ECS today rolled out the LIVA Z2L, a palm-size compact desktop with something in it for electronics hobbyists - a GPIO header. Driven by Intel Pentium/Celeron "Gemini Lake" SoCs, these desktops measure 132 mm x 118 mm x 56.4 mm (WxDxH), and feature VESA mounts, so you could tuck them away behind your display. The unit is completely fanless, and draws power from an external power adapter. Connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports, including a type-C, two USB 2.0 ports, D-Sub and HDMI display outputs, gigabit Ethernet, and 802.11ac WLAN. Under the hood, the "Gemini Lake" SoC is wired to 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory over two SODIMM slots (single channel), and storage is care of a 64 GB eMMC device that can juggle hot data from a 2.5-inch HDD. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. today announces a new addition to its popular family of CANVIO external hard drives (HDDs), a 4 TB option in its ADVANCE, BASICS and READY series. The 4 TB option gives up to 33 percent extra storage (compared to 3 TB) for consumers and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that want to store large files and back up their data. Using 1TB platter technology allows the 4 TB CANVIO models to maintain the same low-profile design as 3 TB models. All models support Windows and Mac operating systems and are compatible with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0.

CANVIO HDDs combine a sleek, slim and stylish design with practical features such as a ramp-load design to prevent internal wear, plug-and-play functionality, backup and security software (available on the ADVANCE models), and a range of more flexible capacity options of 1 TB, 2 TB, and now 4 TB.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today launched the HS-453DX, a silent NAS that features an Intel Celeron quad-core processor, HDMI 2.0 (4K 60Hz) output, 4K real-time transcoding, and 10GbE high-speed connectivity. Contained within a stylish set-top design, the HS-453DX features a fanless cooling solution that makes it the perfect addition to living rooms and existing home theater setups. The HS-453DX has also won the CES 2019 Innovation Award and Computex d&i Award for high-quality product design.

Powered by an Intel Celeron J4105 quad-core 1.5 GHz processor (burst up to 2.5 GHz) with 4GB/8GB DDR4 memory and two 3.5-inch SATA 6Gb/s drive bays, the HS-453DX delivers up to 677 MB/s read/write speeds. With two M.2 2280 SATA SSD slots (M.2 SSDs sold separately) the HS-453DX also provides a hybrid storage structure with SSD caching reinforcing traditional hard drives, helping to optimize the performance of demanding applications (including media streaming applications such as Roon Server). 10GbE connectivity is also provided with a built-in 10GBASE-T five-speed port (supports 10G/5G/2.5G/1G/100M) to provide users with a future-proofed storage solution.

LaCie , the premium brand from Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX), unveiled the high-performance LaCie Portable SSD storage solution. The compact external solid state drive offers fast and reliable performance featuring USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gb/s) technology with USB-C connector for universal compatibility.

With maximum sequential read/write speeds of 540/500MB/s, the LaCie Portable SSD is ideal for on-the-go creative professionals looking for uncompromised performance. Available in 2TB, 1TB, or 500GB capacities, this light-weight solution can transfer one hour of 4K 30fps video footage in less than one minute and store up to 65 hours of 4K 30fps video or 20,000 RAW photos2 (2TB capacity). It is also a great alternative to serve as a scratch disc -- allowing users to edit content directly off the LaCie Portable SSD, freeing up valuable workstation resources or serving as the perfect shuttle drive to quickly transfer files from capture devices on-set back to the studio.

Razer , the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Razer Sila, a high-performance WiFi router designed for home users requiring WiFi service optimized for high-performance gaming, streaming and downloading multimedia content. With the upsurge in mobile gaming, and with many homes unable to run a wired network to every room, fast and reliable WiFi is more important than ever. The Razer Sila router is designed to deliver lag-free gaming and smooth, interruption-free streaming over a fast wireless network, meeting the needs of today's mobile, console and laptop users.

The Razer Sila features a suite of technologies designed to give gamers the fastest, most reliable WiFi connection within their home or office with Razer FasTrack, Multi-Channel ZeroWait DFS and Mesh capability with a dedicated backhaul. Setup and management through a mobile app makes Sila installation and use simple and quick. The Razer FasTrack software featured in the Razer Sila is a proprietary QoS engine for smart traffic management. By using deep packet inspection and adaptive learning technology, Razer FasTrack allows users to prioritize traffic based on application and device types, from mobile phones and smart TVs through to laptops, PCs or consoles. With built-in detection for PlayStation, Xbox and Switch consoles, users can easily fine tune their networks for the smoothest gaming or streaming experiences. Razer FasTrack also features a one-touch gaming mode, to automatically reserve bandwidth for online gaming.

Cooler Master is extending its reach in the peripherals/accessory market with a weighty entry into the mousepad market. The Cooler Master MP860 RGB Gaming Mousepad does a good job of describing its form and function: it's a mousepad with RGB lighting capabilities. An RGB strip with 19 color spots lights around the mousepad in user-configurable neons, and sips power and configuration data (including pairing with other RGB hardware users may have) through a USB 3.0 port. Cooler Master managed to keep the RGB controllers and whatnots to a slim level, though, with none of the bulky protrusions usually found in other mousepad RGB solutions.

The MP860 RGB Gaming Mousepad features a dual-sided design with cloth and anodized aluminum. Dimensions are set at 360 x 260 x 6 to 10mm. The MP860 will be available in the UK starting next month for £79.99.

Acer has announced two incoming budget-yet-premium gaming monitors to power AMD's FreeSync-supporting graphics cards. The new XZ1 series will come in 27" (XZ271U) and 31.5" (XZ321QU), thus appealing to two different market segments. The new monitors both sport a 144 Hz, 1 ms, 16:9 VA panel with WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution. Both are curved affairs; contrast stands at 3000:1; color coverage is at 85% of the NTSC color-space; and we're saying they are HDR10 ready because with their maximum brightness of 250 and 300 cd/m², respectively, they'll never be able to showcase the tiniest amount of HDR10 detail. Like the initial HD ready TVs which only supported 720p resolution but could process higher-density images, so does this HDR10 badge not mean there's an actual ability to properly display HDR10 content as it was meant to be.

Connectivity stands at 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x mini DisplayPort 1.2, and 2x HDMI 2.0 headers. There are two 7 W stereo speakers and a headphone jack in each monitor, as well as a quad-port USB 3.0 Type-A hub. The stands can tilt between -5 to 25 degrees, swivel +/- 25 degrees, and provide height adjustments of up to 120 mm. Both panels can now be purchased at Amazon.com, with pricing set at $527 and $550 respectively (not final retail pricing for the Americas).

Raijintek today announced the Ophion and Ophion EVO cases. The Raijintek Ophion and Ophion EVO are two impressive M-ITX cases that are not only affordable at just £119.99/£129.95, but more importantly offer a range of features not often seen in small form factor cases.

The Ophion and Ophion EVO can accommodate a full size 330mm GPU alongside a standard ATX power supply, with the Ophion EVO even supporting top mounted 240mm AIO coolers in a case that's just 17.4cm wide. The case itself has a brushed aluminum front panel alongside two tool-less tempered glass side panels; It also includes a full speed PCIe 16x Riser Cable.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today released a new quad-core 3-bay NAS - the TS-332X - that allows for building a RAID 5 array for balancing capacity and protection with the fewest disks. The TS-332X also provides a 10GbE SFP+ port, three M.2 SATA 6Gb/s SSD slots, and supports SSD caching and Qtier auto-tiering technology to help tackle performance-demanding business operations. Featuring a minimalist design, the affordable 10GbE-ready TS-332X can easily fit any commercial space.

The TS-332X is a small NAS, but it is packed full of competitive features," said Dan Lin, Product Manager of QNAP, continuing "It allows for RAID 5 protection in a budget configuration, supports M.2 SATA SSDs, and performs efficient tiered storage. It is a cost-effective 10GbE NAS that empowers even the most budget-conscious small offices to upgrade their entire IT infrastructure."

NETGEAR , Inc. today debuted during IFA 2018 tradeshow its latest member of the Nighthawk Pro Gaming product family, the Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR700 WiFi Router, the industry's fastest home router for gaming. In addition to its award-winning DumaOS for greater network control over who and how you play, the NPG XR700 router sports cutting-edge hardware with its AD7200 Quad Stream Wave2 WiFi. Whether you're an avid or a casual gamer, the NPG XR700 router will deliver the control you need to dominate opponents in online multi-player scenarios.

Similar to the rest of the award-winning Nighthawk Pro Gaming family, the groundbreaking NPG XR700 router is purpose-built and fine-tuned to address the unique networking challenges of gamers. It optimizes network connections by stabilizing ping, reducing lag spikes, and keeping you always-on with the fastest wired and wireless connectivity for advanced online game play. The XR700 leverages exclusive state-of-the-art gaming software powered by DumaOS for critical pro gaming capabilities such as an intuitive and interactive Gaming Dashboard, a Geo Filter to guarantee local game hosts, and Quality of Service (QoS) to control and eliminate lag. This rich set of software features enables customization and gaming performance unmatched in the router space.

ACER at IFA 2018 announced a new Windows MR headset, with improved build quality and features compared to its first product for that particular market. The OJO 500 features a very respectable 100º FOV, and its two 2.89-inch. 2880x1440 panels offer the 90 Hz refresh rate that's so important for nausea prevention in this kind of setups. There's integrated audio with what Acer calls a "patented sound pipe" that moves sound from the headset's speakers directly to users' ears - and there's a built-in mic array.

Upgrades to the body of the headset mean that the lens casing and strap (in a hard or soft version, with the latter being machine washable) can now be easily removed for easier cleaning duties, and the visor can be lifted so you can actually see what's going on in the real world. Other quality of life (and image quality) improvements include an IPD (Inter Pupillary Distance) dial that allows you to regulate for better image quality and visualization comfort. Two motion controllers will be bundled with the headset, which features inside-out tracking and 6 DoF (Degrees of Freedom). The headset comes with a 4 meter (13 feet) cable, and connects to a PC via HDMI 2.0, while a USB 3.0 connector downloads data (no VirtuaLink support as of yet). It will be available come November of this year for $399 in the US and for a much more eye-watering €499 in the EMEA.

British PC maker Tranquil PC is making its comeback with three new fanless mini PCs based on AMD Ryzen Embedded SoCs. The three are part of the "mini multi display" series, and are its variants, named "Basic," "Advance," and "Advance+." The three feature Tranquil PC's latest octagonal fanless aluminium chassis measuring 180 mm x 157 mm x 54 mm. The body panels of the case double up as heatsink for the sub-25 Watt SoCs. Connectivity is common between the three. On the front-panel, you get two USB 3.0 ports, one of which is type-C; HDA audio jacks, and interestingly an RS232 serial COM port.

The rear panel gives you access to four DisplayPort 1.2 connectors, which can each drive a 4K UHD display; two additional type-A USB 3.0 ports, two 1 GbE interfaces, and hardpoints for the WLAN antennae (802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.1). SoC variant and storage is what differentiates the three. The Basic trim gives you a Ryzen Embedded V1202B (2-core/4-thread, up to 3.20 GHz) chip, 8 GB of DDR4 memory, and 256 GB of SSD storage. The Advance trim gets you the faster 4-core/8-thread Ryzen Embedded V1605B (up to 3.60 GHz); 16 GB of memory, and 256 GB SSD storage. The Advance+ trim steps that up with 32 GB of memory, and 1 TB of SSD storage. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Without making too much noise about it, Intel sneaked in a revision of its H310 Express entry-level chipset with support for Windows 7. Microsoft, if you'll recall, restricted support for newer processors (Intel "Kaby Lake" and newer, and AMD "Zen" and newer) on the 9-year old operating system, late-2016. There are ways around this restriction. The revised H310 chipset is pin-compatible with its predecessor, and hence major motherboard manufacturers are putting out revisions of their H310 motherboards with the newer chipset, being referred to as either "H310C" or "H310 R2.0."

To bolster this change, Intel is also releasing Windows 7 drivers for the chipset (INF Update Utility); integrated USB 3.0 controllers, the SATA AHCI controller, and even Management Engine Interface (MEI). What you don't get (yet), however, is Windows 7 versions of Intel UHD 6xx Graphics drivers, so you're restricted to using discrete graphics cards. Windows 7 refuses to die down, not just in enterprises, but also among PUBG gamers from China.

One of the first Intel NUC (next unit of computing) mini PCs to feature completely discrete GPUs (and not MCMs of CPUs and GPUs), the "Crimson Canyon" NUC8i3CYSM and NUC8i3CYSN, are up for pre-order. The former is priced at USD $529, while the latter goes for $574. The two combine Intel's 10 nm Core i3-8121U "Cannon Lake" SoC with AMD Radeon 540 discrete GPU. Unlike the "Hades Canyon" NUC, which features an MCM with a powerful AMD Radeon Vega M GPU die and a quad-core "Kaby Lake" CPU die; the "Crimson Canyon" features its processor and GPU on separate packages. The Radeon 540 packs 512 stream processors, 32 TMUs, and 16 ROPs; with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory.

All that's differentiating the NUC8i3CYSM from the NUC8i3CYSN is memory. You get 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory with the former, and 8 GB of it with the latter. Both units come with a 2.5-inch 1 TB HDD pre-installed. You also get an M.2-2280 slot with PCIe 3.0 x4 wiring, and support for Optane caching. Intel Wireless-AC 9560 WLAN card handles wireless networking, while an i219-V handles wired. Connectivity includes four USB 3.0 type-A ports, one of which has high current; an SDXC card reader, CIR, two HDMI 2.0 outputs, and 7.1-channel HD audio. The NUC has certainly grown in size over the years. This one measures 117 mm x 112 mm x 52 mm (WxDxH). An external 90W power-brick adds to the bulk.

Compulab put up the MintBox mini 2, a compact, passively cooled desktop powered by Linux Mint, up for pre-order at US $299 for the base variant with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage; and $349 for 8 GB RAM and 120 GB storage (better value). The two can be ordered from Compulab's Amazon web-store, and will start shipping from August. The two feature the latest stable version of Linux Mint 19 "Tara," and 5 percent of your monies spent buying these are donated to the Linux Mint project.

The super-compact MintBox mini 2 is powered by Intel Celeron J3455 SoCs, mated to either 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM; and either 64 GB or 120 GB of SSD storage. You get two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, a microSDXC slot, two 1 GbE interfaces, 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.1 WLAN, serial COM (through a unique connector, with an optional dongle that converts it to RS232), and display outputs that include HDMI and mini-DisplayPort.

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in data storage solutions, today announced the new Game Drive for Xbox SSD - a flash-speed SSD storage drive designed exclusively for Xbox One - delivering fast gaming performance and convenient portability. Available in 2TB, 1TB, and 500GB capacities, the pro-level flash SSD upgrade delivers fast game loading performance to get you into the game. The officially licensed Xbox drive offers branding elements that match the Xbox One X consoles and increases the console's storage capacity to make room for all of your games and downloadable add-ons.

"The quality of production and in-game environment for today's game titles is off the charts," said Jeff Fochtman, vice president of marketing for Seagate Technology. "Seagate's Game Drive for Xbox SSD offers gamers the extra capacity for their entire library and flash-speed performance so they can jump into their games without waiting on slow menus and load times."

Akasa at Computex, unveiled a wide range of fan-less aluminium cases for the 7th generation "Dawson Canyon" NUC boards. The company had alreadly launched the Pascal MD late-2017. Among the new cases are the Newton S7D, Newton D3, and the Plato X7D. The Plato X7D is the largest of the three, and is characterized by a lattice of aluminium ridges that work like heatsinks for the SoC and chipset of the NUC, and diamond-cut edges along the front panel. Front-panel connectivity includes two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. Besides rear I/O holes for "Dawson Canyon" series NUC boards, the case offers a stub for an RS232 (COM) port at the back. All three cases feature VESA mounts, so you can strap the NUCs behind your monitor and reduce clutter on your desk.

The Newton D3 is the most compact case of the three, and supports fewer NUC board models, namely the NUC7i3DNBE, NUC7i3DNKE, and NUC7i3DNHE (all of which have are low-TDP SoCs and fewer connectors). You still get a 2.5-inch drive bay, mount holes for your WLAN card's antennae, two USB 3.0 front panel connectors, an IR window, and an RS232 serial port provision at the back. The Newton S7D is its larger sibling, with more metal to the bone, to cope with higher TDP SoCs, and hence supports NUC boards based on Core i5 and Core i7 SoCs.

ASUS rolled out one of its first crypto-currency miner-friendly motherboards based on the Intel 300-series chipset platform, now that cheaper Pentium Gold and Celeron processors for this platform are available. The H370 Mining Master puts out all 20 PCI-Express gen 3.0 lanes of the H370 Express chipset as x1 slots. It does this in a space-saving way - wiring out each PCIe "port" as USB 3.0 physically (using its 9 pins), which you wire out using USB 3.1 type-A male-to-male cables into open-ended PCIe x1 risers. You can plug in 20 graphics cards over risers, besides a 21st card on the board's PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot.

The rest of the board is pretty spartan, which is what miners need. The LGA1151 socket is powered by a simple 4+2 phase VRM. Power is drawn from three 24-pin ATX, and one 8-pin EPS. The CPU socket is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel memory, the x16 slot, and the H370 Express chipset. Storage connectivity includes just two SATA 6 Gbps ports. You get six USB 3.0 ports (four on the rear panel, two via headers). Display outputs include DVI and HDMI. Legacy connectivity includes PS/2 combo, and one serial COM header. 6-channel HD audio, and one 1 GbE interface, driven by an Intel i219-V, makes for the rest of it. ASUS threw in onboard power/reset buttons, and POST debug display to sweeten things.

ASUS today introduced the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Swift PG27UQ, a 27-inch monitor with 4K Ultra HD resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), a staggering 144 Hz refresh-rate, and support for NVIDIA G-Sync HDR. Under the hood is an IPS Quantum-Dot panel with DCI-P3 Color Gamut support, 4 ms response time, 178°/178° viewing angles, and 10-bpc (1.07 billion colors) support. 300-1000 cd/m² maximum brightness, and 20,000:1 static contrast ratio, make for the rest of the panel specifications.

The monitor features (and requires) DisplayPort 1.4 to sustain 4K @ 144 Hz with 10-bpc color. It also features HDMI 2.0. Also featured are GamePlus (OSD goodies), GameVisual (genre-specific display presets), a and 2-port USB 3.0 hub. The stand and the back-side of the display features RGB LED elements that can be controlled by Aura Sync RGB. The company didn't reveal pricing.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today released the 10GbE-ready quad-core TS-932X, a budget-friendly NAS designed to accommodate five 3.5-inch hard drives and four 2.5-inch SSDs. It is an ARM-based NAS that supports Qtier technology, which automatically tiers files and data based on access frequency to provide optimal storage performance. Taking up less desktop space compared with other models in the same class, the slim TS-932X is ideal for small/medium businesses and small offices. The native dual 10GbE SFP+ ports also provide users with a NAS that is future-proofed for 10GbE network environments.

"The TS-932X is a 9-bay NAS that is the physical size of a standard 4-bay/6-bay NAS and strikes a balance between storage capacity and performance," said Dan Lin, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "Coupled with the advanced Qtier technology and 10GbE support, it provides a highly cost-efficient private cloud NAS solution."

QNAP Systems, Inc. (QNAP ) today unveiled the TS-963X, a 9-bay NAS with an AMD quad-core 2.0 GHz processor, up to 8 GB RAM (upgradeable to 16 GB), and 10GBASE-T connectivity supporting five connection speeds (10G/5G/2.5G/1G/100M). The compact TS-963X is the size of a 5-bay NAS but accommodates five 3.5-inch HDD bays and four 2.5-inch SSDs bays that deliver high-performance, high-capacity storage potential including automatic file/data tiering based on access frequency (Qtier Technology). The TS-963X is ideal for small businesses and organizations to boost data access efficiency, network transmission speed and to meet demands of mission-critical tasks.

"The TS-963X is designed to enhance the everyday workflows of small businesses and organizations at a budget-friendly price," noted Jason Hsu, Product Manager of QNAP. "The 10GBASE-T/NBASE-T port and four 2.5-inch bays for SSDs can all significantly improve performance, allowing the total cost of ownership to remain reasonable and affordable for most businesses," he added.

OWC , a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, has announced that effective immediately, it is lowering the price of the bus-powered 1.0TB Envoy Pro EX Thunderbolt 3. OWC will be the first technology manufacturer to offer a 1.0TB Thunderbolt 3 SSD for under $500.

The Envoy Pro EX is the Mac and Windows PC solution that is built with a take anywhere design - be it importing images on a location shoot, performing live on-stage, editing in-studio, transferring data between workflows, or transporting music files or family photos for sharing. The powerful and portable drive pushes the envelope on performance, pairing Thunderbolt 3 with an M.2 (NVMe) SSD to provide transfer speeds up to 1,800MB/s, up to 3x faster than USB 3.0 SSDs.

StarTech.com has announced the release of two new Thunderbolt 3 adapters that enable access to many different external peripherals and devices using various interfaces. The two new Thunderbolt 3 accessories allow users to extend the life of their external hard drives, USB devices and other specialized laptop peripherals.

The first new Thunderbolt 3 accessory, the Thunderbolt 3 to USB 3.1 Controller Adapter (SKU: TB33A1C), provides dedicated USB 3.0 bandwidth to three USB-A ports and one USB-C port (total of 20 Gbps). The adapter gives the user access to high performance USB peripherals such as storage controllers and 3D scanners from Thunderbolt 3 based laptops. The second new product, the Thunderbolt 3 eSATA Adapter with USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Port (SKU: TB3ESATU31), offers connections to an external eSATA hard drive or SSD, and to a USB device simultaneously. Both products are beneficial for Windows and MacBook Pro users, where no USB-A ports are available.

At the NAB 2018 conference Seagate Technology, a world leader in data storage solutions, today announced the launch of a new product, LaCie Rugged RAID Pro, and creative professional community, Collective. These announcements mark Seagate's ongoing commitment to provide innovative solutions and platforms to support the workflows of creative professionals that allow digital content to be created, stored, utilized and shared in the most creative and effective ways.

"Digital content creation is key in the media and entertainment (M&E) industry, comprising of unique moments that are the product of time and money - and often irreplaceable," said Tim Bucher, senior vice president of Seagate consumer solutions. "We have seen an exponential rise in the amount of data created and as such, it has become central to industries such as M&E. From shooting on set through to post-production, the transferring, storing and accessing of data is a pivotal part of the creative workflow. At Seagate, we're constantly looking to deliver storage solutions that allow people to unlock their full creative potential, and create truly memorable content."

MSI introduced the Cubi N 8 GL line of compact mini-PCs powered by Intel "Gemini Lake" Celeron and Pentium Silver SoCs. These include variants with Celeron J4005 and Pentium Silver J5005. Despite "Gemini Lake" chips featuring dual-channel memory support, the Cubi N 8 GL only features one DDR4 SO-DIMM slot, which supports up to 8 GB of DDR4-2400 memory. Storage options include either an M.2-2280 slot with both SATA 6 Gbps and PCIe 2.0 x2 wiring, or a 2.5-inch drive bay with SATA 6 Gbps. An interesting inclusion here is the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 9461 WLAN card, which gives you 802.11ac (up to 433 Mbps), but Bluetooth 5.0. Other connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 2.0 and D-Sub display outputs, and gigabit Ethernet. The company didn't reveal pricing.