Do you desire for a free CPU upgrade? Of course, you do! ASRock Inc. today launched the UCC [Unlock CPU Core] Series motherboard that delivers added core processing power by enabling the ASRock exclusive UCC function of the AMD CPUs. Unprecedentedly integrated with ASRock exclusive UCC Chip, ASRock UCC function is well-designed to provide extra performance boost on ASRock UCC Series motherboards. In conjunction with AMD's 8XX Series chipsets, ASRock 890GX Extreme3 motherboard, the first UCC series motherboard, comes with unique UCC feature and supports both advanced rendering from HD 4290, DX10.1 graphics technology and ATI Quad CrossFireX, 3-Way CrossFireX technologies.

Equipped with an exclusive ASRock UCC Chip, ASRock 890GX Extreme3 is able to support the excellent UCC function. ASRock UCC feature allows users to enjoy an instant performance boost by simply tuning on the UCC switch on BIOS. ASRock 890GX Extreme3 is the ASRock True 333 series motherboards. The board offers the latest SATA3 6.0Gb/s and USB 3.0 5.0Gb/s technologies from the industry-leading NEC support. The real I/O includes 1 x external SATA3 connector through the Bundled eSATA3 Bracket and 2 x USB 3.0 ports for 10X faster data transfer speed. For memory part, it supports 4 X DDR3 1800(OC), Hyper Transport Bus 5200 MT/s, ATI Quad CrossFireX and 3-Way CrossFireX. For audio aspect, it features 7.1 CH, VIA 2020 audio codec with Premium Blu-ray audio support. Combined with advanced rendering from AMD Radeon HD 4290, DX10.1 graphics, ASRock 890GX Extreme3 offers the spectacular visual output (output options include: D-Sub, DVI-D, HDMI) as well.

Other World Computing, a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today its OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini is the first 2.5" 1TB "Quad Interface" bus powered portable storage solution on the market and available for immediate ordering with 10 models priced from $119.99. Featuring a "Quad Interface" of FireWire 800/400, USB 2.0, and eSATA interface connectivity for data transfer speeds up to 300MB/s, the fanless Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini delivers high performance storage/backup to Mac or PC users in a portable, brushed aluminum, no AC adapter required Plug and Play footprint.In addition to the new 1TB model, the Mercury Elite-AL Pro mini is available in nine other "Quad Interface" models offering a variety of speed, capacity, and drive type options:

We dropped by A-DATA booth and did see a few interesting new products. First off, there are two new USB flash drives, the N909 with a USB Plus port and the N005 with USB 3.0. The former is a special USB connector with the possibility to be used on eSATA as well. There is also an SSD with SATA 3 and a micro USB 3.0 connector present.A-DATA is also displaying SDXC cards, just in time as the Canon 550D will be supporting the new format.

One device, two integrated interfaces: with the new Combo Portable Hard Drive, Verbatim is combining the advantages of a Powered eSATA high-speed connection with the user-friendliness of a USB drive. The truly Portable Hard Drive comes in a rugged aluminium enclosure weighing only 205 grams and delivers ultra fast eSATA data transfer speeds up to 3Gbit/sec. The new Verbatim eSATA/USB 2.0 Combo HDD 500GB is available from specialist retailers now and costs £89.99 (RRP).

Verbatim's new portable hard drive delivers ultra fast data transfer on the go. With USB 2.0 and powered eSATA connectivity it is extremely versatile. Data can be transferred via the powered eSATA port at a maximum speed of 3Gbit/sec, providing the other device also features eSATA connectivity. In terms of data transfer, the powered eSATA port is six times faster than USB 2.0.

LaCie today announced the Rugged eSATA, the first mobile external hard drive on the market that features a Power eSATA interface. The Rugged eSATA offers major storage capacity and a cost advantage over eSATA SSD solutions, and is one of the only portable, bus-powered eSATA solutions on the market.

Bus-powered when connected to a USB-eSATA combo port, the LaCie Rugged eSATA combines superior transfer speeds of up to 90MB/s in a truly mobile form. The USB-eSATA combo interface, also known as Power eSATA, features a slightly different connector than eSATA and is frequently found on late-model laptops. The drive is also compatible with standard eSATA ports when the included USB power-sharing cable is connected.

ASRock is developing a new upper-mainstream socket LGA-1156 motherboard based on the Intel P55 Express chipset: the P55-Deluxe3. This motherboard builds on the chipset's feature-set, and offers USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s connectivity. It further borrows from a design ASUS innovated with its P7P55D Premium, which makes use of a PCI-Express 2.0 bridge chip, which connects to the P55 chipset over its PCI-Express 1.1 x4 link, and gives out PCI-Express 2.0 x1 connections to the USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s controllers. The SATA 6 Gb/s controller gives out two SATA ports (color-coded white), and an IDE connector. The NEC USB 3.0 controller gives out two external ports color-coded blue.

Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x8 when both are populated), a PCI-Express x1, and two PCI slots. Both NVIDIA SLI and ATI CrossFire, are supported. Other connectivity options include 8+2 channel audio with SPDIF connectivity, gigabit Ethernet, eSATA, FireWire, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. The ASRock P55 Deluxe3 should be priced somewhere in the $180~$200 range.

MSI seems to be almost ready with a new high-end motherboard for the socket LGA-1366 Intel Core i7 platform. The new MSI Big Bang XPower motherboard is based on the usual Intel X58 Express + ICH10R chipset, and offers six PCI-Express x16 slots, which which it can support CrossFireX, SLI, and still have room for dedicated PhysX accelerators or other PCI-E devices. The XPower also features support for SATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0 using additional controllers.

The CPU is powered by a 16-phase DrMOS PWM, which draws power from two 8-pin power connectors. It makes use of High-C capacitors for higher durability. An additional 6-pin PCI-Express power input adds electrical stability to the PCI-Express x16 slots. The socket is wired to six DDR3 DIMM slots for triple-channel memory support, which are powered by a 3-phase VRM.

To meet growing demand for additional hard disk storage, Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, proudly recommends its 3.5-inch StoreJet external hard drives that feature high speed performance, vast storage space and versatile functions such as efficient cooling systems, OneTouch auto-backup, and TurboHDD USB transfer mode.

With generous storage capacities of up to 1.5TB, Transcend StoreJet 3.5-inch external hard drives provide increased storage capacity for today's space-hungry digital world. These drives give users an astonishing amount of extra space to back up or store their essential files, folders, games, documents, photos, music, and even high-definition videos. For added value, all StoreJet drives come bundled with Transcend's own StoreJet Elite software, which offers intelligent backup scheduling, Internet tools as well as advanced security options.

HighPoint Technologies - an innovative host-based RAID controller manufacturer is introducing the RocketRAID 620 Series- the industry's first SATA 3.0 host adapters with RAID 5 capability. The 620 series will double the data rate from 3Gb/s to 6Gb/s for high bandwidth PC applications, gaming, digital video and audio, video streaming and graphics applications.

The two members of the RocketRAID 620 Series - RocketRAID 620 (MSRP $69.99) and RocketRAID 622 (MSRP $79.99) will ship mid January 2010. These premier RAID host adapters are based on PCI-Express Gen 2 host interface technology and are designed to optimize storage performance and redundancy with RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 and JBOD. User friendly features include hot plug and hot unplug to add or remove storage devices; and OCE/ORLM to expand storage capacities or migrate to different RAID levels.

ioSafe today announced the availability of the new ioSafe Solo SSD - a solid state, highly ruggedized model of the award-winning ioSafe Solo desktop external hard drive. Combining ioSafe's new proprietary ArmorPlate, a military grade steel outer casing with SSD technology, the new ioSafe Solo SSD adds unprecedented shock, drop and crush protection to the existing fire and water protection.

The ioSafe Solo SSD combined with ArmorPlate helps to protect data in a two story building collapse, 5000 lb. crush forces, 20' drop into rubble and up to a 1000g shock. In addition the original HydroSafe, FloSafe and DataCast work to keep the drive cool during normal operation and protect the data from fires up to 1550 °F for 1/2 hour and complete water submersion of 30' for 30 days in fresh or salt water. Like all ioSafe products, the ioSafe Solo SSD comes with ioSafe's Data Recovery Service, a "no questions asked" policy to help customers recover from any data disaster including accidental deletion, virus or physical disaster.

The recently surfaced high-end dual socket LGA-1366 motherboard is pictured in full, without its cooling assembly. The picture reveals quite a bit about EVGA's new monstrosity. To begin with, the motherboard is neither ATX, nor EATX in the truest sense. Like the recently announced X58 Classified 4-way SLI which was based on the "XL-ATX" form-factor, this motherboard seems to be 13.58 inches (344.93 mm) long, and about as wide as EATX (330 mm, 13 inches), or maybe a little more.

Each LGA-1366 socket is wired to six DDR3 DIMM slots for triple-channel memory, and is powered by an 8-phase digital-PWM circuit. Each socket further has a 3-phase power circuit for its DIMM slots. The CPU VRM for each socket takes input from an 8-pin ATX, and what appears to be a 6-pin +12V (PCI-E?) connector. The motherboard further takes power from a 6-pin PCI-E power connector apart from the usual 24-pin ATX power connector. Some of these inputs may be redundant and needed only for additional electrical stability to support competitive overclocking.

A new adapter listed on online store usb.brando.com, the UNITEK USB 3.0 to SATA Adapter (Y-1034) promises to be an interesting accessory. The adapter connects to SATA HDDs/SSDs over a SATA 3 Gb/s interface, and to the host PC over USB 3.0 SuperSpeed. The new interface eliminates interface bottlenecks to provide speeds on-par with eSATA. The kit consists of the main unit which plugs into the the drive's SATA data+power connectors, and gives out a USB 3.0 cable. It takes in DC power input from its own power adapter. A quick HDTach run shows a conventional HDD to offer speeds on par with being connected to eSATA (effectively the system's own SATA interface). It is priced at US $49.

To build on the popularity of its NVIDIA ION based nettops, ASRock plans to release a new Intel Atom + NVIDIA ION motherboard based on the mini-ITX form factor, in 2010. The motherboard will be one of the first of its kind, with a stronger memory sub-system. The NVIDIA ION chipset will drive dual-channel DDR3 1066 MHz memory. The board makes use of dual-core Atom 330 processor which is passively cooled, while the NVIDIA ION chipset is cooled actively. The chipset embeds DirectX 10 compliant NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics. It gives out four internal SATA 3 Gb/s ports and two Power-eSATA (eSATA+USB combo) ports making use of all its ATA channels. The lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (full-bandwidth).

ASRock-exclusive features include Dura-Cap Japanese solid-state capacitors, Instant Boot, Instant Flash, OC DNA, and Night LED. Connectivity includes 8-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF driven by VIA VT2020 CODEC, gigabit Ethernet, six external and four internal USB 2.0 ports, and display connectivity which includes DVI-D, D-Sub, and HDMI. While the motherboard supports up to 4 GB of memory, the graphics processor supports full-HD display resolutions including smooth playback of HD video. It passes Windows 7 compatibility. ASRock is yet to reveal pricing and availability.

Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Pro LAN makes SATA Hard drives, Storage cards und USB devices LAN compatible / HDD Docking station for 2.5" and 3.5" SATA Hard drives / with integrated USB Hub and card reader / PC access through eSATA or USB / MSRP 49.99 euros. Sharkoon is expanding their "SATA QuickPort" hard drive adapter series with a brand new model: the already available QuickPort Pro version, with an integrated USB hub and card reader, now also provides a LAN port so all users within a local network are accessible to the connected media.

The QuickPort series currently includes eight models, each with different features for different requirements. All Sharkoon QuickPorts allow direct and convenient access to SATA hard drives. The compact yet sturdy QuickPort table adapters are equipped with a series of slots for SATA drives in both the 2.5" and 3.5" formats. A clamping mechanism, with suitable space for smaller notebook drives, offer two types of secure grip. The disks are simply plugged into the QuickPort with the computer immediately recognizing the device as an authorized drive. After use, the drive can be easily removed by utilizing the eject button.

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual display and computing products, today expanded its PC Mini lineup with the new VOT530 and VOT550. These full-featured, small-format PCs are ideal for power computing and enjoying digital media anywhere in the home, all while using up to 45% less energy and up to 50% less plastic than tower PCs.

The VOT530 and VOT550 PC Minis come standard with a Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, powerful Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz processors and 802.11b/g/n wireless connectivity, making them perfect media entertainment systems or home computing hubs. Whether streaming Internet content to a TV or accessing movies and music saved on the hard drive, these compact computers are ideal for downloading, managing and displaying digital content on any standard display or HDTV.

Come Q1 2010, and Intel will be expanding its socket LGA-1156 platform with dual-core processors, and processors with on-die graphics. Along with these, Intel will be releasing the H57 Express chipset which supports the Flexible Display technology which handles the connectivity for the processors' on-die graphics. Motherboard vendors seem to be ready well ahead, and the second such company with a product on display is MSI, with its H57M-ED65. This motherboard is based on the micro-ATX form-factor, and builds on the chipset's features, while also appearing to be enthusiast-friendly.

The CPU is powered by a lavish 10-phase VRM with elaborate heatsinks over the DrMOS chips. It completely does away with PCI, and features only PCI-Express slots. There are are two PCI-Express x16 slots (electrical x16, x4), and two PCI-Expres x1 slots. Apart from the six SATA 3 Gb/s ports the chipset provides, an additional storage controller provides two more SATA 3 Gb/s ports, and an IDE connector. The board makes full use of the Flexible Display technology, providing DVI, D-Sub, HDMI, and DisplayPort as display connectivity options. A number of USB ports, PS/2, gigabit Ethernet, 8-channel audio with optical SPDIF, eSATA, and FireWire make for the rest of the rear-panel. Its enthusiast-friendliness is further vindicated by the presence of the OC Genie feature, on the fly base clock controls, and power/reset buttons onboard. Expect this to feature in the company's first wave of H57 motherboards.

ASUS, a worldwide leader in personal computers, today introduces the TS mini small office/home office (SOHO) server. The TS mini targets modern home and small office users that frequently exchange data from multiple computers and require access from various locations. The TS mini secures documents, multimedia, and other digital content into a sleek repository. It further safeguards data on multiple computers across the home or office with automatic backups and cloud storage. TS mini allows centralized file access with local networks, attached storage devices and remotely over the internet. Equipped with an Intel Atom processor, the TS mini delivers quiet, energy efficient, always-on access. Operating on the Microsoft Windows Home Server Platform, it simplifies management of digital content. The TS Mini is available now for pre-order at Amazon.com and NewEgg.com starting at $349.99 USD.

"Consumer demand for rich content that can be accessed anytime, anywhere, on any device is fueling innovation in networking and storage of media and data in the home," said Seth Bobroff, general manager, Data Center Group - Storage, Intel Corporation. "The Intel Atom processor in the TS mini enables ASUS to deliver the ability to stream media, share files and protect data while remotely accessing it, all in a sleek and energy-efficient 2-bay design."

Dell today introduced the mini-sized Inspiron Zino HD, which is versatile enough to handle tasks from basic computing chores to driving a big-screen, High-Definition TV media center. With a choice of colors, the Inspiron Zino HD can be easily personalized to add flare to any room in the home.

Starting at $229, the Inspiron Zino HD includes standard HD-capable integrated graphics, HDMI output and built-in networking that make it smart for typical home and student computing activities such as word processing, e-mail, organizing photos and music, and surfing the Internet.

The Japanese cooling expert Scythe Co., Ltd. expands its product portfolio to external enclosures for 2.5" Hard Disks. Kamazo 2 series are available in three different versions.

Kamazo 2 IDE (KMZ2-25IDE) and the Kamazo 2 SATA (KMZ2-25SATA) can be connected via USB to your PC, and can connect an IDE or SATA HDDs. Both devices are compatible to the USB 2.0/1.1 standard and don't require any additional power source. For more versatility, the e-SATA Version (ESATA-KMZ2-25) is compatible with "the" e-SATA Standard as well as "the" USB 2.0/1.1 standard. Operating Kamazo 2 over the e-SATA Interface use of supplied Power-over-USB connector is required in order to properly supply the power to HDD. All three versions are made of solid aluminum which is covered by black paint and require little space which makes this product to be a compact and space saving design.

ECS is jumping the USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s bandwagon with two PCI-Express expansion cards for each kind of connectivity. The cards use popular controllers NEC µPD720200 for USB 3.0 and Marvell 88SE9123-NAA2 for SATA 6 Gb/s. While the USB 3.0 card provides both its ports on the rear-panel, the SATA 6 Gb/s card holds one internal SATA 6 Gb/s port, and one eSATA 6 Gb/s. Currently there is no word on the availability or price of the two. These cards follow similar offerings from the likes of ASRock and ASUS.

Here is one of the first socket LGA-1156 motherboards in the mini-ITX form-factor, certainly the first one based on the Intel P55 chipset. Packed in its 6.7 x 6.7 inch PCB are a 6 phase digital PWM circuit powering the CPU (socket made by LOTES), two DDR3 DIMM slots for dual-channel memory, and a decent utilization of the feature-set of the P55 PCH, which is cooled by a tiny low-profile heatsink. The PCH gives out three internal SATA 3 Gbps ports, and one powered eSATA port.

The 8-channel HD Audio also takes care of optical and co-axial SPDIF connectivity. Gigabit Ethernet, and four USB 2.0 ports make for the rest of the rear-panel. Two headers make room for four more USB 2.0 ports. The lone expansion slot is a generous PCI-Express 2.0 x16, which will accommodate any PCI-Express addon card. You will especially need it, as the P55 platform relies on discrete graphics. With its ABS II, debug LED, and rear-panel clear CMOS button, the board also tries to be as overclocker-friendly as it can afford to be, with its limited resources. Its pricing is yet to be known, though the launch isn't very far off.

Thermaltake, leading DIY chassis brand, launches the newest full-tower PC case for demanding gamers and power-users. The Element V offers optimized airflow characteristics with 5 preinstalled heavy-duty fans, while leaving room for another 3 upgrade fans. Two 120 mm front mounted fans are blowing outside air directly through and over the drive bays with an additional oversized 230 cm ColorShift fan at the side panel taking in a vast amount of outside air and distributing it over graphics cards and CPU. Two exhaust fans in the upper area remove uprising hot air; one 120 mm rear side TurboFan and one big size ColorShift fan in the top panel. No matter how much peripherals you throw at this case, you can always rest assured they won't ever be an air-congestion. You will rather stay cool and calm.

For users you like a vivid look and enjoy giving their case a character of it's own, the three ColorShift fan provide you with 6 color option that can static or in motion. Adjustment of the three ColorShift fans' color scheme and fan speed are conveniently done by a dual-function know on the top front side.

Verbatim introduced a new USB/eSATA combo portable SSD. What looks like just another USB stick, which pops its USB connector out with a push of a slider, pops an eSATA connector out from the other side, with the push of the same slider, the other way. Measuring 80 (L) x 23 (W) x 9 (H) mm, and weighing 19 g, the USB/eSATA combo SSD offers 32 GB of storage, with the eSATA interface offering high-performance wherever an eSATA port is available, while the USB 2.0 interface ensures high compatibility. In eSATA mode, the drive offers speeds of 60 MB/s (read) and 25 MB/s (write), which goes down to 26 MB/s (read) and 16 MB/s (write) in USB 2.0 mode. The bundled EasyLock software provides 256-bit AES data encryption. Backed by a 2-year warranty, the Verbatim USB/eSATA Combo SSD sells for 159 EUR.

NZXT expanded its Classic Series of PC cases with the Gamma. This all-black ATX mid-tower intends to provide the essentials of casing the PC of today, while attempting to be creative with its bezel design to the extant possible. It measures 190 X 449 X 508 mm (W x H x D), and weighs 6 kg. The case material is steel, including a dash of meshed steel in the front-panel. The front-panel includes four 5.25" drive bays, audio, USB, and eSATA connectors, and perforated steel to cover the front intake fan.

The interiors are all-black, with seven internal 3.5" drive bays. Apart from openings that help in cable management, the motherboard tray has an opening that makes working with CPU coolers with back-plates easier. The ventilation system provides a lot of room for expansion: a 120 mm intake fan, two side 120 mm fans, a rear 120 mm, and another two 140 or 120 mm fans on top. Ports for water-tubing are included. It is available in Europe, for a price of 39.90 EUR.

Silicon Power released its second edition eSATA/USB SSD II flash-drive. With a capacity of 64 GB, the drive provides support for both USB 2.0 and eSATA interfaces, so the user can choose between the broadest compatibility (using USB), or maximum performance (using eSATA). Both connectors are located on either sides of the drive, and pop out by moving a retractable slider. The unit measures 76.4 mm x 27 mm x 11.4 mm, and weighs 20 g, on par with most 64+ GB flash drives. In eSATA mode, the drive offers read speeds of 90 MB/s and write speeds of 50 MB/s, while in USB 2.0 mode, the read-write speeds are 30 MB/s and 20 MB/s, respectively. The drive also comes in a 32 GB variant with the same specifications, otherwise. The 64 GB variant costs 138 EUR, while the 32 GB one costs 62 EUR.