 7.0 GHz milestone was surpassed using an Intel 3rd generation Core i7 3770k processor (aka Ivy Bridge) by renowned overclocker HiCookie, pushing the GIGABYTE Z77X-UD3H motherboard to a fully validated 7.03 GHz using liquid nitrogen cooling. This is regarded as the current #1 highest Ivy Bridge CPU frequency and a world record according to respected global overclocking website HWBot.org.

Super Micro Computer, Inc., a global leader in high-performance, high-efficiency server technology and green computing, now offers NVIDIA Maximus technology in its latest high-end, enterprise-class X9 SuperWorkstation (7047GR-TRF), allowing users to simultaneously design, render and simulate on the same workstation, avoiding traditional, time-consuming and costly processing downtime. Supermicro's NVIDIA Maximus certified solution integrates an NVIDIA Quadro series graphics processing unit (GPU) dedicated for design and visualization tasks with four NVIDIA Tesla C2075 co-processors dedicated to handling compute-intensive tasks like simulation-an industry-first configuration of NVIDIA Maximus technology.

Iomega, an EMC company and a global leader in data protection, today announced the new Iomega StorCenter px12-450r Network Storage Array, multi-protocol networked data storage for small and medium business, remote office/branch office installations and distributed enterprises. The StorCenter px12-450r features the new Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 v2 Product Family, 8GB RAM, improved user supportability and is ready for 4TB* hard disk drives (HDD) and 10 gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) networks. Additionally, the StorCenter px12-450r utilizes the latest version the EMC LifeLine software, an advanced operating system that makes EMC's enterprise class expertise and cloud capabilities available to a broad range of users.

Point of View, a premier NVIDIA graphics partner and manufacturer of Android tablets, notebooks and other hardware, launches today the first card of the GeForce 600 family: the POV GeForce GTX 670. The GeForce GTX 670 is a DirectX 11 and shader model 5.0 supporting graphics card with of course existing NVIDIA features such as NVIDIA 3-way SLI Technology, PhysX, PureVideo HD and CUDA being present!

However, the real reason to upgrade to the GeForce GTX 670 is the huge jump in raw processing power. Crush all your previous performance records with an all-new monster card! The GeForce GTX 670 definitely walks in the footsteps of its' GTX 680 and 690 brothers; performance wise and feature wise.

Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, today reported its third quarter results for the period ended April 28, 2012. Cisco reported third quarter net sales of $11.6 billion, net income on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis of $2.2 billion, or $0.40 per share, and non-GAAP net income of $2.6 billion, or $0.48 per share.

"We delivered solid results this quarter with record revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share," said John Chambers, Cisco chairman and CEO. "We are successfully executing against our long-term strategic plan of growing profit faster than revenue, and in a cautious IT spending environment, we continue to outperform our competitors."

Organized by MSI, the two-month long Beat it gaming competition starts this month in Malaysia. In addition to the main event, other activities will include the qualifying round in five universities, a three-day road show, and an advance purchase and discount sales campaign for the GT70 and GT60--MSI's next generation gaming laptops.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES today announced a significant milestone on the road to enabling 3D stacking of chips for next-generation mobile and consumer applications. At its Fab 8 campus in Saratoga County, NY, the company has begun installation of a special set of production tools to create Through-Silicon Vias (TSVs) in semiconductor wafers processed on the company's leading-edge 20nm technology platform. The TSV capabilities will allow customers to stack multiple chips on top of each other, providing another avenue for delivering the demanding requirements of tomorrow's electronic devices.

Essentially vertical holes etched in silicon and filled with copper, TSVs enable communication between vertically stacked integrated circuits. For example, the technology could allow circuit designers to place stacks of memory chips on top of an application processor, which can dramatically increase memory bandwidth and reduce power consumption-a key challenge for designers of the next generation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced the industry's first 100 Gbps full duplex network processor unit (NPU). Enabling the next wave of 100GbE optimized switches and routers for service provider networks, the fully programmable BCM88030 family features 64 custom processors running at 1GHz, delivering more than 2X the throughput of any NPU on the market. With the industry's highest level of integration, the BCM88030 solution eliminates costly external components, dramatically reducing system cost and power by up to 80 percent per 10 GbE port.

In 2012, the number of connected devices is set to exceed the world's population with an estimated 7 billion devices connected to the network(1). By 2015, 90 percent of content viewed on mobile devices will be streaming video and application downloads are expected to reach 47 billion per year(1). To satisfy this overwhelming appetite for bandwidth, service providers around the globe are racing to transform their networks by adopting higher bandwidth links. Analysts estimate a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 170 percent from 2011 to 2016 for 100G Ethernet ports as service providers rush to meet this demand(2).

Dell's newly redesigned portfolio of Dell Precision tower workstations announced today delivers superb performance, accessibility and best-in-class¹ chassis design to help creative and design professionals deliver results faster. Dell engineered its tower workstations to enable engineering, product design, animation, and other graphics and compute intensive professionals increased productivity and minimized downtime so they can focus on their innovations.

From creating the 854 stereo 3D VFX shots featured in the award-winning movie "Hugo" to designing unique architectural spaces to analyzing seismic data to accelerate exploration of natural reserves, companies around the world rely on Dell Precision workstations to design and deliver superb results fast.

MSI has received high marks from all quarters for its high-end gaming laptops, including being selected for Innovations Honorees at the CES 2012, the IT industry's equivalent of an Oscar. Now, MSI is introducing the GE60 and GE70-the ultimate in next generation gaming notebooks. They feature Intel's latest quad core processor and new generation NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M discrete graphics card. Specially designed to meet the extreme demands of extreme gamers around the world. These killer notebooks also boast awesome peripherals.