MSI proudly announced the release of its new EPIC embedded board?MS-98D1. The MS-98D1 is a compact EPIC size embedded board with Intel Atom Dual Core processor for low-power fanless solution. Featuring with dual core, fanless design, rich I/O, and wide input voltage of 9 to 36 VDC, the MS-98D1 is especially ideal for industrial applications that involve control and communications, or any industrial fields that require fanless embedded systems.

The dual Gigabit LAN built-in also benefit the target applications by providing broad-band communication capability that is required by many industrial fields. For some systems that need additional communication or I/O interfaces, the PCI-104 slot of MS-98D1 allows system integrators to stack more modules with no limits, offering more application possibilities with this small board. Moreover, 2 independent displays with VGA, DVI, and Dual LVDS outputs enable the MS-98D1 to be applied for remote monitoring and control systems as well.

Sony today introduced the brand new VAIO Fit laptop built with Sony's innovative digital imaging, sound and display technologies. Alongside the new Fit laptops are enhancements to VAIO's All-in-One Tap 20 and L Series PCs and Sony's top-selling VAIO T Series 15 Ultrabook incorporating all around excellence in productivity and entertainment with rich touch experiences powered by Windows 8.

"We built the brand new VAIO Fit line from many of the same features as our amazingly thin and powerful ultra-premium models but at an entry-level price point," said Pedro LaFargo , SVP, Sony VAIO & Networked Products Division. "Our entire new Fit lineup is optimized for Windows 8 and incorporates the best technology that only Sony can provide from our innovative digital imaging, sound and TV divisions. The new Fit family is providing students and professionals' on-the-go with advanced performance and design."

MSI has released the all new AE1941 based around the Intel 847 CPU. The AE1941 retains the fantastic white color and crystal frame design of the AE1900 series while introducing Intel's new generation of ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) CPUs, especially its Fanless design, which is an industry first. The integration of touch control and multimedia sharing functions together with an even more energy-efficient, stylish and space-saving for home interiors giving the AE1941 a high-tech class of its own.

NETGEAR, Inc., a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, is expanding its market-leading family of next-generation 802.11ac wireless products with the R6250 Smart WiFi Router. The industry's newest router to support the upcoming 802.11ac wireless standard, the R6250 is designed for customers who want the best possible 802.11ac WiFi performance but don't feel the need to have the fastest 802.11n WiFi performance in the 2.4 Ghz band.

The router includes Gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 3.0 port so that you can make the most of the outstanding performance it delivers with 802.11ac WiFi. The NETGEAR R6250 is ideal for HD streaming to multiple devices, including the latest smartphones with 802.11ac, such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One.

HABEY USA, a leading manufacturer of embedded computer and an Associate member of the Intel Intelligent Systems Alliance, introduces the BIS-6621. It is the latest and greatest offering of our ultra compact fanless PCs. This tiny box measures 5"x5.25"x2", just slightly larger than the incredibly tiny Intel NUC. Besides the small footprint, the features available on this tiny system will simply amaze you.

Equipped with a 2.5" drive bay, this fanless PC will accept just about any 2.5" form factor storage device. The full size mini PCI-e slot can also be an mSATA compatible expansion slot as an option. The mini PCI-e card can also be used to run a WIFI card for wireless network access. Additionally, the BIS-6621 offers an externally accessible SIM card slot allowing for wireless data from a mobile carrier. It also includes 3 USB 2.0 ports for all your needed peripherals and also a COM port for any serial peripherals.

PQI's newest creation combines the functionality of a USB portable hard drive with a battery-powered NAS server supporting both 802.11n WLAN and Ethernet; and an AP (access point), that relays your wired Internet connection to multiple WiFi-enabled devices. The Air Bank 6W31 line of devices ship in black and white body panel color options, and storage capacities of 500 GB and 1 TB. Measuring 77 x 135 20.5 mm (WxDxH), the devices weigh around 250 g, which makes them as big and heavy as most wireless hard drives. They use lithium polymer batteries that can keep them going for 5 hours on a full charge. Slated for March 22, with availability beginning in Japan, the 500 GB model is priced at 15,800¥ (US $165), and the 1 TB model at 19,800¥ ($206).

Synology today released the official version of DiskStation Manager (DSM) 4.2. "Synology has once again pushed the possibilities of NAS servers to new dimensions by releasing DSM 4.2," said Vic Hsu, CEO of Synology Inc. "It helps businesses achieve agility as well as productivity in big data storage, and reshapes users' multimedia experience with a suite of advanced features." DSM 4.2 delivers:

DSM 4.2 features LUN Snapshot and Clone to provide up to 256 snapshots per LUN and near-instant duplication of virtual copies of a LUN, with no impact on system performance and minimal extra storage space. Synology High Availability (SHA) now supports more DiskStation/RackStation, and together with Global hot spare disks, ensures business continuity across enterprise and SMB environments. Two-step verification reinforces security with a pre-defined password and a one-time six-digit code.

Lenovo today announced the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook -- a fast booting, highly customizable ThinkPad built with rugged features for the daily rigors of K-12 education. The ThinkPad X131e Chromebook simplifies software and security management for school administrators and provides students and teachers with quick access to thousands of apps, education resources and storage.

Throughout the course of a typical school day, students' laptops are often subject to extreme wear and tear. To help school-proof them, the ThinkPad X131e has rugged features including a rubber bumper around the top cover and stronger corners to protect the system in the case of an accidental drop. The hinges and hinge brackets are also strengthened to last more than 50,000 open and close cycles.

NETGEAR, Inc. (www.netgear.com), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, announced today at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) the availability of the NETGEAR Universal Dual Band WiFi Range Extender, Wall-plug Edition (WN3500RP) at retail and online stores worldwide. The WiFi Range Extender amplifies any existing WiFi network, giving you a greatly improved wireless experience throughout your home for WiFi connected devices including tablets, laptops, smart TVs, smartphones and more. The extender is the latest entry to the NETGEAR family of easy-to-use WiFi range extenders and is the first WiFi range extender that can also be directly connected to speakers for music streaming using AirPlay, while at the same time amplifying an existing network connection.

HP rolled out the Pocket Playlist, a wireless portable storage device. Although its exact capacity is a little fuzzy, the company mentions it can hold up to 16 full-length movies, 7,600 songs, or over 10,000 photos. By our calculations, that should work out to 32 GB. The Pocket Playlist may not be the first wireless storage device, but what gives it a worthy selling-point is its PlayLater feature, which lets the device cling on to your Netflix and Hulu subscriptions, store full-length legal copies of movies from those services, which you can later stream down to your devices. Available from mid-February, it is expected to be priced at US $130.

Cisco Systems is preparing to sell its consumer networking solutions brand Linksys. The networking major hired the services of Barclays Plc to look for prospective buyers of the division. According to industry analysts, Linksys might fetch much less than the $500 million Cisco paid to acquire it, back in 2003, because its target market is saturated. Linksys sells consumer networking products such as low port-count switches, WiFi routers, and dongles. Other sources believe Linksys could attract buyers from TV set makers looking to add a recognized brand to their ranks.

Vantec Thermal Technologies-a worldwide leader specializing in computer accessories, storage and mobile solutions-announces the new addition to the Hard Drive Dock lineup, the NexStar WiFi Hard Drive Dock.

The new model, NexStar WiFi, allows users to connect wirelessly to the data stored in the user's hard drive over the Hard Drive Dock's Wi-Fi signal. This allows anyone with Wi-Fi capable devices to connect to the NexStar WiFi. In addition, Vantec has released Apps ready on the Apple App StoreSM and Google Play Store to work with the new NexStar WiFi.

Thin and light with long battery life, Acer America today announced availability of the new TravelMate B113 notebook PC for U.S. and Canadian customers. An ideal solution for institutional customers, the TravelMate B113 meets all the needs for productivity, communication and mobility needed in today's e-learning environment.

"Acer has had great success with the 11.6-inch form factor in the education market because their compact size is ideal in a classroom setting, even for the youngest of students," said Michael O'Beirne, Acer senior director, commercial product marketing. "The TravelMate B113 notebook is an important addition to our notebook portfolio, as it combines everything educators and students need, including exceptional performance, durability and reliability for a best-in-class mobile experience."

Presenting NextPowerUp, our sister tech-publication in the works, designed with a bigger canvas. TechPowerUp established itself as one of the top PC hardware publications thanks to our pursuit for quality reviews and relentless news delivery. We decided it was time to put these core ideals to use, in addressing the much larger consumer electronics and gadgets markets, without disturbing TechPowerUp's focus on PC enthusiast content, one of its hallmarks.

NextPowerUp is designed to keep you up to speed on the latest in over 20 markets (and growing), each with its own content channel, and editors hand-picked for them. These include Audio (personal, home, professional, concert), Business, Cinema (filming, production, exhibition), Desktops (pre-built desktop PCs), Displays (signage, projectors), Gadgets, Gaming (games, game development, gaming industry, consoles), Internet (the business of WWW), Networking (social networking), Notebooks (notebooks, Ultrabooks, netbooks), Phones (of all shapes and sizes), Photo & Video (cameras of all shapes and sizes), Politics (industry soap-opera), Robots (outside assembly lines), Science (popular science, space exploration), Software, Storage, Tablets, Televisions (TVs and technologies built around them), Transportation (wheels that don't run on fossil fuels), and Wireless (Cellular carriers, commercial WiFi).

I-O Data Japan introduced a thoughtful new device for road-warriors, called NUBES, an SDHC/SDXC card reader that is completely wireless. The device is packs a 1,350 mAh battery that can keep it going for 4 hours on full charge. Supporting 802.11 b/g/n (up to 150 Mbps), the card reader has just enough bandwidth to stream 720p HD video. The reader works as a short-range WLAN router, supporting all modern router security features, including WPA-PSK (TKIP / AES), WPA2-PSK (AES). It supports up to three simultaneous connections. Along with the reader, I-O Data released an iOS app that allows you to manage files, and stream media from an inserted SD card. Measuring 83.5 x 12.3 x 5.8 mm (WxDxH), the reader weighs about 57 g. It is priced at 4,180¥ (US $50).

ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today launches the new A75-ITX WiFi B-series and A55-ITX WiFi B-series mini-ITX platforms for 2nd Generation AMD A-series APUs. The new socket FM2 platforms enable users to harness the power of the latest AMD Trinity APU architecture featuring AMD Radeon HD 7000 series graphics processors for perfect CPU and GPU synergy in a compact mini-ITX form factor.

"The 2nd Generation AMD A-series APUs paired with our ZOTAC A75-ITX WiFi B-series or A55-ITX WiFi B-series are perfect together. The mini-ITX form factor enables compact systems while the 2nd Generation AMD A-series APU delivers a performance punch and provide adequate gaming capabilities from the integrated AMD Radeon HD 7000 series graphics processor," says Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "The high-definition video processing capabilities from the AMD Radeon HD 7000 series graphics processor makes the ZOTAC A75-ITX WiFi B-series and A55-ITX WiFi B-series perfect for home theater PC use as well."

WD, a Western Digital company, and a world leader in external storage and solutions for today's connected life, today unveils the new My Net AC1300 HD Dual-Band Router and My Net AC Bridge as the latest additions to the acclaimed My Net family of HD dual-band routers. These products combine next-generation 802.11ac wireless technology with WD's exclusive FasTrack technology for automatically prioritizing high-bandwidth entertainment services like Netflix, YouTube, online games and Skype, to provide maximum streaming performance inside the home.

A leading product testing and analysis organization, The Tolly Group, conducted performance testing of the My Net AC1300 router and My Net Bridge amongst comparable products on the market today. Results show that the My Net AC1300 router is faster than leading competitive products averaged across ranges of 30 to 75 feet, demonstrating the strongest performance in providing stable wireless speeds over long distances, and cutting out buffering and lag times to provide a smooth HD entertainment streaming experience throughout the home.

Acer America today debuts its new Acer C7 Chromebook, its next-generation mobile computer that runs Google's Chrome operating system and is priced at a low $199. The new Acer C7 Chromebook is the ideal additional laptop for families, students and business people that need a fast, easy and secure way to get online to do their computing in the cloud, such as using Gmail, keeping up on social networks, shopping, and paying bills.

"Today's computer users are doing more online heightening the need for enhanced security, quicker online access and an easy-to-use interface," Jim Wong, corporate president, Acer Inc. "The Acer C7 Chromebook provides all this at an affordable price, making it the right choice for families and students on a budget as well as anyone who wants a new or second mobile PC for web-based computing."

ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today injects the ZBOX with a performance boost to give the flexible mini-PC greater graphics processing capabilities thanks to the latest AMD Radeon HD 7340 graphics processor. The latest performance-boosted ZBOX updates the form factor with greater graphics and processing capabilities without sacrificing energy-efficiency or the flexible form factor.

"The new ZBOX gives users up to a 10-percent performance boost for even greater system responsiveness and usability in applications and games," says Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "We also add four high-amperage USB ports to quickly charge power hungry devices such as tablets and smartphones to simplify charging multiple devices."

Harman International Industries has now started taking pre-orders for its newest JBL-branded audio hardware, the SoundFly Air wireless speaker. This device has a total power output of 20 W, it plugs directly into a wall outlet, and it uses WiFi to wirelessly connect to PCs, Macs, iPhones and iPads (Apple AirPlay is supported).

The SoundFly Air measures 190 (D) x 92 (H) mm, it has a frequency response of 60Hz - 20kHz, and it costs $199. To sweeten the deal JBL is also offering a free companion app that allows users to 'browse music with cover art, adjust volume and tone, and fully customize the digital signal processing (DSP) to get the best sound'.

Gigabyte unveiled the S1082, a 10.1-inch tablet PC powered by Windows 8 (and optionally, Windows 8 Pro). Based on the x86 platform, the tablet is driven by Intel Celeron 847 dual-core processor clocked at 1.10 GHz, with up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory, and Intel HD 2000 graphics. Its 10.1-inch multi touchscreen packs 1366 x 768 pixels native resolution. Storage options include 320/500 GB HDD; or 64/128/256 GB SSD. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0, and 3.5G WWAN; with HDMI and D-Sub display outputs; two USB 2.0 ports, 5-in-1 card reader, and 1.3 megapixel web-cam. Measuring 270(W) x 173(D) x 14.94(H) mm, it weighs 790~850 g (SSD/HDD). Its dedicated docking station includes additional battery and DVD SuperMulti drive. Expect this one to go for anywhere between $599 to $799.

German company Wortmann has just added a new, business-oriented laptop to its portfolio, a 15.6-inch model known as TERRA MOBILE 1541 PRO. Pictured below, Wortmann's notebook features a Full HD (1920 x 1080) screen, an Intel Core (i3, i5 or i7) processor, up to 16 GB of RAM, integrated graphics, up to a 1 TB hard drive and, optionally, a 256 GB solid state drive, a 2-megapixel webcam, Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 9-in-1 card reader, an ExpressCard slot, three USB 3.0 ports, plus D-Sub and HDMI outputs.

The TERRA MOBILE 1541 PRO runs Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) and starts at €759.

Foxconn, a global innovator and channel manufacturer of electronics and computer components, announces the release of the quietest NanoPC AT-5250, which is about to keep your surroundings silence in the next upcoming months. The latest AT-5250 with Intel GMA 3650 HD boosts graphics and CPU processing capabilities while maintaining energy efficiency to create a palm-sized home theater PC capable of high-definition video playback and lightning-fast system responsiveness. The elegant design can go with the environment freely, meeting the high-end needs of sales centers and real sales presentation who are seeking for a powerful tower PC replacement, home theater or energy-efficient PC.

For those who haven't taken a leap to Intel's Z77 and Ivy Bridge combo yet, either you're cultivating self discipline or you're planning to prey upon something big. Well, now is the big moment, because ASRock is releasing its beastlike Z77 Extreme11!

This tiptop motherboard has 8 SAS2/SATA3 connectors supported by an LSI SAS2308 PCIe 3.0 x8 controller. For extreme graphics, 3-Way SLI/4-Way CrossFireX is supported via a PLX PEX 8747 bridge. The LAN solution is also tempting. Two Intel LAN chips to support dual LAN and teaming, while there's also a 2T2R Dual Band WiFi & Bluetooth 4.0 module and a bundled Wi-SB Box. Specially designed for computer enthusiasts, Z77 Extreme11 possesses unbeatable hardware and extreme powers waiting to be unleashed.

Acer America, the number two notebook provider, today announced that the Acer Iconia W700 tablet PC, a high-performance mobile PC in a tablet PC form factor, will be available for the U.S. market. Acer's first Windows 8-based tablet PC for the U.S., the Iconia W700 features a versatile, portable design that delivers a first-rate touch and typing experience for productivity-focused PC users.

The Acer Iconia W700 tablet PC with Windows 8 delivers excellent performance using responsive and fast Intel Core i3 and Core i5 (Ivy Bridge) processors, enabling the system to take on spreadsheets, presentations, and more with ease. The powerful processors allow customers to use the Iconia W700 as their main PC for all of their everyday computing tasks, such as content creation, running multiple apps, and sharing multimedia.