To celebrate the introduction of its new 2014 AMD Performance Mobile APUs designed for ultrathin and high-performance mobile PCs, AMD yesterday launched its all-new enthusiast-class Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) for notebooks (formerly codenamed "Kaveri") to the edge of space, symbolically expanding the physical environment of mobile computing in parallel to how AMD expanded the performance envelope of mobile computing through its new APU design.

The new mobile APUs mark the debut of Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) features and Mantle gaming support for mobile devices, establishing these APUs as AMD's most advanced mobile computing technology to-date.

Acer announces the new Acer XB280HK gaming monitor as the world's first 4k2k display featuring NVIDIA G-SYNC technology to provide stunning, ultra-smooth, tear-free imagery and rich colors for outstanding gaming experiences. It features Acer's flicker-less, low-dimming and ComfyView technologies that reduce strain on the eyes for smooth and comfortable extensive viewing.

Part of the new XB0 line of large gaming monitors, the Acer XB280HK is intended to be paired with enthusiast PCs for immersive, ultra high-end gaming. It features a spacious 28-inch LED backlit display with 4k2k Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) that's four times the resolution of 1080p Full HD, and presents stunning high quality images for outstanding visual enjoyment.

Acer today has unveiled the new TravelMate B115P laptop with stylish new FlowCurve design, improved mobility and up to ten hours of battery life. Together with its quiet fan-less chassis and Windows-based touch control, the B115P delivers a great mobile computing experience.

Weighing only 1,190 grams with a 21.2 mm body, the B115P features the newest Intel Quad core Pentium processor, 8 GB memory and 128 GB Solid State Disk, offering users a lightweight and powerful solution. The device is also encased with a sleek aluminum top cover and is strong enough to withstand everyday use.

Acer America has announced the availability of its new Acer B326HUL WQHD LED 32-inch display delivering ultra-high resolution, significant viewing area and an ergonomic stand for professional customers in the United States.

The WQHD 2560 x 1440 resolution provides four times the resolution of standard HD 720p. The high pixel density delivers images with excellent detail, making it perfect for advanced HD productivity and multimedia applications such as video, photo and presentation editing. The large screen is ideal for viewing large spreadsheets and the wide 178-degree viewing angles make the display well-suited for presentations and collaborating with others.

Intel Corporation and other companies today introduced a new lineup of Chrome devices, including the first designs using Intel Celeron processors based on the Bay Trail-M system-on-chip (SoC). A new class of Chromebooks based on the 4th generation Intel Core i3 processor were also unveiled. The announcements were made at a press conference in San Francisco hosted by Navin Shenoy, vice president and general manager of Intel Mobile Client Platforms Group and Caesar Sengupta, vice president, product management, Chrome OS at Google as well as representatives from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG Electronics USA and Toshiba.

"Intel has grown to become the No. 1 microprocessor in Chrome systems," said Shenoy. "We've been working on five generations of Chrome and after Google, Intel is the largest contributor to the Chromium OS. Intel chips are the first and only to support 64-bit Chrome OS. This deep history and investment combined with our stellar Bay Trail and Haswell SoCs mean Intel can offer the best performing devices at every price point in the Chrome category. When people are shopping for Chrome devices, they should look for Intel Inside."

Acer today unveils two new 11.6-inch notebooks, the Acer Aspire V 11 (touch) and E 11, which feature a distinctive FlowCurve and fan-less design for stylish, cool, and quiet computing. The thin and light notebooks are ideal for consumers who require technology that looks chic and fulfills all their infotainment needs on the go.

The new thin and light 11.6-inch notebooks combine impressive computing power with up to 1 TB of storage space, Windows 8.1 tools for great productivity and entertainment, and a choice of color options to display users' individual flair.

Acer today unveiled two new all-in-one (AIO) desktop PCs with 23-inch Full HD IPS displays, delivering vibrant and clear wide angle viewing. The new AIOs include the Acer Aspire U5-620 for consumers desiring a premium PC to serve as the home's digital entertainment hub and the Aspire Z3-615 for budget-minded buyers wanting a mainstream PC for the entire family to enjoy.

The Acer Aspire U5-620 is equipped with advanced video and audio communication features certified by Skype. It is ideally suited for users seeking a device that can host the highest-quality web video chats, while also sporting a modern and slender form factor.

Acer today announces the Aspire E 14 and E 15 notebook series built with time-tested technologies ideal for users who require everyday productivity and infotainment at an affordable price. In addition, a variety of fashionable colors are available to accentuate users' personalities.

A complete range of viewing options is available to satisfy differing customer needs with the choice of Touch/Non-Touch, Full HD/HD, and glare or matte display.

Acer unveils the 2-in-1 Acer Aspire Switch 10 that's a notebook and tablet combined in one flexible device with four modes for touch, typing, viewing, and sharing at any time. The smart device features a magnetic detachable Acer Snap Hinge design for easy transition between modes, latch-free keyboard docking, and optional additional storage capabilities. The Acer Aspire Switch 10 is the ideal companion that helps users stay a touch more connected wherever they go.

Acer Chief Marketing Officer Michael Birkin said, "The Acer Aspire Switch 10 is a winner. A brilliant package of portability, flexibility and vibrancy. It is a stunning addition to the Acer portfolio of Connected Devices - putting you in control of your world - work or play."

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 73.4 million units in the first quarter of 2014 (1Q14), a decline of -4.4% year-on-year, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. Although still in decline and with continuing weakness in consumer and emerging market segments, the preliminary results are slightly better than a projected decline of -5.3%.

Similar to the latter part of 2013, the upside in the first quarter arose primarily from demand in mature commercial markets. Commercial refresh projects, which had already been protracted, received a last push from the impending end of Windows XP support, particularly in Japan. In addition, slowing demand for tablets seems to have helped constrain previously drastic cutbacks in notebooks. Nevertheless, emerging regions continued to post weak results, with growth in Latin America and Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan)(APeJ) falling even faster than recent declines as both economic conditions and continued tablet penetration stifled PC shipments.

Acer today unveiled the GN246HL, a new, gaming-focused 24-inch monitor with a refresh rate f 144 Hz and a response time of just 1 ms. Acer's display makes use of a TN panel and features a an LED backlight, a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, 350 cd/m2 brightness, a 100,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, and D-Sub, DVI, and HDMI 1.4a connectivity.

The GN246HL is set to become available at the end of this month priced at 279 Euro.

Acer America is now offering its Acer K272HUL 27-inch WQHD LED display for consumers in the United States. The large screen size, wide viewing angles and ultra-high resolution deliver exceptional image quality on a big screen.

Boasting high pixel density with a WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution in a 16:9 aspect ratio, the new Acer K272HUL displays brilliant images for digital entertainment. In addition, the large screen is ideal for working with large spreadsheets and viewing the entire page of an online retailer with little to no scrolling. By enabling PiP using both DisplayPort and either a HDMI or DVI port simultaneously, it also supports multitasking whether it's enjoying social media while watching a movie or comparing two Word documents. In some cases, it can replace a multi-monitor set-up. The picture-perfect display also offers wide viewing angles - up to 178 degrees horizontally and vertically - to enhance collaboration with others whether it's viewing slide shows, creating presentations or watching movies.

Acer is working on a variant of its 13.3-inch Aspire S7 Ultrabook with a higher resolution display. It will offer WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution, which works out to a pixel density of 221 ppi, which is not too far away from the 227 ppi that Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display offers. Depending on its other innards, the WQHD Aspire S7 will come in two variants - a base model priced at US $1,499, driven by Intel Core i5-4200U, and a top model priced at $1,799, with a faster Core i7-4500U chip. Both feature 8 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory, and 256 GB of SSD storage, each. The two will begin to show up on leading US retailers in the coming week.

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 82.6 million units in the fourth quarter of 2013, a 6.9 percent decline from the fourth quarter of 2012, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. This is the seventh consecutive quarter of shipment decline.

"Although PC shipments continued to decline in the worldwide market in the fourth quarter, we increasingly believe markets, such as the U.S., have bottomed out as the adjustment to the installed base slows," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "Strong growth in tablets continued to negatively impact PC growth in emerging markets. In emerging markets, the first connected device for consumers is most likely a smartphone, and their first computing device is a tablet. As a result, the adoption of PCs in emerging markets will be slower as consumers skip PCs for tablets."

Acer today presents the new 8.1-inch Iconia W4 tablet running Windows 8.1 and the 4th generation Intel Atom processor. Compact enough to hold in one hand yet spacious enough for comfortable viewing, the Iconia W4 brings mobile productivity and media consumption to the next level.

It targets consumers and professional users who want a tablet that's easy-to-carry and convenient for all the multitasking they do - all in one sleek device. It comes preloaded with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013, at no additional expense, for managing documents and an optional ultra-slim and portable keyboard for those who need to type as well.

Acer today announced that its Aspire S3 Ultrabook is now available in Europe, Middle East and Africa starting at €999. The S3 has inherited some of the industry-leading design and innovations of the Aspire S7, making it an impressively stylish and productive notebook at a more affordable price.

As on the celebrated Aspire S7, the S3's patented dual-torque hinge design allows users to easily open the lid up to 180° for sharing content, while keeping the display wobble-free for an outstanding touch experience.

With the introduction of the new Aspire V5 Series, Acer continues to bring touch and type to the mainstream segment. Designed in line with the current trend towards thinner and lighter notebooks that allow users to enjoy both entertainment and content creation anytime, anywhere, the new V5-561P comes with a built in optical drive as there is are still a lot of customers who prefer to view and store content using an optical drive.

The Aspire V5-561P features an M-DISCTM enabled optical media drive, designed to save valuable content for up to several decades. This means it's capable of storing data into the M-DISC to provide permanent storage of up to 4.7GB. In addition, the M-DISC is not vulnerable to failure like traditional DVDs and CDs, as it's made up of a special layer that undergoes any permanent physical change not fading or deteriorating.

Acer is extending its touchscreen Chromebook line with a new model in a new color -- the Acer C720P-2600 in Moonstone White.
The new Acer C720P-2600 Chromebook will be shown at Pepcom's Digital Experience! media event on Monday, Jan. 6. The event previews some of the hottest gadgets and technologies at this year's 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The striking Moonstone White chassis complements the sleek design of the Acer C720P-2600 Chromebook. The entire chassis is white, giving the device a consistently stylish look from any angle. In addition, customers will enjoy the benefit of touch on the device's 11.6-inch HD LED back-lit display to do more with Chrome apps, media, games and more.

Acer announces the appointment of Jason Chen as Corporate President and CEO from January 1st next year. Taking the important role of leading Acer through its corporate transformation, Chen is currently the senior vice president of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). The resolution was approved by Acer's board of directors today.

Acer Chairman Stan Shih said, "Jason is an excellent manager with extensive management experience and proven execution capability. Acer's search committee met with him on several occasions for in-depth dialogue and exchange of views. We consider him to be the ideal executive to lead our transformation with his wealth of new thinking, international perspective, and willingness to face this challenge. Moreover, he shares the consensus on our strategy and development for Acer's future."

Acer America is now offering its FT200HQL 20-inch class LED-backlit display with 10-point capacitive touch for consumers in the United States for an affordable price of $199. The ergonomic design provides an excellent Windows 8 experience for a wide range of environments.

The new monitor displays bright and clear images for enjoying digital photography, online shopping, social media and movies. The 19.5-inch screen size is large enough for the comfortable viewing of most applications, yet compact enough for multi-monitor setups and space-constrained areas. Windows 8 compliant, it enables users to take advantage of the user-friendly features in Windows 8 with a 10-point multi-touch screen, whether using a new PC or an old PC upgraded to the new operating system.
To make the most of the capacitive-touch capabilities, the display is VESA wall-mountable and its stand enables users to view images tilted back from 10 - 90 degrees for optimum comfort and ergonomics. This tilt feature is especially beneficial for touch-friendly activities like playing games, viewing photo albums and cookbooks as well as Web surfing.

Acer is just about ready to roll out a slick new monitor, the 21.5-inch UT220HQL which features a VA panel with 178/178 degree viewing angles, and offers 10-point touch support. Pictured below, Acer's display features an LED backlight, a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, an 8 ms response time, a 100,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, D-Sub, HDMI and USB connectivity, and MHL capabilities.

The UT220HQL is backed by a two-year warranty and costs 299 Euro.

Acer's Aspire lineup will soon be updated through the release of the Aspire Z3-600, a 21.5-inch all-in-one PC running Microsoft's Windows 8. The upcoming system packs a 1080p panel with 10-point multi-touch capabilities, an Intel Pentium J2580 (quad-core) processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 750 GB hard drive, Harman Kardon speakers, a webcam, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI output, a stand that tilts up to 90 degrees back, and even a battery that will deliver up to 2.5 hours of operation.

The Aspire Z3-600 is coming out this month priced at $779.

The National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Supercomputing Research Center (RSC) has built the world's first switchless cluster computer. Known as the "CK-Star", this computer connects eight computers without switch control, thus breaking Intel's performance record. Together with the computer systems provided by Acer, the CK-Star is jointly built by NCKU RSC Director Dr. Chi-Chuan Hwang and Dr. Yuefan Deng of Mainland China's National Supercomputing Center in Jinan (NSCCJN), who is also a Distinguished Professor at the State University of New York (SUNY).

NCKU RSC Director Dr. Chi-Chuan Hwang added that CK-Star is the most unique switchless cluster supercomputer compared to traditional cluster supercomputer which requires switch control to control interaction between nodes. He explained that the weakness of the traditional one is that switches will become performance bottlenecks when the number of nodes is large. Besides, switches also consume large amount of power, estimated to be 50% of the total power consumption. With the introduction of the CK-Star which allows the unrestricted expansion of supercomputers, these problems can be overcome.

Acer America today announced the availability of its first touchscreen Chromebook, the new Acer C720P, a new model in the Acer C720 Chromebook line that was introduced last month. The new C720P provides the many benefits of touch on the device's 11.6-inch HD LED back-lit display to take advantage of the Chrome interface.

"Our new touchscreen C720P gives customers an intuitive way to browse sites online, enjoy apps, and do more with the Chromebook," said Arif Maskatia, CTO for Acer. "The Acer C720 Chromebook line has been praised for its performance and battery life, and this new touchscreen model allows us to address the needs of an even wider range of customers with exciting new capabilities. We're certain many holiday shoppers will jump at the chance to get a touchscreen Chromebook for just $299.99."

Acer America today announced the immediate availability of the new Aspire R7-572, the second generation of Acer's revolutionary notebook that redefined the touch and type computing experience through its unique Ezel-Hinge. The Ezel-Hinge allows the display to flip, reverse, lie flat or float above the keyboard to maximize usability.

New features include a 4th Generation Intel processor for increased battery life and performance, more memory and a larger hard drive. And continuing to deliver the best touch and type computing experience, it also includes support for an optional active stylus pen and a new set of apps called Acer Touch Tools that make using the touchscreen easier and more productive.