NVIDIA: there's nothing 'Ultra' about Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks unless you add Kepler

This is a vaguely awkward message for NVIDIA to be putting out. On one hand, the company is best buddies with Intel and is hoping to see its next-gen GPUs bundled with a large portion of the Ivy Bridge notebooks that will ship this year. But to reach that target, it must risk irking Chipzilla by emphasizing the limitations of Ivy Bridge's integrated graphics. That's exactly what happened at a recent presentation, when NVIDIA told us there'll be "nothing Ultra" about the performance of a regular Ivy Bridge Ultrabook because the integrated HD 4000 graphics will only handle around 43 percent of current games.
By contrast, if you add in a GeForce GT 640M you'll find that 100 percent of current games are playable with frame rates over 30fps and high detail settings, including Battlefield 3, Batman: Arkham City, Crysis 2 and many others. If you leave the lightweight Ultrabook spec behind and combine Ivy Bridge with a GT 670M GPU then you can go even higher -- as we just discovered in our review of the MSI's GT70 gaming laptop. Fortunately, Intel was pretty magnanimous about HD 4000 when it briefed us, and readily accepted that enthusiasts will still want discrete graphics, so we don't imagine the slide above will cause too many hurt feelings.

Via engadget.com

AMD “Trinity” and “Brazos 2.0” Heading Your Way!

Any troglodytes out there who didn't know that AMD's next APU architecture is inbound? If so, we're gonna toast marshmallows outside your cave and give you a little pre-brief: Trinity will be a range of processors for "performance" notebooks and desktop PCs, which will continue in AMD's Fusion tradition of providing both the CPU and discrete-class graphics in a single-chip, power-efficient design. A potential rival to Ivy Bridge and the coming stampede of Ultrabooks?
Yes indeed, although it's too early to say how closely matched these athletes will be, despite some early indications of 4GHz+ clock speeds. Judging from our recent look at a Trinity-packing Compal laptop, undercutting Ultrabooks on price will also be part of AMD's strategy -- along with throwing out Brazos 2.0 APUs to mop up the extreme low-power category. After all, Ivy Bridge probably won't offer truly discrete-class graphics until it's paired with an add-on GPU, which will inevitably bump up its price for gamers and multimedia types. If Trinity serves up great visuals and next-gen performance all in one go, AMD's accountants might be able to leave their subterranean hideouts too.

Via engadget.com

Sony Computer Entertainment to Launch "nasne,"a New Networked Recorder and Media Storage Device

TOKYO, April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) today announced that it will launch "nasne™," a new networked recorder and media storage device with built in 500GB hard disk drive (HDD) and digital terrestrial and satellite broadcast tuners.  "nasne" will become available in Japan on July 19, 2012, for a recommended retail price of 16,980 yen (including tax).

By connecting "nasne" to their home network, users will be able to watch and record digital terrestrial and satellite broadcast through dedicated applications such as "torne" for PlayStation®3 (PS3®) and "VAIO TV with nasne" for VAIO. Users will also be able to access recorded content from PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita), "Sony Tablet" and Xperia™.   In addition, "nasne" will be able to stream live or recorded television programs simultaneously onto two of these supported Sony products, allowing multiple users to view the same content within the same home network.(1)  "nasne" will also link with "G GUIDE TV OUKOKU CHAN-TORU", a television guide web service for PC and smart phones provided by So-net Entertainment Corporation.  Through "G GUIDE TV OUKOKU CHAN-TORU", users will be able to schedule recordings of television programs on the go from their PS Vita, PC, tablet PCs, and smart phones.


In addition, "nasne" functions as a media storage device, allowing users to store their movies, photos and music on its 500GB built-in HDD, which can be enjoy on any DLNA compatible device connected to their home network. Users can also expand storage memory by connecting external HDD to "nasne." (2)
"We are offering a seamless and unique Sony experience through 'nasne,' which serves as a home entertainment hub that connects to Sony's various network products," said Kazuo Hirai, Representative Corporate Executive Officer, President and CEO of Sony Corporation and Chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "'nasne' will give users more freedom to enjoy television in new ways by enabling them to watch programs on various Sony products through dedicated applications. We will continue to offer attractive products and services that inspire customers around the world and spark their curiosity, by further enhancing collaboration within Sony groups."
"nasne" will deliver the following features through its combination with Sony products.

• PlayStation®3

PS3 users will be able to watch and record (3) digital terrestrial and satellite broadcast through LAN cable by installing "torne" version 4.0, a dedicated application for PS3, which will come bundled with "nasne."
By connecting a maximum of four "nasne" units to their PS3, users can simultaneously record up to four television programs. Those who already have a "torne" device connected to their PS3 will be able to connect a maximum of four "nasne" units to their PS3 and record up to five television programs.(4)  Details of "torne" version 4.0 for PS3 will be announced separately.

• PlayStation®Vita

PS Vita users will be able to watch and record digital terrestrial and satellite broadcasts through "torne for PS Vita" (tentative name), a dedicated application for accessing "nasne" from anywhere within the same home network via Wi-Fi connection .  "torne for PS Vita" will become available within this calendar year.
By leveraging the ability of "nasne" to simultaneously create an export file while a television program is being recorded, users can quickly transfer recorded content through Wi-Fi connection and easily enjoy them on the go on their PS Vita's beautiful 5-inch OLED.  Details of "torne for PS Vita" will be announced in due course.

• VAIO PC

VAIO PC users will be able to watch and record digital terrestrial and satellite broadcasts through "VAIO TV with nasne" (beta version)(5), a dedicated application for accessing "nasne" from anywhere within the same home network via Wi-Fi connection or LAN cable. "VAIO TV with nasne" (beta version) will become available concurrently with the release of "nasne."
Key features of "VAIO TV with nasne":

1. Recorded television programs on "nasne'" can be copied to Blu-ray Disc and DVD, or transferred to VAIO PC's HDD or State Solid Drive (SSD).
2. Up to eight digital terrestrial and satellite broadcasts can be simultaneously recorded by connecting a maximum of eight "nasne" hardware units to VAIO PC.
3. Television programs can be searched by keywords.

"VAIO TV with nasne" will become available for Windows 7 equipped VAIO PCs (6) through "VAIO Update," an automatic free update service for VAIO PC users.

• "Sony Tablet" / Xperia™

Sony Tablet(7) / Xperia(8) users will be able to watch and record digital terrestrial and satellite broadcasts through dedicated applications for Sony Tablet / Xperia for accessing "nasne" from within the same home network via Wi-Fi connection. Users will be also able to schedule recordings of television programs through "G GUIDE TV OUKOKU CHAN-TORU."

SCE will continue to aggressively expand the new world of entertainment through the combination of "nasne" and PlayStation platforms as well as other networked Sony products.

Sony nasne PVR, Πάει πακέτο με VAIO, Vita, PS3 και Xperia

Το Sony nasne είναι ένα universal media tuner και recorder, το οποίο συνδυάζεται με όλες τις Sony συσκευές, κάνοντας ένα βήμα πιο κοντά προς την υλοποίηση του οράματος One Sony. Ουσιαστικά πρόκειται για μία συσκευή με την αισθητική του PS3, η οποία έχει ενσωματωμένο tuner για αναλογική και ψηφιακή τηλεόραση και δίσκο 500GB, προκειμένου όλες οι συσκευές να έχουν πρόσβαση στα multimedia αρχεία.

Δύο συσκευές ταυτόχρονα θα μπορούν να λαμβάνουν το streaming του τηλεοπτικού σήματος από το nasne, ενώ θα μπορεί να κάνει και εγγραφές στο σκληρό του δίσκο για το αγαπημένο πρόγραμμα του χρήστη. Η συσκευή αυτή θα μπορεί να συνεργαστεί με τους laptop VAIO της Sony, το Vita, το PS3 και τα κινητά Xperia, δίνοντας πρόσβαση στα multimedia αρχεία που υπάρχουν στο δίσκο του, ενώ ταυτόχρονα μπορεί να στείλει μέσω Streaming τηλεοπτικό σήμα. Το Sony nasne PVR θα είναι αρχικά διαθέσιμo στην Ιαπωνία, αρχής γενομένης από τις 19 Ιουλίου.

Via techblog.gr