Photo of the day: Transcend USB 2.0 TV-Box in our lab

Acorp releases 4PMMN and 4848P motherboards

Archos AV500: a PDA and a personal video player in one

Toshiba and SanDisk introduce 90nm 4Gbit and 8Gbit NAND flash

Creative MuVo Slim: a miniature MP3/WMA novelty

DFI unveils 4 new motherboards

Photo of the day: Transcend USB 2.0 TV-Box in our lab

We are currently testing an interesting USB2.0 TV tuner from Transcend Information — USB 2.0 TV-Box.

It supports PAL/SECAM and 720x576 @ 25 fps (PAL) and bases on EMPIA Technology EM2800 chip. The signal receiving selector is TVision TVF9531-B/DF, while the ADC is Philips SAA7113(7114)H. The tuner is bundled with a remote control, external sources adapter, USB2.0 cable, line-in audio cable and, that´s very interesting, a power USB cable! No, you don´t need any external power, just another spare USB port. Still there´s 5V power adapter option, given you don´t have any free USB ports.

While more details are to come in the review, below are the first photos of Transcend USB 2.0 TV-Box:

Acorp releases 4PMMN and 4848P motherboards

Acorp Electronics added two more Socket 478 motherboards to its product line: Acorp 4PMMN on VIA P4M266A + VT8235 and Acorp 4848P on i848P + ICH5.

Acorp 4848P supports up to 2GB single-channel DDR400/333/266, 800/533/400MHz FSB, has 6-channel audio, Serial ATA, USB 2.0/1.1.

Acorp 4PMMN on VIA P4M266A + VT8235 features integrated graphics, 10/100Mbps VIA VT6103 LAN and supports 533/400MHz FSB, DDR266 and PC133 SDRAM. VT8235 Southbridge adds support of Ultra ATA 100/133, audio AC´97 and USB 2.0/1.1.

Archos AV500: a PDA and a personal video player in one

These days we see still more devices combining totally different features. Today it´s Archos AV500, a hybrid of a PDA and a personal video player.

According to our information, the device is to go on sale this year. Though no dimensions were disclosed AV500 will be sized like Jornada Pocket PC. It will feature 704x480 LCD, 20/40GB HDD, and will support DivX/MPEG4 (30fps) video, DRM for WMA and WMV9, and Microsoft Windows Media Player syncronization. The model will naturally have a number of office apps, including calendar, notes, email clientm browser, etc.

Networking features will include Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, GSM and some other. Finally, the device will have 2 x USB2.0 ports.

Toshiba and SanDisk introduce 90nm 4Gbit and 8Gbit NAND flash

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) and the parental Toshiba introduced 4Gbit NAND flash chip (TC58NVG2D4BFT00) made using the MLC technology alongside the 8Gbit (2x4, stacked) chip, TH58NVG3D4BFT00, in TSOP package.

The new 0.09µm 4Gbit chips will be sampling in April for $113/unit, while the volume production is to be launched in Q3 2004 with a rate of 300,000 per month.

It seems the next step will be to release 16Gbit NAND flash (4x4). At least Toshiba promises to launch the volume production in Q3 this year.

Toshiba developed 4Gbit NAND flash chips together with SanDisk, according to the agreement of 1999. Besides, the chips are produced at Flash Vision Japan fab, a joint venture of Toshiba and SanDisk.

As the aforementioned 4Gbit chips are the product of joint venture, I must mention that SanDisk also introduced both 4Gbit, and 8Gbit chips identical to Toshiba´s. The company is also launching volume production in Q3 2004, yet it doesn´t plan to make "pure" NAND flash, but is going to use all chips in flash cards also to be shipped in Q3.

And, Samsung, the market leader, outran its rivals, having introduced 70nm 4Gbit NAND flash chips late in September 2003.

Creative MuVo Slim: a miniature MP3/WMA novelty

Creative announced its new miniature MP3/WMA player, MuVo Slim. First introduced, at CeBIT 2004, MuVo Slim has 128MB or 256MB memory, int. microphone and 32-channel FM tuner, 132x32 blue-backlit LCD supporting ID3 tags.

This USB2.0 model supports voice recording and weighing 34g can work for up to 17 hours. Its 5-band equalizer has 4 presets: Jazz, Rock, Pop, Classical. MuVo Slim has over 90dB SNR, 20Hz — 20kHz range, 63dB crosstalk. The bundle includes miniature earphones with neodymium magnets.

Sized 55x85x8mm, MuVo Slim will go on sale in Europe for about €219. According to provisional information, Creative also prepares a special version of the player with up to 1GB memory.

Source: Clubic

DFI unveils 4 new motherboards

For the Spring-Summer´2004 DFI prepared several new motherboards: PT800-AL, P4X533-ALE, 661FX-MLV for Intel P4 and KM266Pro-MLV for AMD Athlon XP/Duron.

PT800-AL on VIA PT800

P4X533-ALE on VIA P4X533

661FX-MLV on SiS661FX

Entry-level KM266Pro-MLV on VIA KM266Pro

The key features are summarized below:

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