2013 International Consumer Electronics Show - AMD (NYSE: AMD) today launched the AMD Radeon HD 8000M Series of mobile graphics processing units (GPUs) set to deliver discrete graphics performance to a variety of notebook designs, including the incredibly portable ultrathin form factor. The AMD Radeon HD 8000M Series are the first notebook GPUs to be offered with the award-winning AMD Graphics Core Next (GCN) Architecture, which delivers exceptional compute power and performance while stretching battery life through AMD Enduro Technology. Designs are currently shipping with ASUS and Samsung, with Lenovo and additional OEMs shipping soon.

Additionally, AMD announced the availability of AMD Radeon HD 8000 Series desktop graphics, available only through OEMs. The AMD Radeon HD 8000 Series features revolutionary GCN Architecture with support for DirectX 11.1 for optimal acceleration of Windows 8 platforms, AMD App Acceleration to enhance GPU performance, and features intelligent power management technology such as AMD PowerTune with boost1, 3, 4. Both announcements represent a commitment from AMD to provide the ideal graphics solution for everyday notebook and desktop users, whether they're gaming, streaming online HD videos, creating presentations or editing photos or videos.

AMD (NYSE: AMD), a leading provider of technology that enables visually-rich experiences for today's consumers, provided an early look at its new 2013 accelerated processing units (APUs) and announced a new OEM relationship with VIZIO. At an International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) event, AMD demonstrated working silicon of its first true system on chip (SoC) APUs, codenamed "Temash" and "Kabini," which will be the industry's first quad-core x86 SoCs. Both APUs are scheduled to ship in the first half of 2013. Demonstrations included a range of leading-edge applications and games on a "Kabini"-based ultrathin notebook and a "Temash"-based performance tablet and hybrid notebook.

AMD also introduced the new APU codenamed "Richland" which is currently shipping to OEMs and delivers visual performance increases ranging from more than 20 percent to up to 40 percent over the previous generation of AMD A-Series APUs1. "Richland" is expected to come bundled with new software for consumers such as gesture- and facial-recognition to dramatically expand and enhance consumers' user experiences. The follow-on to "Richland" will be the 28nm APU codenamed "Kaveri" with revolutionary heterogeneous system architecture (HSA) features which is expected to begin shipping to customers in the second half of 2013.

VIZIO announced today its spring 2013 line-up of Windows 8 PCs, equipped with 10-finger capacitive touch displays on every new model. Seamless touchscreen technology and premium entertainment enhancements to the new spring line give users the ideal interactive Windows 8 experience, supported by outstanding picture quality and rich audio.

VIZIO will be showcasing select PC models at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV, January 7 -11, 2013 at the Wynn Hotel, by appointment.

NVIDIA closed its Sunday launch extravaganza by posting a new version of its GeForce software suite, a combination of drivers and software for its GeForce graphics processors. The new GeForce 310.90 introduces a much-needed security update for its driver service manager that patches a recently-discovered vulnerability. In addition, it brings improved stability and performance for the dual-GPU GeForce GTX 690, in 3D production applications. SLI profiles are added or updated for several games.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 310.90 WHQL for Windows 8/7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 8/7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit

The change-log specific to this release follows.

E FUN, a consumer electronics designer and marketer of fun, easy-to-use lifestyle products, now makes it possible for any Windows 7 user who has upgraded to Windows 8 to fully enjoy its touch-screen capabilities. Its new APEN Touch8 system, using ultrasonic and infrared technologies, operates as a multi-touch-screen digitizer, providing touch-panel functionality where there was not one before. The APEN Touch8 will be on display at CES in South Hall MP25067, January 8-11.

"There are about 600-million Windows 7 PCs and laptops in use today that can be upgraded to Windows 8," stated Jason Liszewski, managing director and VP of sales for E FUN. "The problem is that all of the platforms on which they run do not offer touch-screen technology. Our APEN Touch8 system allows these units to be easily and economically upgraded to include a touch function to take advantage of all that Windows 8 has to offer."

VIA Labs, Inc., a leading supplier of USB 3.0 integrated chip controllers, today announced that the VIA Labs VL811+ 4-port SuperSpeed USB Hub controllers has achieved SuperSpeed USB certification from the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF). The VIA Labs VL811+ is among the first USB 3.0 hubs to achieve USB-IF certification.

"VIA Labs has been working with the USB-IF since the beginning and we've seen USB 3.0 grow from just a specification to being designed into computing platforms and peripherals that we hadn't even dreamed about," said Jay Tseng, Director, VIA Labs, Inc. "We're very pleased to offer the industry a certified SuperSpeed USB Hub and we look forward to new possibilities for innovation."

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) will be showcasing its new line products at the 2013 International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel from January 8 to January 11. ECS invites all interested parties to get hands-on experience with its latest product offerings, including two next generation All-in-one (AIO) touch based PCs, notebooks, a tablet, and the latest in ATX and Thin Mini-ITX motherboards.

With 10-finger touch capability, the G24 and G18 Series are a new line of AIO PCs using ECS' own Thin Mini-ITX motherboards. The G24 series in particular fully supports the touch interface of Windows 8. These two edge-to-edge 23.6"/18.5" AIOs featuring full HDMI capability, a TV tuner card and a remote not only act as your personal computer but also your 2nd TV.

The Slidebook S20, the ideal mobile work station and leisure companion, just hit the market. Its elegant streamlined exterior, all-in-one design, Intel's third generation Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor, and all-weather, long-life battery meet are designed to meet your work and leisure needs and make the Slidebook S20 stand out from the crowd of other ultrabooks.

Another MSI ingenious design, the Slidebook S20 not only offers all the audiovisual, multimedia, reading, and gaming enjoyment of a tablet, it also sports a keyboard, USB, and HDMI capabilities of a mobile office notebook. This chicly mobile machine satisfies the needs of both on-the-go businesspeople and students and the extended battery power ensures that you have plenty of time to do what you're doing. Ideal for Internet browsing, social networking, and word processing, the Slidebook S20 is the perfect choice for anybody on the go. The S20's design with keyboard and sliding cover eliminates the limitations most people feel when they use tablets. MSI's innovative, user-friendly design have you the user in mind.

It looks like somebody found a security vulnerability in the auto-update feature of AMD Catalyst Control Center (CCC), which notifies you of updates to Catalyst system software and directs you to the download page. AMD announced that it plans to discontinue the feature starting in 2013, and recommends that you get your driver updates the old-fashioned way: by keeping up with the news and getting your drivers from the internet. Due to the severity of the exploit, AMD recommended users to disable auto-updates in their current CCC configuration, or click on "skip" whenever it prompts you to update drivers. AMD stated:

AMD will be removing the auto-update notification functionality from versions of AMD Catalyst Control Center running under Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8, beginning in early 2013. Due to a minor security vulnerability in the auto-update notification, users are recommended to update to the latest AMD Catalyst driver release from the amd.com web site. Alternatively, users should (i) uncheck the "Automatically check for updates" option under AMD Catalyst Control Center > Information > Software Update, and (ii) choose to "Skip" notifications from the AMD Catalyst driver, which notifications recommend updating to the latest driver.

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) today reveals a full product line of Thin Mini-ITX motherboards, in three segments where low power consumption and a small footprint are desirable: enterprise, multimedia and consumer - to fulfill the different demands for AIO (All-in-one) and SFF (small form factor) applications.


Enterprise/Corporate Solutions: Q77H2-TI & B75H2-TI
For corporate and industrial use, the all solid capacitor ECS Q77H2-TI & B75H2-TI motherboards are based on the Intel 7-Series Chipset, which support 3rd generation Intel Core i7, Intel Core i5 and other Intel processors. Both of these platforms feature 2 x Mini PCIe x1 expansion slot, SATA 3.0/2.0/mSATA, 4x USB 3.0, 5x USB 2.0 along with support for digital signage.

Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash storage and enthusiast computer products today announces the availability of the new ultraportable Autobahn USB 2.0 drive. Designed for those looking for excellent USB 2.0 performance and high capacity in a micro sized form factor, the Patriot Autobahn is less than 18mm in length and becomes barely noticeable when plugged in.

Car audio enthusiasts can now rock their tunes with ease. The Autobahn is plug-and-play compatible with stereos that support USB connections for hours of music playback, without the hassle of plugging in an external player. The Patriot Autobahn is available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities to take all your data with you in and ever increasing mobile world.

NEC Japan rolled out the world's thinnest Ultrabook, the 15.6-inch LaVie X (model: LX850/JS). It is just 12.8 mm thick (375 x 255 x 12.8 mm), weighing 1.59 kg. NEC achieved its thickness thanks to innovations in cooling that spreads cooling components apart. It features an LED backlit IPS LCD screen featuring 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, Intel Core i7-3517U processor, 4 GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD storage, and Windows 8. Connectivity includes two USB 3.0 ports, 802.11 b/g/n WLAN, Bluetooth 4.0 +HS, HDMI display-output, SDHC/SDXC card slot, and a 2-megapixel web-camera. It is slated for market availability on December 27.

NVIDIA released the GeForce 310.70 WHQL software suite, which isn't much more than a WHQL-signed version of the GeForce 310.70 beta drivers posted a couple of weeks ago. Available for 64-bit and 32-bit versions of Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP, the drivers, much like the 310.70 beta, are a cumulative of several R310 beta releases from over the past two months. They add significant performance increases over the previous 306.97 WHQL drivers.DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 310.70 WHQL for Windows 8/7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 8/7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit, Windows XP 32-bit

The recently launched P2742G, a 17-inch gaming notebook from GIGABYTE is the premium gaming notebook that packs incredible power and gives consumers amazing options for hardcore games. The P2742G combines Windows 8 which is more intuitive and allows you to easily find what you need, a powerful 3rd generation Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M GPU, and two gigantic storage bays to give gamers lightning speed performance, accessibility and playability. Designed for gamers to deliver an unparalleled gaming experience, the P2742G comes in two colors: eye-catching orange and svelte black. Be the envy of everyone when you show up with your gaming notebook for that next LAN party.

Powered by an unrivaled 3rd Generation Intel Core i7 Quad-Core Processor that delivers screaming fast performance coupled with a high-end NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M GDDR5 2GB graphics processor that supports NVIDIA Optimus, NVIDIA PhysX and DirectX 11 Technology, the P2742G provides an unprecedented gaming experience even for the most graphics-laden games. Experience smoother textures, mind blowing realism, faster FPS rates, and eliminate image tearing when playing your favorite game. The P2742G scores an impressive 12,193 on 3DMark Vantage.

It was high time AMD updated its tiny entry-thru-mid GPU silicons to the new 28 nm fab process, Graphics CoreNext micro-architecture, and make them truly Windows 8-ready with DirectX 11.1 support. What better way to do those by giving them as big a launchpad as Radeon HD 8000M series branding, and a gala launch at the 2013 International CES? AMD's next-generation mobile GPUs are codenamed "Solar System," breaking away from the desktop GPU family codename of "Sea Islands." Among its members are those named after our planetary neighbours, "Mars" and "Venus," to name a few. The recent leak of a ASUS Vivobook featuring HD 8550M may not be a re-brand, after all.

Panasonic today unveiled the world's lightest business rugged, convertible Ultrabook with a unique Flip-Over design making it ideal for mobile sales workforces and executives to use in notebook or tablet mode. Combining high usability, style, durability and long battery life with hot swappable, replaceable battery, the Toughbook CF-AX2 is one of the first ready-made Microsoft Windows 8 Pro certified devices. This means business users can have the best of both worlds, using the Toughbook CF-AX2 as both a desirable touch-screen tablet and state-of-the-art, stylish Ultrabook.

Drawing on its long pedigree of combining ergonomic and durable design, Panasonic has created the Toughbook CF-AX2 with a unique and robust 360° Flip-Over hinge design, allowing the device to be used in very different business situations and offering business users a new level of working freedom.

Development of Razer's "Project Fiona" appears to be chugging along. CEO Min-Liang Tan posted its specs that were compiled after a lot of feedback from its Facebook community. The company even used the social networking site to gauge public interest to begin its development.

Project Fiona is an x86 Windows 8-based tablet that's optimized for gaming, with its game controller that latches on to its either sides. According to Razer, we're looking at the following specs:

• CPU: Intel Core i5 or Core i7
• GPU: Mid-range discrete GPU, brand not mentioned, should be sufficient for its 720p resolution
• Size/weight: "about double the weight and thickness of an Apple iPad"
• Detachable controllers
• Price: In the neighbourhood of US$1,299-US$1,499

TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphic cards, pioneers to offer UEFI ready graphics solutions to all gamers. As the industry-leading graphics brand, PowerColor dedicated itself to deliver innovative technology to all gamers. With newly announcement of Microsoft Windows 8, the whole new operating system amazes gamers with fantastic features such as fast boot technology.

To provide complete experience of the latest Windows 8 operating system, PowerColor develops new firmware with UEFI ready which enables fast boot implementation. By utilizing UEFI firmware, the latest Windows 8 systems can boot and resume activity faster than ever. Gamers can experience the speedy boot and resume times with PowerColor UEFI-capable graphics solutions, allows the unsurpassed user experience like never before.

Coinciding with the momentum of the Windows 8 launch from Microsoft, Amped Wireless, the leading manufacturer of high power, long range wireless communication products for the home and office, today unveiled the TAN1, the first High Power Wi-Fi Adapter designed specifically for use with Windows 8 tablets, Ultrabooks and laptops.

"With more than 40 million licenses sold, Windows 8 is quickly becoming a success with consumers. And while there are some great new features for managing Wi-Fi in Windows 8, OEMs are still compromising Wi-Fi performance for aesthetics and slimmer form factors," stated Jason Owen, CEO, Amped Wireless. "With the TAN1, Windows 8 users can now have uncompromised long range Wi-Fi performance to connect to Wi-Fi networks from much greater distances. Home users can roam freely throughout their home without worrying about disconnects or buffering, while business users can connect to Wi-Fi hotspots with ease while at airports or hotels."

Genius invites all CES attendees to visit their booth during CES to get hands-on experience with the new Windows 8 touch gesture mouse, Touch Mouse 6000, that lets users tap, swipe and zoom right on the mouse giving users full use of the new Windows interface. Beside the Touch Mouse 6000, the other major new products that will be shown are the Innovations 2013 honoree GX Gila Gaming Mouse along with the Ring Mouse 2.

Lenovo today announced the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, optimized for Windows 8 and now adds touch experience to the industry's leading business class Ultrabook. The X1 Carbon and X1 Carbon Touch are developed from superior grade carbon fibre and deliver legendary durability and the highest levels of performance. The new X1 Carbon Touch paves the way for mobile professionals who demand the best in mobility and entertainment and want to experience the simplicity of touch gesture control.

"Bringing touch gesture control to our best ThinkPad ever is a natural evolution of the portfolio and a big step towards fulfilling our promise to bring computers into a new PC+ era," said Peter Hortensius, president, Lenovo Product Group. "We are excited to be able to offer customers the best experience in a thin and light business class Ultrabook. The X1 Carbon Touch is the Ultrabook to beat."

CyberPower Inc. www.cyberpowerpc.com, a global manufacturer of custom gaming computers, today announced its Zeus Touch desktop PC series.

The Zeus Touch is an all-in-one desktop PC that combines a minimalist tablet-like design with the latest power-efficient performance processors from Intel users into a powerful space-saving system with full 10-finger capacitive touch support. Every system is pre-loaded with Microsoft's "touch-friendly" Windows 8 operating system, which allows you to experience a more intuitive and fluid way to accomplish computing tasks.

Gaming PC introduces their latest custom gaming computer codename: "Destroyer". The newest member in the GamingPC features a custom water cooling system, an Intel processor overclocked at 4.5 GHz 32 gigs of ram and Windows 8 for $3580.

"We built this machine to be the best bang for the buck when it came to extreme gaming. This is our favorite machine. This is how we want our own at-home machines to be" said, owner of Gaming PC Company.

Wortmann has recently introduced the TERRA PC-HOME 5100, a mid-tower desktop system running Microsoft's Windows 8 (64-bit). Seen below, the PC packs a 3.3 GHz Core i3-3220 processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 1.5 TB hard drive, a DVD writer, a Radeon HD 7570 graphics card, and a Fortron (350 W) or Seasonic (375 W) power supply.

The TERRA PC-HOME 5100 costs €559.

Japanese PC maker Mouse Computer announced the LuvMachines Mini (Lm) series VESA-mount compatible nettops. It includes three models, the Lm-mini40B (base), Lm-mini40S (SSD-equipped), and Lm-mini40X (hybrid HDD-equipped, top). The three are based on a common design, which measures 5.2 x 153.6 x 172.6 mm (HxWxD), which can either latch on to your monitor via VESA wall-mount, or sit around on your desk with its stand. The base configuration includes an Intel Celeron 847 processor clocked at 1.10 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD, Intel NM70 chipset, USB 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, and Windows 8. It is priced at 29,820¥. The Lm-mini40S tops that with a 120 GB SSD, and is priced at 34,650¥. The Lm-mini40X leads the pack with 750 GB hybrid HDD, and is priced at 39,900¥.