In fact, MSI claims that you get 37.5% higher overclocks using its special cooling solution. The card uses the special cooling solution is called the R7950 Twin Frozr 3GD5/OC. The other two graphics cards use traditional cooling systems and are called the R7970-2PMD3GD5/OC and the R7950-2PMD3GD5/OC. The cards all use similar hardware components.

The components used on the Twin Frozr video card are military class III for performance and stability. The components also passed military standard 810G. The line uses Hi-c capacitors with eight times the lifespan of solid-state capacitors. These cards should be good for people that like to overclock.

The video card also supports Eyefinty multiple screen gaming and has DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a connectivity. That will allow the card to support 3D gaming. The PCIe Gen 3 standard and 28nm process used inside the GPU will allow the card to have 32GB/s of bandwidth. This card should be a gaming beast.

The card supports 7.1 channel TrueHD and DTS-HD audio and more. For longevity and performance, the card uses all solid capacitors. The capacitors will help prevent overheating and have a 10-year lifespan according to MSI. There is no word on pricing or clock speeds at this time.

The system RAM is 32GB and the notebook has a 17.3-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution screen. Storage is up to 1.5TB and an SSD is optional. Other features include a Blu-ray drive option, dual USB 3.0 ports, THX TruStudio audio, and integrated WiFi and Bluetooth. The machine uses a 9-cell battery. The second machine is the GT685. It uses a 2GHz Core i7 processor and up to 32GB of RAM.

The screen is a 15.6-inch unit at 1920 x 1080 resolution. It can be fitted with up to 1.5TB of storage, SSD, and Blu-ray. The notebook uses the NVIDIA GTX 580M video card as well. It and the larger screen GT783 have the same basic features. Both machines will be on hand at CES 2012. Pricing and availability are unknown.

The new ultra-slim notebooks will feature strong multimedia support with Intel’s WiDi 2.0 for easy Wi-Fi connection to any TV using standard Wi-Fi and THX TruStudio PRO for premium audio quality. Other connectivity options include two USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI port. There’s also an integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam.

The X460DX comes in two configurations, one with a 2.1GHz Intel Core i3-2310M processor with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and the other with a 2.3Ghz Intel Core i5-2410M processor with 6GB of DDR3 RAM. Both will use NVIDIA’s GeForce GT540M GPU and will have 500GB of hard drive capacity. Pricing starts from $799.99 to $899.99.

The X460 is the higher-end model that comes with an Intel Core i7-2630QM processor with integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics, 6GB DDR3 RAM, 750GB hard drive, and Windows 7 Professional 64bit. Pricing starts from $1,199.99.

All models are protected by a 1-year Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty and are available for order now at Newegg and Amazon. For more information, you can visit the MSI product page.

The Gen 3 PCIe slot promises to be 200% faster than a Gen 2 slot. The mainboard also uses high-end MIL-810STD Certified Military Class II components and has MSI OC Genie II tech onboard to overclock the system and improve performance with a push button overclocking function. The board also gets a new BIOS design called the Click BIOS II. The new BIOS is designed to make tweaking easy.

The BIOS has an interface that promises to be good enough for noobs, but robust enough to proved the OC vet the flexibility needed to get the most performance. The board supports NVIDIA SLI and CrossFireX along with virtu switchable graphics tech. The board conforms to the latest Intel design standards for Intel processors.

Both models feature a 17.3-inch high definition display and comes with at least a 2GHz Core i7 quad-core processor, the latest NVIDIA GeForce graphics processor, and Dynaudio speakers with virtual THX-grade surround sound. The GT780R is the more expensive model and comes with a GeForce GTX 560M video card, 1TB hard drive, and 16GB of RAM. The GX780 steps down a notch to the GeForce GT 555M video, a 750GB hard drive, and 12GB of RAM.

The 17.3-inch displays will come with anti-reflective coating, 1920 x 1080 resolution, and a 16:9 display ratio. There’s also USB 3.0 and 3D-capable HDMI 1.4 video out. The GX780 will retail for $1,550, while the GT780R will retail for $1,750.

[via Ubergizmo]

Ultrabooks aren’t all that Intel is looking at. The company had tablets, smartphones and netbooks to discuss, with Medfield in the first two and Cedar Trail in the latter. The new Atom processors are picking up pace, too, with Intel saying there’ll be production process shrinking on a yearly basis until it hits 12nm within three successive years. As you’d expect, there are various little flourishes like MBA-style fast-resumes to whet your notebook appetite.

Elsewhere, ASUS turned its attention from tablets like the Padfone to more potent gaming hardware, outing a full range of Republic of Gamers motherboards, video cards and accessories. More interesting, perhaps, is the new ROG notebook and desktop PC line-up, including the G53SX Naked Eye 3D laptop which, as the name suggests, has a 3D panel that can not only show 2D and 3D content simultaneously, but not demand you wear special specs.

MSI had saved most of its hardware for the official first day of the show, with a mass of new laptops along with some fresh Wind Box nettops using Intel’s Core range along with AMD’s Fusion APUs. There’s also a potent graphics card which MSI reckons is enough to take the “world’s fastest” title.

Then there were tablet prototypes: one from Quanta to show of Qualcomm’s dual-core Snapdragon, and a number from Pixel Qi to demonstrate their new 7-inch and 10-inch displays. You can find our Computex 2011 Day Zero wrap-up here, and find all of our ongoing show coverage with the Computex 2011 tag

The Wind Box DC100 packs AMD’s super-frugal E-350 dual-core APU processor, demanding 70-percent less juice than rival chips, paired with Radeon HD 6310 graphics. It’s just 1-liter in size, too, despite packing a 250GB HDD, 2GB of RAM and an HDMI output.

The 4.7-liter DC540 gets Intel’s Cedar Trail-D processor, meanwhile, . Finally, the 10-liter MSI Hetis H61 uses one of Intel’s Sandy Bridge second-gen Core processors complete with integrated graphics. No word on pricing for any of the three compact desktops.

Press Release:

ALL NEEDS ARE MET
An impressive debut for MSI’s new generation of Wind Box

COMPUTEX, TAIPEI –MSI, the global leading brand in All-in-One PC, is constantly developing innovative new technology and leveraging its impressive R&D capabilities. At Computex Taipei 2011, besides showcasing its new All-in-One PC models, which emphasize vivid color reproduction, environmentally-friendly business functionality and smart digital lifestyles, MSI will also be displaying three new desktop PC models: the 1-liter Wind Box DC100, MSI’s latest ultra-mini PC; the 4.7-liter Wind Box DC540 desktop; and the large, 10-liter Hetis H61 desktop. These new models add improved panel design to the slim, lightweight and visually attractive characteristics of earlier MSI desktop PCs. The WindBox DC100 has a fashionable new external appearance, together with the energy-saving, high-performance AMD E-350 APU processor capable of supporting 1080-pixel high-definition video output and 3D online gaming. The Wind Box DC540 is equipped with the latest Cedar Trail-D platform processor, while the Hetis H61 uses an Intel® second-generation CoreTM i processor, which provides significantly enhanced performance. All of MSI’s desktop PCs come with Microsoft Windows 7 (Home Premium version); combined with their high-performance processors, this ensures that they are able to meet all normal home computing and work computing needs. MSI has given these new desktop PCs a fashionable, aesthetically appealing external appearance that will suit the varying home décor preferences of individual users. With these new desktop models, users can enjoy outstanding performance at reasonable prices.

Specialist Software to Meet All Needs
MSI’s new-generation desktop PCs – including the Wind Box DC100, Wind Box DC540 and Hetis H61 – use Microsoft’s new Windows 7 64-bit operating system and the Microsoft Office 2010 productivity suite. Combined with anti-virus software, this makes each PC a high-performance, secure work platform, and enables users to enjoy true peace of mind while using the PCs. Windows 7 is simple, fast, and appealing, and provides a wide range of search and file management methods, including jump lists and improved taskbar thumbnails, making it possible for users to undertake everyday search activity more rapidly. Windows 7 is designed to provide faster, more reliable performance, so that users can really get the most out of their PCs. When using the Internet, there is always the risk of computer viruses and data security issues; the anti-virus software with which MSI desktop PCs are equipped as standard ensures that users can put worries of this kind to the back of their minds.

Ultra-High Performance; Environmentally-Friendly Design
MSI’s new-generation Wind Box DC100 1-liter desktop PC is equipped with the latest AMD E-350 dual-core processor and APU. Regardless of whether you want to use the PC for 3D online gaming or viewing movies, there is no need to spend money on an add-on graphics card, because MSI desktops’ DirectX® 11 technology ensures ultra-realistic game images, while AMD’s AVIVOTM technology ensures crisp detail in every image. With these new desktop PCs, MSI has given gamers a whole new visual experience for a very reasonable price. In addition, at a time when the idea of “green,” environmentally-friendly PCs is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, the Wind Box DC100 uses AMD’s latest Brazos platform APU, which has almost unbelievably low, 18-watt energy consumption. The Wind Box DC100 thus provides energy savings of nearly 70% compared to conventional desktop PCs, making it possible to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by over 810 kilos and save 180 trees. MSI’s environmentally-friendly, energy-saving design allows PC users to enjoy high performance while still being green; MSI has created a new generation of desktop PCs that respond in a meaningful way to contemporary environmental concerns. MSI’s latest 1-liter ultra-mini desktop PC, the Wind Box DC100, uses a fashionable design concept with soft, smooth lines while maintaining the slim, lightweight appearance of earlier MSI desktop PCs. It looks good in any type of home environment, constituting the ultimate home furnishing accessory. The Wind Box DC540 is equipped with the latest Cedar Trail-D processor, while the Hetis H61 uses the 2nd generation Intel® CoreTM processor, with the graphics processing unit (GPU) and CPU integrated onto the same chip in a revolutionary new design which ensures outstanding image quality when watching video content or viewing photos. The Sandy Bridge processor used in the Hetis H61 provides high performance while also maintaining efficient energy usage. The built-in GPU facilitates the sharing of resources, which can be automatically transferred between the CPU and GPU as needed to enhance processing speed and improve individual work performance.

MSI claims that the card is the most powerful on the planet and it packs in 3GB of graphics memory and has Propeller Blade fans that use Smart Temp Sensor and Dust Removal technology along with the Twin Frozr III cooling tech. The card is made for the overclocker that wants the most performance with Triple Temp monitoring capability and Power4 Architecture. All that tech adds up to the king of the single GPU cards.

The fans use special coating that turns from blue to white when the temperatures inside the machine exceed 45-degrees. The color change warns the user that the system might be too hot. The dust removal tech spins the fans backwards for 30 seconds to remove dust form the heatsink fins for better cooling. The exact clock speeds of the card are not known at this time. Pricing and availability are also a mystery.

The GT780 has a 17.3-inch screen and the GT683 has a 15.6-inch screen. The notebooks also have USB 3.0, 720p webcams and more. MSI has also unveiled the C Series notebooks with the 15.6-inch CX670 and CX640 along with the 14-inch CX480. The 480 and 640 both use Intel Core processors and GT 520M GPUs. The 670 uses the new generation AMD platform. The machines all have SRS PC Sound and powerful multimedia capability.

The X Series includes the 13.4-inch X370 weighing in at 1.4kg and the 14-inch X460 that weighs 1.9kg. Both are under an inch thick and the 370 uses the AMD dual-core E-350 CPU while the X460 uses Intel Core i7 processors. The F Series has the 15.6-inch FX620DX and the FX420 with a 14-inch screen. Both use the Intel Core line of processors and have some sort of MSI raised totem seal coating. They are aimed at the mobile user on the go.

Biggest news today is likely the ASUS Padfone, the company’s teased and leaked hybrid tablet/smartphone consisting of a 4.3-inch Android handset that can dock into a special 10.1-inch tablet shell. ASUS is talking up the Padfone’s seamless transition between the two, with your currently-open app automatically rescaling to suit the change in display. There’s also plenty of crossover of the hardware: the phone’s 5-megapixel main camera is used as the tablet’s main camera when docked, and memory and 3G connectivity are shared too. Check out all the official details and our hands-on video roundup for more.

The Padfone isn’t the only ASUS slate today. We’ve seen the Eee Pad MeMO before, all the way back at CES 2011 in fact, but today it’s relaunched with a 3D makeover. The ASUS Eee Pad MeMO 3D has a 7-inch glasses-free 3D display along with a Flyer-like active stylus and a companion MeMIC Bluetooth headset and remote. ViewSonic too has opted for 7-inches, with the new ViewPad 7x promising to be at the affordable end of the Honeycomb scale, while its 10Pro sibling muddies the waters somewhat with a less convincing Windows 7/Android 2.2 Froyo dual-boot on Intel Oak Trail silicon.

Gigabyte has perhaps sensibly stuck with a single OS with its new S1080 tablet, though whether that OS being Windows 7 will win it many favors remains to be seen. MSI, too, has split things down the middle, with the new WindPad 110W opting for Windows and the WindPad 100A picking an unspecified version of Android instead.

It’s not all tablets, mind. ASUS has an alluring ultraportable, the Eee PC X101, with a 10.1-inch display and a choice of Windows 7 or MeeGo. With pricing expected to kick off at $199, it may not match the MacBook Air for style, build quality or specs, but you could outfit the whole family for the same price as a single Apple machine.

If you want something a little different, Gigabyte has its new Booktop M2432 notebook complete with a useful desktop docking station, while the LG P220 does away with fancy docks and instead focuses on being angularly gorgeous. The ASUS UX21 can’t quite match it on looks – though of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder – but certainly isn’t lacking in functionality.

Computex isn’t just about finished systems, there’s plenty of chipset, GPU and component news to be had too. NVIDIA got the ball rolling overnight with a drool-worthy demo of its quad-core Kal-El sequel to Tegra 2, followed by the new GeForce GTX 560M, but there are more esoteric offerings like the CUPP Computing PunkThis, which packs an entire ARM-based computer into your laptop’s HDD bay. Samsung is also offering its Exynios processor – as found inside such luminaries as the Galaxy S II – to developers as part of the Linaro Origen board.

You can track all of our show coverage this week by using the Computex 2011 tag.

The AE2211G, AE2211, and AE2230 AIO computers all have full HD resolution screens that are brighter and provide better details to their images. The reds and yellows are more striking and blues are more translucent. The LED backlighting allows for better colors and reduces power needs compared to traditional screen backlighting. The screens on the three machines are 22-inch units and they all have HDMI outputs and inputs. Both the AE2211G and AE2211 use Intel Core i3/i5 processors and the AE 2230 uses the new AMD Sabine processor.

MSI’s AP2011 gets a 20-inch matte finish screen for less glare, this machine is aimed at the business user. The screen is LED backlit, and the AIO has com ports for use in stores and restaurants where a scanner or other peripheral is needed. The home AIO computers can all be used to control content throughout the user’s home using the Smart Media Link and Smart Sync tech inside. This tech allows the user to control the display of photo and video content on the TV, wireless speakers, game consoles, and other computers.

It also has “the latest version of Android” which is presumably Honeycomb. There’s also 1GB of memory, WiFi b/g/n, HDMI, up to 32GB of internal storage and over 8hrs of runtime from a single charge. It weighs 720g and has a G-Sensor, ALS, an SD card reader and a USB port.

The 110W, meanwhile, has 2GB of memory, WiFi b/g/n, a G-Sensor, ALS light sensor, and an SSD hard drive offering up to 64GB. It weighs 850g and, MSI reckons, will last for over 6hrs of runtime. Both have twin cameras, front and back, and SRS PC Sound.

MSI has also added some touch-sensitive smartkeys on the side of the Windows slate, along with face recognition for auto-login. No word on pricing or availability at this stage for either model.

Press Release:

Powerful, Stylish MSI WindPad Tablets To show stuff at Computex 2011

As tablets take the world by storm, MSI is leading the way in terms of R&D. This big name in high tech products is unveiling the latest additions to its WindPad Tablet Series at Computex 2011. They feature the latest, greatest power-sipping processors and a full array of I/O and expansion ports, so hooking up to your computer and multimedia devices at home and work is a cinch. MSI also joined forces with world-renowned fashion designer Jeremy Scott to design the looks of the MSI WindPad Series. Scott has an impressive résumé, having collaborated with big name celebrities, like Madonna and Lady Gaga, as well as sports product giant Adidas. This is his first time working with the high tech industry.

Taipei—As big names around the world in PCs and mobile phones try their hands at tablet computers, MSI, which boasts innovative R&D capabilities, chic designs, and a cautious approach to market development, will be exhibiting its own wares, including the 10-inch WindPad 100A and WindPad 110W, at both Computex 2011 (May 31-June 4) and L607 at the Taipei World Trade Center in Nangang. Eric Kuo, associate vice president for global sales, MSI Notebook, points out that MSI’s new generation WindPad Tablet Series includes WindPad 110W with AMD Brazos processing platform and Windows 7 OS as well as the WindPad 100A with ARM Cortex™-A9 architecture processor and the latest Google Android OS. Both tablets are equipped with all-new soft/hardware to satisfy your work and entertainment needs.

MSI WindPad 110W

Power and style
Mainstream operating systems: MSI’s new generation tablet series include the WindPad 110W and WindPad 100A. The WindPad 110W features Microsoft’s Windows 7 OS—ideal for businesses, because the prevalence of Windows and the enhanced application support vastly reduce the possibility of incompatibility issues. The WindPad 100A uses the latest version of the open-source Google Android OS for which new applications are being designed at unheard of rates. As a result, the WindPad 100A has no problem meeting consumer entertainment software needs. Cutting-edge fashion by Jeremy Scott: MSI went the extra mile to provide its WindPads with sophisticated looks, sheathing them in color film print to not only give them an extra touch of class, but to safeguard them from scratching and wear. So whether you’re zipping along on the subway, kicking back at a cozy café, or enjoying nature, you can whip out your WindPad tablet with confidence. Some beautiful WindPads will debut at this year’s Computex, including models designed by world-famous fashion designer Jeremy Scott who has incorporated cutting-edge style into MSI’s cutting-edge high tech to create the perfect blend of fashion and technology.

MSI WindPad 100A

Unparalleled entertainment platform
WindPad 110W: MSI’s WindPad 110W packs AMD’s Brazos dual core processor with AMD Radeon™ HD 6250 display chip for impressive processing and display performance, giving this tablet graphics processing capabilities on par with a discrete graphics card. Pop open the hood and you’ll find 2GB DDRII of memory, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, a G-Sensor gravity detector, an ALS light sensor, and an SSD hard drive with up to 64GB of memory. Weighing in at 850 grams, it boasts six-plus hours of battery time—the longest of any tablet with Windows architecture.

WindPad 100A: MSI’s WindPad 110A features ARM Cortex-A9 dual core processor architecture and the latest Google Android operating system, giving it plenty of processing power. It also features 1GB DDRII of memory, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, G-Sensor, ALS, and an SSD hard drive with up to 32GB of memory to meet the entertainment needs of users. It tips the scales at 740 grams and offers more than eight hours of battery power.

Complete array of I/O ports: The WindPad 110W and WindPad 100A tablet computers come equipped with a complete array of I/O ports, including an SD card reader, USB port, and mini HDMI slot, supporting the largest number of external devices, from printers and projectors to mouses, keyboards, and flash drives. And if you’re looking to kick up your multimedia experience a few notches, you can connect your tablet to any size HDTV screen or surround sound stereo.

MSI WindPad tablets come with complete array of I/O ports

Multimedia that will knock your socks off
Wide screen, dual cam lenses double your visual pleasure: The WindPad 110W and WindPad 100A tablets have 10-inch, 1280*800, rich color, IPS wide-screen displays. Not only are the screens completely viewable from every angle, they provide high resolution video, making them ideal for such applications as graphics work, surfing the Internet, and checking out photo details. These tablets also come with dual cams, one on the front, and one on the back, so whether you’re shooting a video, taking pictures, or using them in concert with the mobile communication software, you can engage in high-quality conference calls with business associates, friends, or family anytime, anywhere.

SRS wrap around sound: The WindPad 110W and 100A come with new generation SRS PC Sound™ wrap around sound to expand the overall sound field, so whether you use the internal speakers, external ones, or ear phones, you get an unprecedented, natural, true-to-life surround sound experience when you finally get a well deserved break from your school or office work.

Most complete assortment of practical applications
MSI Easy Face biometric software: The WindPad 110W tablet computer features MSI’s own facial recognition software which works in concert with the high definition webcams to protect data biometrically. It employs your unique facial features to remember your passwords, so you don’t have to.

MSI EasyViewer photo manager: The WindPad 110W comes with EasyViewer photo management software, so you can use your finger to enlarge, reduce, and rotate photos. Sharing photos with friends and family was never easier.

Office Starter 2010: The WindPad 110W comes pre-loaded with Microsoft’s Office Starter 2010 word processing software, including Office Word 2010 and Office Excel 2010, making your tablet a mobile office. What’s more, in order to meet the needs of mobile workers, the WindPad 110W comes with Adobe Reader, so you can read, print, search, sign, and authenticate PDF files anytime, anywhere. It also comes pre-loaded with Adobe Flash Player to maximize your multimedia experience.

User friendly, one-finger control
Touch control micro-vibration sensor: The WindPad 110W and 100A tablets sport a virtual keyboard design, so you don’t have to relearn how to type and when you’re typing on the screen, a micro-vibration function lets you know that the tablet recognizes that you have hit a key. The micro-vibration feedback makes typing more natural and faster as you don’t have to retype characters that weren’t recognized the first time around.

Easy one-finger control: The WindPad 110W sports MSI’s own Smart Tracker, so you can grip both sides of the tablet and use small finger movements on the hotkeys on the right side of the tablet. Because you can use both hands, your wrists won’t feel discomfort no matter how long you use it. In addition, the user friendly SAS hotkey performs the traditional role of the “Ctrl+Alt+Del” combination to open the Windows Security Window. MSI’s own O-Easy interface offers easier management and use of frequently used functions and software, including turning on/off/adjusting screen brightness, volume, webcam, wireless, mute, and standby mode.

MSI is noting to DigiTimes that AMD’s APU has increased its presence in the tablet market. Perhaps the more interesting bit to come out of that news about AMD and MSI doing well in the tablet market together is that AMD is reportedly on the lookout for some new Android talent.

AMD is specifically searching for new blood that will work on Android driver software. This indicates that AMD might be looking to offer chipsets for notebooks, tablets, and netbooks that can run Android. That opens the interesting possibility of Fusion for Android.

[via Android Community]

The CR650 notebook is a multimedia powerhouse with a 16:9 widescreen display and has AMD Radeon HD 6310 Discrete-Class graphics chip. It comes with Windows 7 Home Premium, supports DirectX 11, and MSI’s Cinema Pro technology to maximize graphics performance. Watch 720p HD videos or record your own with the built-in 720p HD webcam. The webcam can be used with Easy Face Logon for quick and easy logins. It also comes with an HDMI out to let you connect your laptop to TVs.

The All-in-One Wind Top AE2050 sports the same video card as the CR650 and comes with a 20-inch 16:9 screen. The Wind Top is highly power efficient using only 65 watts per hour compared to traditional PCs the it is able to save nearly 74% in energy. It also comes with Windows 7 Home Premium, a 500GB 3.5” SATA II hard drive, and 2 GB DDR3 Ram. The Wind Top is equipped with two USB 3.0 ports with a transfer rate of up to 5Gbps, and ten times faster than USB 2.0. The newest version of MSI Wind Touch allows for a multi-touch interface that gives users a more convenient way to use the computer.

Press release:

MSI Ships its First Notebook and All-in-One PC Powered by the AMD Accelerated Processor in North America

AMD’s CPU and graphics on a single chip enable MSI CR650 media notebook to deliver extra long battery life while Wind Top AE2050 All-in-One sips power compared to traditional desktops

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. – March 15, 2011 – MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, today announced that it is now shipping its first wave of PCs powered by AMD’s Accelerated Processing Unit: the 15.6-inch CR650 notebook computer and the 20-inch 16:9 widescreen Wind Top AE2050 All-in-One PC.

Multimedia Entertainment in a Portable 15.6 Inch Design

The MSI CR650 notebook delivers a superior multimedia experience in a small form factor with the newest generation AMD Dual Core Processor E-350 with AMD Radeon™ HD 6310 Discrete-Class graphics chip which supports Microsoft® DirectX® 11 for enhanced performance. The CR650 extends the life of each battery charge with MSI’s Turbo Battery+ power-saving technology and offers shortcuts for shutting off the screen to extend standby time, giving you up to 6 hours of power on the go. The CR650 also comes with high quality, theater-class wrap around stereo courtesy of SRS PC Sound™.

Additional highlights of the CR650 include:

· HDMI out: To watch HD films on a screen larger than a computer, the CR650’s HDMI slot lets you connect to LCD TVs of any size.

· Genuine 720p high-definition (HD) video: Enjoy a truly clear and smooth video and picture quality without jerkiness. In addition, the Built in 720P HD Webcam can be used with all kinds of social networking media, allowing optimum high-quality video communication.

· Cinema Pro: The MSI CR650 laptop comes equipped with MSI’s own Cinema Pro technology to maximize its graphics performance. Depress the Cinema Pro hot key to switch to video mode for higher resolution and richer colors for a viewing experience so enjoyable that you’ll find it hard to tear yourself away.

“AMD’s newest generation platform is helping revolutionize MSI’s product portfolio,” noted Andy Tung, vice president of sales for MSI US. “Our customers want entertainment on the go, as well as products that are sensitive to power consumption, and the new VISION Technology from AMD gives us the ability to deliver cutting edge products at an appealing price point.”

All-in-One PC that’s Easy on the Wallet and the Planet

The AE2050 All-in-One PC is also equipped with the AMD Dual Core Processor E-350 with AMD Radeon HD 6310 Discrete-Class Graphics, to provide high quality HD images and audio effects, whether watching online streaming video, playing online games or sharing photos.

Additional highlights of the Wind Top AE2050 include:

· High power efficiency: MSI’s application of the latest AMD Fusion platform delivers incredibly low level power consumption – only 65 watts per hour – without compromising performance. Compared with traditional desktop PCs, the Wind Top AE2050 is able to save nearly 74% in energy, thus significantly reducing power consumption and CO2 emissions. The Wind Top AE2050 is certified with the most stringent environmental standards, including Energy Star 5.0 and the European Union EuP specifications for energy consumption.

· Faster gadget charging and file transfers via USB 3.0: MSI’s Super Charger technology allows you to charge a device even when the computer is turned off, and it reduces charging time by 40 percent. Two high speed USB 3.0 ports provide a transfer rate that is up to 5Gbps and ten times faster than USB 2.0, which means a 4.8G HD movie can be transferred in approximately 14 seconds.

· Advanced HD imaging: Whether watching video, playing games, or sharing photos, the sharp HD images and audio effects on the Wind Top AE2050’s 16:9 cinematic wide-screen display deliver a brilliant experience. Furthermore, with the AMD Accelerated Processing Unit supporting Microsoft DirectX 11, now you can enjoy your games with more life-like details and enhanced graphics performance.

· Exclusive multi-touch software: The fourth generation of MSI Wind Touch offers a friendly and intuitive user interface that makes it easy to check the weather, world clocks, browse photo albums, and record video messages without the use of a mouse or keyboard.

The new CR650 has an MSRP of $499.99 and the AE2050 starts at MSRP $679.99. Both are available at Newegg.com and Amazon.com. For more information and purchasing options, please visit http://us.msi.com.

About MSI

Founded in 1986, MSI manufactures and markets a wide array of consumer electronic products, from Notebook PC, All-in-One PC, to a variety of components including IPC, Server, Motherboard and Graphics Card. The company runs operations worldwide and employs approximately 14,000 people. MSI’s North American operating subsidiary is based in City of Industry, Calif.

MSI’s corporate commitment to innovation and style – as it relates to both technology and design, and as it’s applied to both components and the final computing device – supports its mission to meet the needs of consumers worldwide.

MSI’s products are sold in more than 120 countries, and there are more than 150 million motherboard products and 100 million graphics cards in the market worldwide. To learn more about MSI’s complete product lines, please visit: us.msi.com; for Notebook PCs visit http://www.msimobile.com. You may also connect with MSI on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/MSI.ComputerUS) and Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/msiUSA).

The dual fan cooling solution uses fans with MSI exclusive Propeller Blade technology that delivers 21% more airflow than conventional fan blade designs. The fans help the GPU to stay 11-degrees cooler than the reference cooling solution on the card and the noise output is less than the reference design at the same time. The card is made for overclocking for ultimate performance.

MSI uses Triple over-Voltage with a 6+2 phase power delivery system with up to 21% more performance than the reference design. The card has 2GB of GDDR5 RAM and all the features of normal HD 6950 video cards as well. MSI also uses special caps that are handpicked to perform for overclockers. MSI is mum on pricing and availability right now.

Acer, too, is looking to tablet PC hybrids, with rumored plans for touchscreen netbooks that will offer improved text-entry abilities. Some models from multiple brands may not, in fact, ever see a release, sources claim, despite having been officially announced; 2-3 notebook brand vendors supposedly plan to delay their tablet launches by up to two months until they can fettle the specs and pull down pricing.

As Avi Greengart wrote this weekend, one potential path to tablet success is to target the segments Apple is avoiding; still, we’ve seen the touchscreen netbooks and x86-based slates come in 2009 and 2010 and, in general, miss the mark completely. HP’s Slate 500 hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, with its combination of an Intel Atom processor and Windows 7, and Microsoft’s platform won’t be truly ready for tablets until Windows 8 arrives.

Inside the WindPad 110W there’ll be a g-sensor, light sensor and WiFi connectivity, while the OS is Windows 7 Home Premium. Interestingly, the last time we heard of MSI’s Windows 7 tablet plans, it was the underwhelming U110W running Intel’s Atom Z530 processor, so it seems the company has had a change of architecture heart in the meantime. Still, an Intel-based WindPad 100W is also expected to be shown.

As for the Android slate, that’s the MSI WindPad 100A. First tipped as in the works back in late December, the 110W will run NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 processor – as in the XOOM and Galaxy Tab 10.1 – but otherwise details are in short supply.

The machine uses an Intel Core i7-2630QM CPU and runs the Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system. The machine has 8GB of RAM inside and a total of 1TB of storage. That storage is achieved with a pair of 500GB 7200 rpm HDDs.

The notebook also has 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth. Graphics for the gaming notebook are via NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M with 1.5GB of DDR5 RAM. The sound system on the notebook is THX TruStudio Pro and it has Dynaudio Premium sound. The notebook will cost you $1649.99.

MSI is also announced an even more special Golden Edition of the video card, though it offers little details on the specifics of either of the cards. I would expect that the Golden Edition will likely be overclocked to provide more performance compared to the stock N560GTX-Ti card.

Both of the video cards have Military Class II components for long life and robustness. The twin fan thermal design promises to keep the card 20-degrees cooling that normal air-cooled solutions. The new offerings also support GPU overvoltage for overclocking via software. Pricing and a specific release date for both cards is unannounced at this time.

The tablet itself features a 10-inch touchscreen display. The projector, though, sits in a rotating section on the “top” of the tablet. It’s able to rotate backwards and forwards, so that the owner can project an image from the tablet onto a wall behind the tablet, or right in front of it. As mentioned above, Windows 7 is coming initially on the device, but MSI was up-front about their aspirations of bringing Android to the device, with an ARM-based architecture under the hood.

The device is just a prototype, and MSI has their feelers out, trying to find a good market for the tablet device. Entertainment on the go, or for on-the-move business workers who need to hold presentations in several different locations would probably be a good fit for this device. As for a projected release date, MSI doesn’t have one. Nor is there any word on what a tablet with a built-in projector would cost from MSI.

[via Electronista]

Less noise is nice, but the gamer or enthusiast wants more performance and the cooling solution also claims to cool the card by up to 20-degrees more than other cooling solutions. The video cards using the new cooling solution comes with MSI’s Afterburner Overclocking Utility as well.

The utility allows the user to tweak settings within the card to get more performance out of their computer. Using the app GPU frequency and voltage can be tweaked and five different fan profiles can be stored as well to balance the need for performance with noise output. The video cards also use all solid capacitors for more performance.

The Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410 each get a choice of Intel’s 2011 Core i7 processor range, freshly announced this week, together with a pair of USB 3.0 ports and integrated Sandy Bridge graphics. There’s also an integrated webcam with motion-sensitive recording, WiFi b/g/n, up to 4GB of RAM and a 1TB HDD. Blu-ray is an option; you get a DVD burner as standard.

As for the MSI Wind Top AE2050, that has AMD’s E-350 dual-core processor and Radeon HD 6310 graphics, along with two USB 3.0 ports – one of which remains powered even when the PC is switched off, for rapid charging of external devices.

The MSI Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410 will drop this quarter, priced from $799 and $899 respectively. No word on pricing or availability for the Wind Top AE2050.

Press Release:

A New Level of Convenient Life
MSI Presents Brand New Wind Top AE Series
Equipped with the 2nd Generation Intel® CoreTM Processor
Type : Product News Lastest Updated : Fri, 07 Jan 2011

LAS VEGAS – January 6, 2011 – MSI, the innovating leader in the All-in-One touch PC market, today unveiled the All-in-One PC with Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge platform, Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410. Both models feature Full HD high resolution display comes fitted with the newest 2nd generation Intel® CoreTM Family processor. Whether it’s CPU or built-in graphic card, the performances get a noticeable boost. They are equipped with 2 USB 3.0 ports, ensuring ultra-fast data transfer speeds which make life even more efficient. One of the two USB 3.0 ports comes with additional MSI Super Charger technology, which offers 40% faster recharging time compared to a normal USB; it also lets users continue to charge devices through the USB port even while the computer is turned off. This makes life more convenient than ever!

Significant Video Performance Boost
Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410 offers a 16:9 theater-grade widescreen display and 1080P Full HD high resolution panel to provide advanced display quality that lets user see the clarity and detail of high resolution images and experience the ultimate allure of video like never before. They feature Intel’s newest high performance Sandy Bridge platform, so online gamers won’t need to spend additional money to upgrade to a discrete graphics card. Quick Sync Video technology allows for easier editing and enjoyment of videos, while Clear Video HD technology provides an all-new experience with a richer and more detailed picture under an effective budget.

A Quick & Convenient Lifestyle
To make life even more efficient, both Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410 come with 2 high speed USB 3.0 ports. USB 3.0 offers transfer speeds of approximately 5GB/s, which is roughly 10 times faster than USB 2.0. It is currently the market’s fastest transfer interface. With the USB 3.0 interface, users can enjoy even faster high quality data transfers like movies, videos, and other types of large capacity file formats, making life even more efficient and transfers even easier. What’s more, they utilize Super Charger technology, which not only lets a USB device recharge while the computer is turned off using a single USB 3.0 port, but also reduces charging time by 40%. Never again will users need to start up their computer just to charge a device—marking an enormous increase in your life’s convenience. An All-New Experience with Multi-Touch Software

The Wind Top AE2210 and AE2410 come with the Windows® 7 operating system with multi-touch support. It’s a whole new way to operate a computer and is smoother and more flexible than ever. The built-in multi-touch software is suitable for the whole family to use, which includes the third generation of Wind Touch. It is easy to use fingertip to check the weather in any city in the world, the date and time, as well as browse photos and video/speech recordings with a clear and user-friendly interface. They also come loaded with ArtRage professional painting software, which uses a watercolor technique and multi-touch functionality that gives everyone the chance to paint like Picasso. YouCam v4.0 utilizes multi-touch and all kinds of interesting visual effects that can not only be integrated with MSN and Skype, but can also directly record and upload video files to YouTube or Facebook, making media sharing with friends easier than ever before. Even more, it can be used for surveillance; the computer can be directed to begin recording when movement is detected, making your life more secure.

Press Release:

MSI Brings Incomparable Visual Experience
Debuts Wind Top AE2050 at CES
Type : Product News Lastest Updated : Fri, 07 Jan 2011

Las Vegas – January 7 2011 – MSI, the global leading brand in All-in-One PCs, will release the AMD’s latest platform solution today. All-in-One PC: Wind Top AE2050 is equipped with the latest AMD® Brazos platform, which innovative AMD APU technology using the latest 32-nanometer microarchitecture and combining CPU and graphics chipset with the same APU, the operation performance has an outstanding improvement. They are equipped with 2 USB 3.0 ports, ensuring ultra-fast data transfer speeds which make life even more efficient. One of the two USB 3.0 ports comes with additional MSI Super Charger technology, which offers 40% faster recharging time compared to a normal USB; it also lets users continue to charge devices through the USB port even while the computer is turned off. This makes life more convenient than ever!

The most vivid visual sense
Wind Top AE2050 offers a 16:9 theater-grade widescreen display and selected Full HD high resolution panel to provide advanced display quality that lets user see the clarity and detail of high resolution images and experience the ultimate allure of video like never before. They feature AMD’s newest high performance Brazos platform, so online gamers and DVD fans won’t need to spend additional money to upgrade to a discrete graphics card. ATI Stream technology allows for easier playing and enjoyment of videos, while AMD AVIVO™ technology provides a brand-new experience with a richer and more detailed picture under an effective budget.

A Quick & Convenient Lifestyle
To make life even more efficient, Wind Top AE2050 come with 2 high speed USB 3.0 ports. USB 3.0 offers transfer speeds of approximately 5GB/s, which is roughly 10 times faster than USB 2.0. It is currently the market’s fastest transfer interface. With the USB 3.0 interface, users can enjoy even faster high quality data transfers making life more efficient and transfers even easier like a 4.8G DVD movie file, it just spend 14 seconds to finish. Moreover they utilize Super Charger technology, which not only lets a USB device recharge while the computer is turned off using a single USB 3.0 port, but also reduces charging time by 40%. Never again will users need to start up their computer just to charge a device—marking an enormous increase in your life’s convenience.

An All-New Experience with Multi-Touch Software
The Wind Top AE2050 install with the Windows® 7 operating system with multi-touch support. It’s a whole new way to operate a computer and is smoother and more flexible than ever. The built-in multi-touch software is suitable for the whole family to use, which includes the third generation of Wind Touch. It is easy to use fingertip to check the weather in any city in the world, the date and time, as well as browse photos and video/speech recordings with a clear and user-friendly interface. They also come loaded with ArtRage professional painting software, which uses a watercolor technique and multi-touch functionality that gives everyone the chance to paint like Picasso. YouCam v4.0 utilizes multi-touch and all kinds of interesting visual effects that can not only be integrated with MSN and Skype, but can also directly record and upload video files to social network such as YouTube or Facebook, making media sharing with friends easier than ever before. Even more, it can be used for surveillance; the computer can be directed to begin recording when movement is detected, making your life more secure.

Press Release:

Evolution in Image, Enjoyment in Efficiency
The All New Wind Top AE Series, a New level of Visual Enjoyment
Type : Product News Lastest Updated : Fri, 07 Jan 2011

Las Vegas – January 5 2011 – MSI (Micro-Star International), the world’s leading All-in-One PC brands, will showcase the all new Wind Top AE series, equipped with the latest Intel® CoreTM Processor and hi-speed USB 3.0 transmission, at the 2011 U.S. Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Also on display at the exhibition will be the business and office oriented Wind Top AP series, along with the Wind Top AC series, which is designed specifically with the general consumer in mind. Following the launch of the world’s first 3D All-in-One PC, MSI will feature more comprehensive 3D applications in All-in-One PCs, bringing the 3D to the next level.

Evolving Efficiency, Vivid Graphics
Featured in the All-in-One PC and CES, the all-new Wind Top AE series comes equipped with Intel® Sandy Bridge and AMD® Brazos, both state-of-the-art platforms developed by two of the largest CPU manufacturers in 2011, which allow for exceptional visual performance in the Wind Top AE2410, AE2210, and AE2050 models

Enhanced by Intel® Clear Video HD technology and armed with the next-gen Intel® CoreTM Processor, MSI’s Wind Top AE2410 and Wind Top Ae2210 offer high quality HD performance, allowing you to view even the smallest image detail while presenting the colors in their most natural hue. This phenomenal image processing technology allows users to watch HD quality videos without the need for a dedicated graphics card.

The Latest Intel® CoreTM Processor Family (codenamed Sandy Bridge) is the industry’s first family of processors featuring a truly integrated CPU and GPU core that provides vastly improved performance and a more compelling visual experience.

- Turbo Boost, built into the new Core processors, allows dynamic adjustment of CPU and GPU clock speeds based on the type of command issued to achieve maximum performance and energy efficiency.
- The new Intel Core processors are built on 32nm HKMG technology with Intel’s 6th generation GPU core. They provide support for HD video, 3D, mainstream games, multitasking and multimedia functionalities as well as for DX11.

The Wind Top AE2050 is equipped with the latest AMD Brazos platform that offers uncompromising video performance. Wind Top AE2050 adopts the AMD E-350 dual core processor and has a built-in AMD RadeonTM HD 6310 Discrete-Class Graphics adaptor that supports DX11. ATI Stream technology allows more fluid and convenient video playback, and AMD AVIVO™ technology renders video images in richer and more vivid detail. An all-new visual experience is possible with a limited budget and enjoying high-quality video no longer costs a small fortune.

Powered with all-new Intel and AMD platforms, the Wind Top AE series boasts outstanding image processing performance, allowing users to experience the smooth and exquisite effects made possible by powerful image processing capabilities; the new series allows users to enjoy the most realistic images that rival natural colors, putting the wonderful and distortion-free world at their fingertips.

Super-charged Transmission Speed and Efficient Living
Convenience in Life Starts with Transmission Speed. Units that will be on display at the 2011 CES include all new models that come equipped with two high-speed USB 3.0 ports. USB 3.0 provides a transfer rate of 5Gbps and is approximately ten times that of USB 2.0. It is the fastest interface available on the market today. The new USB 3.0 interface allows users to enjoy faster data transfer of high-definition data; for example, a 4.8G HD movie can be transferred in just 14 seconds, which is equivalent to saving 2.4 hours in a day, making our daily life more efficient and more convenient. In addition, MSI has employed the Super Charger technology to allow devices not only to recharge with one of the USB 3.0 ports but also be able to do so even when the computer is shut down, not to mention a 40% savings in recharge time. Busy users no longer need to worry about turning on the computer to recharge their devices.

Paint, Play the Piano, The Pleasure of the Touch Screen
The all-new Wind Top AE series comes equipped with the built-in professional graphics software package ArtRage Studio Pro. Used in conjunction with MSI’s sensitive multi-touch capabilities, users can draw directly on the touch screen to simulate watercolor or oil painting. Everyone can be a Picasso! Equipped with the latest Intel CoreTM processor and Intel® Clear Video HD technology, Wind Top AE Series offers colors that are even more realistic; the color quality of red, yellow and blue are as close to that of real paint as possible. In addition, the Wind Top AE Series also comes with the built-in piano software, Music Maker, which provides a simple piano keyboard to let users create music on the screen. Users can use it to play piano, compose and record, easily becoming Beethoven. The built-in YouCam 4.0 can also display a variety of interesting video effects via touch screen operations. Users can also experience diverse video capabilities by integrating it with MSN and Skype as well as uploading videos to social networking community websites such as YouTube and Facebook and easily sharing them with friends at the touch of the screen.

Exciting 3D Effects Gets You in Gear
More comprehensive 3D applications in All-in-One PCs will be introduced at the CES. In addition to viewing 3D movies and playing 3D games, MSI has further extended 3D applications, such as: direct display of 3D photos and 3D Webcam video. One only needs to put on a pair of 3D glasses to be able to see his or her own 3D images. Anyone can become a protagonist in a 3D movie.

For Business and Pleasure
The latest business All-in-One PC models introduced by MSI at the CES: Wind Top AP series. Equipped with various interfaces and devices, Wind Top AP2000 is specifically designed for the office environment and is ideal for business operations and multi-tasking. A model that comes with a 20-inch single touch LCD screen (optional) is suitable for the office or other business environments. Two COM ports are also included for storefront applications so that businesses that require Point of Sale system applications, such as restaurants, five-star hotel front desk, 24-hour convenience stores and gas stations, can connect the computer with barcode readers, credit card readers and bill printers as well as other office operations. The Wind Top AC series possesses the ideal features of an All-in-One PC: high performance, low power consumption, ultra-quiet operation, user-friendly interface and comprehensive I/O interfaces for effortless wireless Internet access, providing the optimal level of convenience and space saving.

The concepts include the MSI Butterfly and Angelow. The Butterfly is an AIO device that has a screen that can be repositioned. It appears that the screen can be angled so you can look down at it for things like drawing. The multitouch panel has 10 touch points and might be perfect for the graphics design people out there.

The Angelow is also an AIO with a modern looking design. The main feature on this unit is a thin display. It’s not clear, if these are pure concepts or if they will eventually make it to production. Neither of them have features or designs that are out of the realm of possibility.

A lady took a set of nesting dolls and painted them to look like Dr. Who and they are epic. The dolls have the outer one painted like the Tardis and the other dolls are made up to look like all the people who played Dr. Who. BAE created a concept for war fighting robots that look a lot like the Batman tumbler. The vehicle is dubbed The Raider and is one of seven concepts that are being developed.

I have kids that like to color a lot and they like to break crayons for no apparent reason. The Crayola Crayon Maker will take those broken Crayons and melt them into a new color for your kids to use and give them a reason to break Crayons too. Comcast is considering offering low-cost broadband if the merger with NBC goes through. The access would be offered to homes that fall into a certain demographic, presumably for the poor, if they decide to.

An ex RIM worker posted a tidbit on a website this week that was since removed. The person stated in the comment that when the original iPhone was unveiled RIM didn’t think the device was going to meet the claims Apple made and would have a horrible battery life and then RIM went into chaos when they realized the iPhone did what it promised. Asus is set to slash prices for netbooks and MSI may be leaving the netbook market completely according to DigiTimes. Sources claim that tablets are hurting the netbook market so badly that some changes are coming for some of the major brands in the market.

Asus’ EEE Pads have been teased in some photos ahead of the official release at CES 2011. One of the tablets has a convertible form factor making it more a netbook in my eyes than a tablet. The Sony PlayStation phone is rumored to be launching in the spring of 2011. The device is said to be based on the PSP Go that failed so badly for Sony.

Quirky has a new accessory for geeks in cold climates that wear gloves and use a touchscreen device. The new accessory is called Digits and are like hatpins that are pinned though a glove and allows the touchscreen on the iPhone and other gear to be operated. A successor to the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone is expected to debut at MWC 2011. All we know about the device right now is that it will have a dual-core processor.

A new app called PhoneGuard surfaced this week that blocks the user from being able to text when the phone is going faster than 10mph. The device is aimed at keeping kids and workers safe when driving, but will keep passengers from texting too. Scientists were able to capture the first x-ray image ever of lightning and it looks freakin’ awesome. The bolt was apparently traveling at about a sixth of the speed of light and the camera was still able to capture the image.

Gresso has unveiled a cool new iPad that is probably more than most of us can afford. The thing has a wood back made for 200-year-old wood and a gold Apple logo. France announced that it wants to enact a tablet tax on the iPad and Android tablets, but leave Windows tablets exempt. The tax would apparently add the equivalent of $16 to the cost of the iPad.

Skype blamed the wide-ranging outage of its service on a Windows app bug that killed one of the supernodes it uses. The bug was apparently in IM server and 50% of the people on the service were running that version of the software. Netflix is looking at a wider ranging international push in 2011. Apparently the company is already talking with ad agencies about ad placements for new markets.

The Archos 70 internet tablet with Android debuted this week. It is the first Android tablet to get a 250GB HDD and it uses a 1GHz processor all for $349.99. Apparently, a man on an airline flight punched a 15-year-old boy in the arm for not turning off his iPhone when the flight crew said to. The man was arrested for misdemeanor battery once the plane landed and the kid reportedly had a mark on his arm from the punch.

Sharp announced that its Galapagos Android tablets would be coming to the US in early 2011. The tablets will also be coming to China and India as well. ABI Research has predicted that in 2011 there will be 7 trillion SMS messages sent. That is a lot of messages and included text, MMS, email, and IMs. A video turned up that shows the crazy expensive and cool Leica M9 digital camera getting built on video.

A hacker group called fail0verflow has unvield a new hack that completely bypasses the software security on the PS3. The hack will allow the user to run any software on the console be it pirated games, Linux, or home brew apps no matter the firmware version by generating its own keys. Kindle users gained the ability to loan out eBooks this week. The loan period is only 14 days and the books can only be loaned once if the publisher allows loaning at all.

A cool new accessory for the iPhone that is perfect for anyone with heart issues is debuting at CES 2011. The device is an iPhone 4 case that turns the smartphone into an ECG machine and is called iPhoneECG. The FBI raided ISPs in California and Texas this week looking for details on the DDoS attacked launched by the Anonymous group. Anonymous ran the attacks against big websites like Mastercard.com and PayPal as retaliation for the sites not sending funds to WikiLeaks.

NASA discovered more cracks in the tanks on the Discovery this week. The cracks are being repaired and for now the flight remains on schedule for launch in February. Thanks for reading this week’s edition, see you next week!

Video after the cut

Unfortunately, it doesn’t exactly meet with much approval. While the WindPad U100W’s display is clear and bright, and the accelerometer reasonably swift to flick between orientations, the rest of the experience is underwhelming. That Z530 processor shares a fair chunk of the blame, being based on an old chip design rather than Intel’s newer models; MSI apparently claims it’s the most recent processor they could use and still keep the U100W fanless.

The rear camera is handy but NetbookNews’ Sascha Pallenberg tells us he reckons the WindPad U100W is “dead on arrival”. Seems MSI should’ve carried on focusing on more useful mobile OSes for tablet purposes, and left Windows 7 on the desktop.

Even operators, which for some time have been another significant outlet for netbooks as part of 3G/4G bundling deals, have apparently shifted their attentions to touchscreen devices, with large-screen smartphones and tablet PCs eating through netbook deals. Acer and ASUS are expected to be the only significant names pushing netbooks in any volume come 2011.

ECS (aka Elitegroup) will have a range of 6-, 8- and 9.7-inch ereaders with integrated WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G along with capacitive touchscreens. They’ll run either Android or another Linux based OS, and support not only ebook content but video and other multimedia. As for tablets, both Android and Windows 7 models will be in evidence, either running Atom CPUs or Marvell/Samsung ARM-based chipsets, hitting both the 7-inch and 10.1-inch sizes.

MSI, meanwhile, will have a 10-inch Windows tablet on Intel chips on show, and will be showing off its ARM-based Android slates. One of those will be a Tegra 2 machine, running Android Gingerbread and expected to go on sale in April or May 2011.

Finally, there’s a smaller ASUS – believed to use a 7-inch panel with either Tegra 2 or a Qualcomm chipset – running Android, along with a second version that adds 3.5G cellular connectivity with voice call support. Both are expected to launch in March or April next year.

MSi is one of the companies that Macy’s will be getting the LED lighting from and according to MSi Macy’s is replacing 117,000 traditional light bulbs that it uses inside stores for accent lighting and general lighting. The bulbs will be replaced in 86 different store locations around the country.

The new bulbs will use 73% less energy than the bulbs they are replacing and have a life span of ten years compared the traditional bulbs life expectancy of about six months. In total Macy’s will save 16,200 megawatts of power per hour every year according to MSi. That is the same as planting 65,500 trees says the green lighting firm. The total savings for Macy’s according to MSi when accounting for all factors like less maintenance, lower cooling bills, and other factors will save the company millions over the life span of the LED bulbs.

The card has the same 512 CUDA cores and has a GPU with 40nm construction and support for DirectX 11. The card supports 3D Vision surround technology and 1536MB of GDDR5 RAM. The card promises 20% more performance that the GTX 480 it relocates in the high-end of the range.

The MSI card has the exclusive Afterburner Utility that allows the user to overclock the card easily for more performance. It uses solid capacitors with aluminum core for more stability and better overclocking. The official pricing and availability on the card are unknown, but NVIDIA says it was a hard launch so cards should be available.

The machine has an integrated GPU inside along with a discrete NVIDIA 310M graphics card sporting 512MB of RAM. Other than that graphics switching tech, the notebook is also packed with lots of other hardware and features. It can be fitted with an Intel Core i5 or Core i3 CPU, uses Windows 7 Home Premium OS, up to 8GB of RAM, and the 15.6-inch screen is LED backlit.

Outputs include HDMI and VGA. Storage is to a 320GB or 500GB HDD and the machine has a DVD super multi optical drive, WiFi, Bluetooth and a memory card reader as well. The battery is a 6-cell unit and the resolution of the 15.6-inch screen supports 720p HD.

The new video cards both support stereoscopic 3D and Eyefinity multiple displays. The cards also use the exclusive MSI Afterburner software for adjusting the speed of the fans and setting saved profiles. All of the capacitors on the cards are solid state and the video cards are designed for performance and power.

MSI puts DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a ports on the cards and they both support 7.1 channel sound. The 6850 has a special 9cm fan and direct heat pipe tech for heat dissipation and better thermal performance. Pricing is unannounced at this time.

The Android WindPad will have a 10.1-inch touchscreen, as with its Windows 7 counterpart, together with one or more USB ports.  MSI claims it will “target a different market than other tablet PCs” and offer usability benefits over the iOS-based iPad, something we can’t see Steve Jobs agreeing with.  Engineering samples should be ready in December, in time for a launch at CES 2011 in January.

As for the Windows 7 slate, the U100 might never make it to market at all.  MSI says it will depend on “market status”; considering we’ve heard rumors in the past that tablet manufacturers have felt unable to say no to Microsoft and Intel over creating x86 Windows-based models, because of the two companies combined market strength, we wouldn’t be surprised if MSI axed the project altogether.

The rumor site lists Acer, ASUS and MSI as all bringing Android tablets to CES, and also name-checks HTC and Motorola as showing new slates at the show.  It’s unclear if this list is based on new information or is simply a rehash of previous leaks and announcements.

Meanwhile, Android 4.0 will apparently make its debut in the second half of 2011, though – contrary to what Jobs reckons about 7-inch slates – manufacturers are expecting to bite into iPad market share with v3.0.  The biggest loser, however, might be Microsoft; Windows is apparently 5-6x as expensive in licensing fees for tablets versus Android, while there is a $30 difference in Intel and ARM chips.

[via Android Community]

MSI and Toshiba have already shown off their Tegra 2 based tablets, in the shape of the MSI WindPad 110 and Toshiba Folio 100.  HTC’s, though, is still something of a mystery; the company continues to deny that it is working on a large touchscreen device, but rumors continue to peg it as landing as early as Q1 2011.

Meanwhile, Motorola has previously stated that it aims to produce a 2GHz smartphone by the end of 2010, though failed to identify which silicon provider would be involved.  According to NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, Motorola “is one of the major clients that Nvidia is cooperating with for the long term.”

Inside the black chassis with the red trim the GX660 has an Intel Core i5-450M CPU, ATI Radeon 5870 Broadway discrete graphics, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB HDD. The screen is 15.6-inch TFT LCD and the machine has dynamic premium speakers for its sound system. MSI also crams a USB 3.0 port inside along with a 720p HD webcam and HDMI output. The GX660 starts at $1449.99.

The GX660R is very similar with the smear style and the same 15.6-inch screen, but it gets a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and uses the same video card. The main difference is that the GX660R has an Intel Core i7-740QM CPU, 6GB of RAM, 640GB HDD, and a Blu-ray drive that the lesser machine lacks. Both rigs have WiFi and Bluetooth. Pricing for the GX660R starts at $1749.99.

Just in case you may have forgotten, Intel’s WiDi is a way for you to stream content (including HD content) from your computer to your HDTV, all without wires. As long as your computer features Intel’s Core i3, i5, or i7 processors, and you pick up a stand-alone adapter box that connects to your HDTV via an HDMI cable, you’ll be good to go. As long as your computer can handle it, and has the necessary software to take advantage of the wireless streaming platform. Luckily, the new CR420 is one of the few notebooks on the market that can do as much.

Other features include a chiclet keyboard, a weight of only 2.2kg, beveled edges and a flush trackpad. You are fully capable of creating your own machine, and the base models start with the Intel Core i5 processor, and feature upwards of 4GB of DDR3 memory. You’ll find an HDMI and VGA output, integrated 802.11 b/g/n WiFI, two USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA/USB port, and a 4-in-1 card reader. There’s a 1.3MP webcam, Bluetooth 2.1 support, and you can chose your hard drive size: 250, 320, or 500GB sizes. You’ll also find Intel’s HD integrated graphics, too.

The battery is of the 6-cell Li-ion variety, which should give you enough juice to not make you want to pull your hair out while you’re unplugged. Unfortunately, the press release doesn’t tell us anything about a price or official release date, but hopefully those key details get revealed soon.

Press Release

MSI Classic Series CR420
Optional Intel Wireless Display for Wireless Family Multimedia Entertainment
MSI’s new generation Classic series CR420 is equipped with the new 2010 Intel® Core™ processor and an optional Intel Wireless Display, taking laptops to a whole new level of computing characterized by high performance and wireless family multimedia entertainment.

Taipei—The MSI Classic series’ most recent addition, the 14-inch CR420 boasts the latest Intel® Core™ Series processors and is encased in MSI’s own cross-hatch color film print coating. Light and stylish, it’s your best partner for next-generation audiovisual enjoyment.

MSI Notebook Marketing Director Sam Chern points out that the CR420 is the newest member of the MSI Classic series of notebook computers and packs the all-new 2010 Intel® Core™ CPU. The cover and palm rest areas are protected with lustrous, scratch-resistant cross-hatch color film print. The CR420 also comes with a chiclet keyboard, a seamless touchpad, and beveled edge construction. Ultra-thin, the 14″ CR420 tips the scales at less than 2.2kg to give you mobility without sacrificing power or performance.

Ultimate style and entertainment
Cross-hatch color film print: The lid and palm rest areas are sheathed in MSI’s exclusive glossy, scratch-resistant cross-hatch color film print. The case is graced with 45-degree beveled construction, making the CR420 a leaner, meaner machine, weighing in at less than 2.2kg as well as the perfect portable entertainment center.

Chiclet keyboard: The CR420 features the latest chiclet keyboard to optimize your typing experience. Whether you’re doing word processing or instant messaging, it significantly reduces the possibility that you’ll hit other keys accidently. The smooth cross-hatch pattern on the lid and palm rest areas blends perfectly with the chiclet keyboard, so that this NB stands out from the crowd without being pretentious.

Classic Seamless Touchpad: The stylishly unassuming CR420 comes equipped with MSI’s own seamless touchpad with textured cross-hatch color film print for maximum comfort and enjoyment.

Superior processing and mulitimedia performance
All new 2010 Intel® Core™ processor: The CR420 features Intel Core i5 processor and HM55 chipset. It boasts lower power consumption than previous generations and 15% longer battery life. It also packs Hyper-Threading technology which gives dual core CPUs virtual quad core computing power. Integrated graphics core performance has also been significantly improved, offering users enhanced processing and display performance.

16:9 theater-class backlit LED screen: The CR420 also has a 14″ backlit LED display with 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio and high resolution, extending screen viewability by 14%, eliminating those annoying black bars above and below the picture, further enhancing film viewing.

Intel Wireless Display: The CR420 can be ordered with latest Intel Wireless Display option which currently supports up to 720p HD output. Wireless Display, a.k.a. WiDi, allows your HDTV to show high definition images or videos from your laptop computer via an external wireless transfer box. Now, it’s a cinch to enjoy high definition videos on your television set.

Innovative energy efficient technology
ECO Engine power saving technology: The CR420 comes with MSI’s exclusive ECO Engine power saving technology which allows you to select from among five power management levels—Video Game, Film, Presentation, Word Processing, and Turbo Battery, to automatically adjust display brightness, on/off switch, sleep mode, and processor performance settings, maximizing battery flexibility and use per charge.

Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth as standard, along with DVI-I, DVI-D, six USB 2.0 ports, two COM ports, and audio in/out.  Inside there are two mini-PCIe slots and 4GB of RAM.  No word on pricing or availability at this stage.

[via Embedded Intel]

If you buy the FX600-002US version of the notebook you can pick it up now for $899.99. That is hardly a lot of money for a feature packed notebook like the FX600. The machine has a 15.6-inch screen, NVIDIA GeForce GT325M discrete graphics with 1GB of RAM, 4GB of system memory, and a 500GB HDD.

Other features include a THX four speaker sound system, HDMI output, 802.11n WiFi, and an integrated 720p webcam. The machine runs on an Intel Core i5-450M CPU and uses Windows 7 Home Premium for the OS. This machine should offer some very impressive performance for the price tag.

Not a day goes by that a product gets announced, in some capacity or another, but is still missing plenty of the important details. For example, here we have the MSI FX400, the smaller sibling to the previously announced FX600 entertainment juggernaut, which has plenty of its own features to attract customers. However, it is missing that one, crucial tid-bit of information: the price.

But, before we get to that road block, let’s go ahead and discuss what we do know about this guy. Under the hood you’ll find an Intel Core i5 processor, NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 325M graphics card, and a Turbo Drive Engine. It has a 14-inch LCD display, and the hard drive will hold up to 500GB of your precious data. It also has Bluetooth connectivity, and it even has an HDMI port.

Alas, we are missing that price tag. But, MSI should go ahead and reveal that to the world in short order. What we also don’t know, is where the FX400 is going to be launched. We’re hoping for an international release date, soon, so stay tuned.

[via MobileWhack]