Hitachi LG Data Storage, SK hynix's global distributor has recently unveiled the 'Tube T31,' a novel USB stick-type SSD, in Japan and Korea. This innovative product aims to alleviate the storage constraints of gaming devices like PlayStation 5 and Xbox. The Tube T31 features a sleek and lightweight design, making it suitable for a variety of devices including gaming consoles, PCs, laptops, and smart TVs. With an impressive transfer rate of 10 Gbps and sequential read and write speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s, it meets the demands of avid gamers.

Following its favorable reception in Japan and Korea, Hitachi LG Data Storage is preparing for a global launch of the Tube T31, with a special spring promotion targeted at console gaming enthusiasts worldwide. The promotion is tailored specifically for customers in 10 countries, including the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, and Singapore.

Introducing the RC Prestige Collection: Elevating the Art of Design and Mechanical Keyboard Functionality. The cornerstone of AZIO Corporation's success, the Retro Classic Collection, has epitomized our brand's vision to create premium lifestyle workspace tools. The original typewriter-style keyboard, born from our dedication to excellence, has delighted our valued customers with an exceptional ownership experience and unparalleled customer support. Today, we are thrilled to unveil the latest addition to our lineup: the RC Prestige Collection.

Remaining true to AZIO's distinctive brand identity, the RC Prestige Collection introduces two new captivating colors, Ebony and Ivory, further infusing our signature material-centric design philosophy. The Ebony variant features a faceplate adorned in an elegant black wood finish, embraced by a sleek gunmetal grey aluminium frame and accents. The Ivory edition stands as a striking contrast, showcasing a refined white leather face encased within a silver aluminium profile. Every keycap set impeccably follows their respective color schemes, either presenting black keycaps with gunmetal edges or white keycaps complemented by a silver framing. This time, the keycaps are thoughtfully designed with a rounded square profile, setting them apart from the renowned circular keycaps found in our Retro Classic Collection.

The PC master race has yielded many interesting activities for enthusiasts alike, with perhaps the pinnacle of activities being overclocking. Usually, subjects for overclocking include CPUs, GPUs, and RAM, with other components not actually being capable of overclocking. However, the enthusiast force never seems to settle, and today, we have proof of overclocking an off-the-shelf 2.5-inch SATA III NAND Flash SSD thanks to Gabriel Ferraz, a Computer Engineering graduate, and TechPowerUp's SSD database maintainer. He uses the RZX Pro 256 GB SSD in the video, a generic NAND Flash drive. The RZX Pro uses the Silicon Motion SM2259XT2 single-core, 32-bit ARC CPU running up to 550 MHz. It has two channels at 400 MHz, each with eight chip enable interconnects, allowing up to 16 NAND Flash dies to operate. The SSD doesn't feature a DRAM cache or support a host memory buffer. It has only one NAND Flash memory chip from Kioxia, uses BiCS FLASH 4 architecture, has 96 layers, and has 256 GB capacity.

While this NAND Flash die is rated for up to 400 MHz or 800 MT/s, it only ran at less than half the speed at 193.75 MHz or 387.5 MT/s at default settings. Gabriel acquired a SATA III to USB 3.0 adapter with a JMS578 bridge chip to perform the overclock. This adapter allows hot swapping of SSDs without the need to turn off the PC. He shorted two terminals in the drive's PCB to get the SSD to operate without its default safe mode. Mass Production Tools (MPTools), which OEMs use to flash SSDs, were used to change the firmware settings. Each NAND Flash architecture has its own special version of MPTools. The software directly shows control of the Flash clock, CPU clock, and output driving. However, additional tweaks like Flash IO driving with subdivisions need modifications. Control and Flash On-Die Termination (ODT) and Schmitt window trigger (referring to the Schmitt trigger comparator circuit) also needed a few modifications to make it work.

Back at Computex last year we got a look at the first USB4 add-in card, which was from MSI. Some six months later, ASUS has finally revealed its USB4 add-in card that simply goes by the name of USB4 PCIe Gen4 Card. The general design of the two cards appear to be more or less identical, at least in terms of outputs and inputs. As such, both cards feature two USB4 outputs and two DP 1.4 inputs for those that want to use the USB4 ports to connect to a display. Other inputs include a USB 2.0 header, a custom USB4 header for communication with the motherboard—similar to Thunderbolt add-in cards—and a 6-pin graphics card type power input. The card supports up to two monitors and three devices or one monitor and four devices when daisy chained.

ASUS has gone for a shroud on its card, so it's impossible to make out any real details, but based on the manual, ASUS has installed a heatsink on the ASM4242 USB4 host controller from ASMedia, albeit a smaller one than MSI. However, ASUS has only gone for 60 W USB Power Delivery compared to 100 W for the MSI card. If this makes any useful difference in a desktop PC is up for discussion though and would depend on specific use cases. On the other hand, ASUS allows for 60 W through both ports, whereas MSI only delivers 27 W through its secondary port. The card should work with any ASUS motherboard that has a TB/USB4 header. As ASUS has only just put up the product page, there's no word on pricing.

In addition to the new AIO coolers and PSUs, ENERMAX brought a full lineup of new PC cases to the CES 2024 show, including the new ENERPAZO lineup, the new EK98, and the SK30 V2 PC cases. The ENERPAZO lineup with the ENERPAZO EP33 mid-tower and the ENERPAZO EP23 mini-tower PC cases, and the EK98 mid-tower PC case, all come with built-in USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C ports and reusable PCIe slots, as well as feature recognizable ENERMAX design with grill front and glass side panel.

The ENERPAZO EP33 supports up to an E-ATX motherboards, has support for a 420 mm AIO liquid CPU cooler and up to 11 fans, while the ENERPAZO EP23, as mini-tower PC case, supports up to a micro-ATX motherboard and a 360 mm AIO liquid CPU cooler and up to 8 fans. The EK98 supports up to a 360 mm AIO liquid CPU cooler and up to 9 fans, as well as comes with vertical GPU installation support with rotatable PCIe slots and pre-installed 4 ARGB PWM fans. ENERMAX also showcased the new SK30 V2 PC case mid-tower PC case which also comes with USB 3.2 Type-C ports, supports up to 360 mm AIO liquid CPU cooler ass well as comes with the same vertical GPU installation support and couple of pre-installed ARGB PWM fans.

Razer also unveiled its new 11-port USB C Dock at CES 2024 show, and while it might not be interesting as the new Blade laptops or high-end gaming chairs, Razer is keeping up with the theme, making a simple USB C Dock feel like a premium device with its lightweight cnc aluminium chassis.

Razer USB C Dock comes with a total of 11 ports, including two standard USB 2.0 Type-A ports, two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, one standard USB 3.2 Type-C port and one USB Type-C Power Delivery port with support for 20 V USB PD 3.0 charging of up to 100 W, HDMI port with support for 4K @ 60 Hz output, Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 port, microSD UHS-I and SD UHS-I card slots, and 3.5 mm audio combo jack powered by Razer 7.1 Surround Sound. The Razer USB C Dock is now available in Black and Mercury color options and priced at $119.99.

ASUS and Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced an exciting lineup of displays for gaming, professional content creation, hybrid work, and entertainment at CES 2024. ROG continues to drive gaming display innovation with the introduction of the 39-inch ROG Swift OLED PG39WCDM 800R-curved monitor, the 32-inch PG32UCDP—the world's first dual-mode gaming monitor with a Frame Rate Boost feature that lets users switch between 4K 240 Hz and FHD 480 Hz modes - and the PG27AQDP, the world's fastest 27-inch OLED monitor. In addition, ROG also unveiled the award-winning ROG Aura Monitor Light Bar ALB01 and ROG Ergo Monitor Arm AAS01 to upgrade any gaming setup.

Content creators will appreciate the latest ProArt Display PA278CFRV, an eco-friendly QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS monitor featuring 95% DCI-P3 and USB-C with 96 W power delivery—perfect for Windows laptop and MacBook users. ASUS unveiled a trio of portable displays including ZenScreen Fold OLED MQ17QH—the world's first foldable OLED portable display—and the 21.5-inch, 100 Hz ZenScreen MB229CF with several versatile stand options, along with the 15.6-inch ZenScreen MB166CR featuring a 360° kickstand that doubles as a wall mount.

Samsung Electronics America today announced new Odyssey OLED gaming monitors debuting at CES 2024, the world's biggest tech event owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), in Las Vegas next week. The new OLED models deliver the performance and visual clarity gamers look for in their monitors, and include the Odyssey OLED G9 (Model Name: G95SD), Odyssey OLED G8 (Model Name: G80SD), and the Odyssey OLED G6 (Model Name: G60SD).

The Odyssey OLED G9 is a 49" curved ultra-wide gaming monitor with DQHD (5,120×1,440) resolution and a 32:9 aspect ratio and other upgraded features. The Odyssey OLED G8 is the first flat 32-inch Samsung OLED gaming monitor with 4K UHD (3,840×2,160) resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. Both monitors have a 240 Hz refresh rate and 0.03 ms GTG response time. The Odyssey OLED G6 is a 27" QHD (2,560×1,440) monitor which supports a 16:9 aspect ratio, 360 Hz refresh rate and 0.03 ms GTG response time.

Chinese company Sipeed has introduced the Lichee Pocket 4A, one of the first handheld gaming devices based on the RISC-V open-source instruction set architecture (ISA). Sipeed positions the device as a retro gaming platform capable of running simple titles via software rendering or GPU acceleration. At its core is Alibaba's T-Head TH1520 processor featuring four 2.50 GHz Xuantie C910 RISC-V general-purpose CPU cores and an unnamed Imagination GPU. The chip was originally aimed at laptop designs. Memory options include 8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR4X RAM and 32 GB or 128 GB of storage. The Lichee Pocket 4A has a 7-inch 1280x800 LCD touchscreen, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity, and an array of wired ports like USB and Ethernet. It weighs under 500 grams. The device can run Android or Linux distributions like Debian, Ubuntu, and others.

As an early RISC-V gaming entrant, performance expectations should be modest—the focus is retro gaming and small indie titles, not modern AAA games. Specific gaming capabilities remain to be fully tested. However, the release helps showcase RISC-V's potential for consumer electronics and competitive positioning against proprietary ISAs like ARM. Pricing is still undefined, but another Sipeed handheld console retails for around $250 currently. Reception from enthusiasts and developers will demonstrate whether there's a viable market for RISC-V gaming devices. Success could encourage additional hardware experimentation efforts across emerging open architectures. With a 6000 mAh battery, battery life should be decent. Other specifications can be seen in the table below, and the pre-order link is here.

Cyber Acoustics, a leading manufacturer of reliable and affordable computer peripherals used in schools, businesses, call centers, and homes, today announced the CA Essential Webcam Flex is now shipping and available on CyberAcoustics.com and Amazon.com.

The CA Essential Webcam Flex is the ideal tool to give powerful presentations, conduct authentic live interviews, lead captivating webinars and livestreams, or present engaging demonstrations, via a simple, unobtrusive webcam that's perfect for people spanning industries, professions, interests, and hobbies, as its unique design offers a more collaborative experience for any use.

Leading digital lifestyle accessories brand, Trust Electronics Ltd, is thrilled to introduce the GXT490 Fayzo 7.1 USB RGB Virtual 7.1 surround sound Gaming Headset, an exceptional over-ear wired gaming headset designed for PC, laptops, consoles, and other 3.5 mm devices. Made with 85% recycled plastics, the Trust GXT490 Fayzo 7.1 gaming headset allows gamers to take on challenges in-game and do their part for the planet in real life too. The Trust GXT 490 Fayzo 7.1 USB Headset is available from Very for £39.99.

The Fayzo 7.1 USB Gaming Headset has been designed for those who want to hear every footstep, word, shot and more. Virtual 7.1 surround sound transports players right to the centre of the game, whilst the noise-cancelling microphone ensures no background noise gets picked up whilst you're playing. Multicolour RGB lighting with three colour modes add a pop of cool colour for a stylish setup, and the extra-long USB connection cable makes it easy to connect to PC or PlayStation. With the possibility to use the included PC software to tune the headset's EQ, it can even be customised to provide the ideal sound experience for every player.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, today is excited to introduce the H510MHP-E 3.0 motherboard, designed to run 10th/11th Generation Intel Core Processors. The H510MHP-E 3.0 motherboard excels as the ideal choice for a wide range of users. It offers reliable performance for office tasks, immerses home entertainment enthusiasts with HDMI support, streamlines data management for system integrators, and empowers holiday season HTPC setups with its impressive performance. With its versatile features, this motherboard caters to diverse needs seamlessly.

The H510MHP-E 3.0 motherboard boasts a robust set of specifications to meet the demands of business and casual use. It offers versatility and compatibility, supporting both 10th and 11th-generation Intel Core processors. With its Intel H470 single-chip architecture, this motherboard ensures efficient and seamless operation.

BenQ has launched their latest Industry-leading dual source dock, the beCreatus DP310 Hybrid Dock, fitted with both USB-C and HDMI inputs. BenQ's latest product launch is aimed to support programmers, creators, designers, and editors to enhance their display productivity and efficiency when navigating different input sources. The new beCreatus DP310 Hybrid Dock, supports both hybrid and remote workers, allowing them to use their workstation as an entertainment hub.

The beCreatus DP310 Hybrid Dock enables users to seamlessly switch between inputs as needed, for both work, gaming and personal use. The two input sources-an USB-C and HDMI-have a dedicated button for switching, letting you go back and forth between sources with just one press of the button. Users can easily switch from editing to gaming to browsing with one button. With the USB-C input users can add new displays as needed to utilize the screen space required. The beCreatus DP310 Hybrid Dock has multiple inputs to allow users to connect to three monitors at 4K resolution, when utilizing the USB-C input, for maximum productivity and enjoyment.

IBASE Technology Inc. (TPEx: 8050), a pioneering force in embedded computing solutions, proudly presents the IB961 3.5" Single Board Computer (SBC) engineered for peak performance, extensive connectivity, and unmatched versatility. Harnessing the prowess of 13th Gen Intel Core processors, including the i7-1370PE, i5-1340PE, i5-1335UE, and i3-1320PE, the IB961 delivers exceptional computing capabilities across diverse applications. These processors advance performance hybrid architecture with up to 6 Performance-cores (P-core) and up to 8 Efficient-cores (E-core), ensuring unparalleled power for memory-intensive tasks.

This compact SBC offers a rich array of connectivity options, including M.2 (M-Key, E-Key, B-Key) mini type slots, and USB 3.2 ports, enabling 5G communications and ensuring seamless integration with peripherals. Dual Intel LAN support guarantees reliable, high-speed network connectivity. Integrated graphics from 13th Gen Intel Core mobile processors provide stunning visuals through 2x DisplayPort (1.2), eDP, and LVDS outputs. The IB961 signifies a leap forward in embedded computing technology, empowering businesses to enhance efficiency and adaptability across diverse industrial applications.

Science fiction is coming to life with eternity.ac, a new startup offering personal digital cloning where anyone can challenge the boundaries of physical limitations with an affordable artificial intelligence that looks, talks, and converses just like you. The new venture empowers individuals to preserve their unique appearance, thoughts, experiences, and memories with a simple 3-step clone creation process.

The innovation opens up a new spectrum of meaningful AI uses, such as allowing future generations to interact with loved ones, enabling fans and followers to engage with their favorite public figures, and helping people understand the viewpoints and experiences of others. Once created, people can interact with the clone via written chat or through vocal conversations.

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today unveiled the T5 EVO, a lightweight portable Solid-State Drive (SSD) that provides up to 8 terabytes (TB) of capacity, which is the largest capacity size currently offered by portable SSDs available on the market. Along with its capacity, the T5 EVO delivers ultra-fast speeds in a compact, durable design as a cutting-edge, versatile SSD solution.

"For consumers who are looking for substitutes for traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), the T5 EVO - offering the largest-available capacity along with speed and durability in a compact design that fits in the palm of your hand - is an innovative, new external storage option," said Hangu Sohn, Vice President of the Memory Brand Product Biz Team at Samsung Electronics. "The T5 EVO is built to fulfill the needs of a wide range of consumers with diverse lifestyles. Its capacity of up to 8 TB, fast speeds, compact design and data protection from external shocks are well-suited for users who want to store and access data anywhere, anytime."

MINISFORUM, known for its expertise in mini PCs, is taking a significant step towards building a holistic desktop ecosystem. The introduction of the MINISFORUM MKB i83 keyboard marks the company's expansion into the world of peripherals, allowing users to experience a complete desktop environment.

The MINISFORUM MKB i83 is a testament to premium quality, featuring an anodized aluminium body that not only provides an elegant texture but also ensures enduring performance. This keyboard is designed to cater to a diverse range of users who demand the best.

PNY announced today the newest addition to its Flash Drive assortment, the Elite-X Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drives. Elite-X Type-C is small in size but big in performance and portability. Boasting up to 256 GB of storage, up to 200 MB/s read speeds and up to 100 MB/s write speeds, The Elite-X Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drives allow users to quickly and easily transfer files, photos, videos, music and more. Whether you're a student or a CEO, the Elite-X Type-C ensures you'll always have access to important files and you'll never again miss capturing important content due to limited memory!

Meticulously Crafted Design
The slender design of Elite-X Type-C is tailored to fit Type-C ports without the need for an adapter. The carefully crafted, narrow housing was designed to allow the drive to be used alongside other ports, taking up minimal space and leaving ports accessible for other needs. The included sliding cover protects the Type-C connector when not in use to prevent your valuable data from damage or loss!

Today, Brother International Corporation introduced its newest inkjet printer model, the MFC-J1800DW Print & Cut All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer, the brand's first printer to feature automatic paper cutting capabilities. Print & Cut utilizes innovative Brother Blade Sensor Technology (BST) designed to cut full letter pages in half with precision. For home, small business or crafting, the Print & Cut features full print, copy, scan and fax functionality with the added benefit of a paper cutter for cutting perfectly sized cards, invitations, restaurant menus, shipping labels and more.

"Consumers' needs are constantly evolving, and Brother is committed to producing devices that continue to offer the same reliable solutions we're known for, with the latest technology and innovative features," said Alejandra Bello, Product Marketing Manager at Brother International Corporation. "By adding a revolutionary built-in paper cutter to an all-in-one color inkjet printer, we're introducing customers to a new way of printing and cutting."

The VU1 was inspired by a hobbyist project called CAPS which used analogue dials to show network, RAM, CPU and GPU activity. The dials were incorporated into a Streacom DB4 which is what caught our attention and led us to reach out to Saša Karanović who developed the firmware, hardware and software for it. Needless to say, we shared a lot of common ideas and passion, all of which laid the foundation for this collaboration. Much like the original project, the initial concept was to use off-the-shelf gauge dials to display typical PC hardware information, but the question soon arose, what if someone wanted to show different information? How could we make it easier for people to customise what each dial was labelled?

The breakthrough happened with the idea of using an e-ink display to serve as the dial face. This transformed the singularly assigned display into a highly versatile one, capable of representing virtually any numeric information from any source via this retro analogue gauge format. Having this dynamic dial face also meant it was important for it to be an open platform with support for 3rd party applications, enabling it to be used in scenarios that are beyond our limited imagination. The VU1 was born, its name a reference to the standard "VU - Volume Unit" labelling on audio gauges and a phonetic play on the word "view" as it will be used to view real-time data.

CORSAIR, a world leader in high-performance gear for gamers and content creators, announced the launch of their definitive ultra-lightweight wireless mouse for top FPS play, M75 AIR WIRELESS. Sporting a modern and sleek mouse shape for maximum comfort and control, M75 AIR puts players in position for victory, every match.

With its symmetrical shape meticulously crafted from the ground up, M75 AIR ascends to the pinnacle of competitive mouse design. Through a rigorous process, every contour, outline, and button placement was diligently reworked until the optimal shape took form.

AVerMedia Technologies, a leading provider of audio and video solutions, is excited to announce the launch of Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 (GC553G2), the world-leading HDMI 2.1 USB capture card. This state-of-the-art device aims to revolutionize the streaming experience for gamers across the globe. Game streamers have been eagerly awaiting a solution to meet the demands of the latest games and next-gen consoles, and the Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 is here to fulfill that need. This high-performance capture card leverages the power of HDMI 2.1 technology, offering uncompromising video quality with up to 4K144 pass-through HDR/VRR, ensuring that every moment of the gameplay is transmitted with stunning clarity and fluidity. Additionally, it supports up to 4K60 capture, providing streamers with the option of capturing their memorable gaming moments in pristine clarity.

"We believe every gamer deserves the best tools to showcase their skills and passion. With this new HDMI 2.1 USB capture card, we're taking game streaming and capturing to a whole new level," says Michael Kuo, President and CEO of AVerMedia. "Our goal is to empower gamers to create content that truly reflects their talent and dedication."

Setting a new benchmark in the realm of cyber security, DataLocker Inc., the leader in encrypted storage solutions, endpoint protection, and management tools, proudly presents the Sentry 5 hardware-encrypted USB Flash Drive. This latest innovation stands as a standard of unparalleled data protection, tailored where stringent compliance and security have become paramount.

DataLocker CEO Jay Kim emphasizes, "In the ever-evolving digital landscape full of cyber threats, the Sentry 5 encrypted cold storage USB drive provides an additional tool for your security arsenal. This device is a continuation of our unwavering commitment to upholding data security, offering organizations a blend of top-notch security measures, flexibility, and efficiency."

Hardware cybersecurity pioneer and industrial NAND storage specialist, Flexxon, today announced the launch of its latest security product, Xsign. Now available globally, the Xsign provides enhanced security through an innovative approach to unlocking sensitive data reserved only for authorized personnel.

With the use of the Xsign hardware security key, organisations will be provided with a tailored software platform that syncs only with the Xsign key, thereby granting access to pre-defined users. Beyond its function as a security key, the Xsign also operates as a traditional storage card, equipped with Flexxon's industry leading reliability and performance. Key beneficiaries of the solution include industries that handle personal and sensitive data like the healthcare, finance, and government and defense sectors.

beyerdynamic, the renowned manufacturer of professional audio equipment, is expanding its MMX gaming product range. The manufacturer is launching the new MMX 200 wireless gaming headset, a product that takes gaming sound to a new level. The beyerdynamic MMX 200 wireless offers the perfect combination of crystal-clear studio sound, META VOICE microphone, and wireless connectivity for PC and console gaming enthusiasts. With features like Augmented Mode, LOW LATENCY, and Hybrid Mode with Bluetooth 5.3, the MMX 200 wireless becomes an essential companion for every gamer seeking top-notch performance and boundless flexibility.

PROFESSIONAL SOUND IN EVERY GAMING ENVIRONMENT
Specially designed by beyerdynamic acousticians for gamers, the integrated 40 mm studio driver systems deliver a clear, comprehensive soundscape. This not only impresses during gaming but also enhances voice communication and the enjoyment of music and movies. Precise in-game sound localization enables crucial gameplay maneuvers and enriches gaming worlds, making them appear even more realistic with their distinctive audio profiles.