Sep
01
Gotta give credit to Mvix for discovering and locking down a deal to sell Hong Kong based J&W’s super MINIX 890GX Mini-ITX motherboard in the US, Canada, and South America. Why super? Check out the following spec. highlights for this $199 board below — in particular the USB 3.0 ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, and RAID 0/1/5/10 configuration options for its 4 x SATA III 6.0GB/s connectors. Something tells me this is going to be a hot commodity when it begins shipping September 14th.
Spec. Highlights
- Phenom II x6 Ready, Support Socket AM3 Processors (95W Max)
- Supports Dual Channel DDR3 1600(OC)/1333/1066Mhz Technology
- Built-in Dual NEC USB 3.0 Ports, Dual Gigabit LAN
- 128MB High Speed DDR3 Sideport Memory (1333Mhz)
- Realtek ALC892 8-Channel HD Audio
- Multi Video Outputs: HDMI, DVI-D and D-Sub (VGA)
- Full-Speed PCI-Express x16 Gen2 Slot
- Mini PCIe Slot (for SSD/BT/Wifi-N)
- 4 x SATA III 6.0GB/s Connectors Powered by SB850 Southbridge
- 2oz Copper Layer PCB, 100% Solid Capacitors
Sep
01
Amex Digital has rolled out the MP-501, a sleek new paperback book-sized gadget touted as the smallest media player to support 1080p HDTV video.
Measuring 175x128x15 millimeters (which translates loosely into 7x5x5/8 inches), the MP-501 weighs in at 250 grams, or just over half a pound.
The Amex Digital media player is outfitted with two USB ports. An SD/SDHC card slot, and HDMI out, with an ARM Cortex-A8 processor tucked inside.
Streams HDTV and other media through its USB ports
The pint-sized gizmo is designed to stream 1080p HDTV video and other media to other connected devices through its USB ports.
The media player supports AVI, MPEG, MP3, JPEG, and just about all other major video, audio and photo file formats, with the exception of DRM-protected formats such as iTunes, Cinema Now, Vongo, Movielink, and Amazon Unbox.
Other innovations include wireless ‘touchscreen’ keyboard
Amex Digital has previously demo’d a number of other pioneering gadgets at the Computex trade show in Taiwan, such as a wireless “touchscreen” keyboard and the RM-mp1, a handheld device combining the functionality of a media remote, laser pointer, and touchpad mouse.
Innovations listed on its Web site include the SP-7, a digital photo frame with printing capabilities; the “world’s first Blu-ray HTPC (Home Theater PC) A/V Center Computer;” and a Blu-ray player for Macs which made its debut back in 2008.
As described in a company profile on the Amex Digital Web site, China-based “Amex Corporation” is a hardware designer, software programmer, and OEM, with manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen and offices in both Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
Founded in 1990, the company currently manufactures 250 different products and has a staff of 250, according to the site.
Could be available for $49 US in September
Amex Digital is currently advertising the MP-501 on its Web site for $49 US dollars, but an order form isn’t immediately evident on the site.
According to Engadget, however, some customers have received e-mails from Amex Digital stating that the 1080p media player will be available for direct order on September 10, at US pricing of $49 plus a $20 international shipping charge.
You can see a copy of an e-mail apparently sent by Amex Digital by clicking on the “Show Press Release” link in Engadget’s report.
Aug
31
Wow, Roku today gave everyone reason to like its line of players again. The company has dropped the price of its HD and HD-XR models by $30 and the SD unit by $20. So now you can pick up the SD for $59.99 (currently out of stock), the HD for $69.99, and the HD-XR for $99.99. What’s more, a new firmware update set to be released will unlock HD-XR’s USB port for USB storage media playback. But the best news… the HD-XR is on track to gain 1080p video support later this year. No word if video partners will bump up their content quality to match the setting, but it will definitely work with your personal library. I’m curious what video codecs the players will support….
Aug
30
Chinese company Norco unveiled the BIS-6550HD, a network digital signage platform powered by Intel Atom platform and with 1080p HD playback. The BIS-6550HD sports an Intel Atom N270 processor with up to 2GB of RAM and a 2.5-inch hard drive. The system gets Norco’s proprietary efficient fanless thermal design.
Other than the integrated GMA950 graphics, the Norco BIS-6550HD is also equipped with an ultra low power HD AVC/VC-1/MPEG-2 hardware decoder that is capable of Full HD real-time decoding. WiFi and TV tuner are available as options. It offers VGA and HDMI dual independent display support, a CF socket and a SD card reader.