Mendelson Tiu

Linksys has recently launched the WRT350N, a Wireless-N Gigabit Router with Storage Link. When the WRT350N is teamed with various Linksys Wireless-N products (WPC300N, WMP300N, or WUSB300N), this router will provide up to four times the range and 12 times the throughput of standard Wireless-G solutions, the company claims.

Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand, Graeme Reardon said, “Including gigabit ports on the WRT350N enables users who like to push the limits of technology to reach maximum performance levels by removing the bottleneck caused by 10/100 ports. Wireless speeds exceeding 100Mbps gives users the opportunity to simultaneously watch high-definition video, stream digital audio, play games online, make Voice over IP calls and surf the Internet without any significant effect on performance.”

With Storage Link, any USB 2.0 storage device including inexpensive external USB Hard Disk Drives can become networked attached storage by simply plugging it into the WRT350N. The contents of the drive can be shared by everyone on the network, without any custom software installed. The always-on media server functionality within Storage Link enables users to stream digital media to any UPnP-enabled digital media adapter without the use of a PC.

Moreover, Linksys says that wireless transmissions made using the WRT350N can be encoded with industrial-strength encryption to help protect data and privacy. It can serve as a DHCP server, supports VPN pass-through, and has a powerful SPI firewall to help protect against intruders and most known Internet attacks. Enabling these security features is easy with the Linksys Web browser-based configuration utility.

The Linksys WPC300N, WMP300N and WUSB300N are all available immediately at an RRP of $179.95.

RRP: $349.95

See: www.linksys.com.au

Panasonic’s latest LCD projector takes presentations to the next level with its widescreen and wireless transmission capabilities.

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The PT-FW100NTE is a fixed-installation projector that can project clear images up to 120-inches in size from any distance between 3.6m and 7.2m and provides a flexible, easy to use, low-maintenance solution for corporate boardrooms, hotel conference rooms and training rooms, the company says.

This new LCD WXGA projector has a bright, 3,000 lumen lamp with a resolution of 1,200 x 800 resolution (WXGA), a ‘Daylight View’ which adjusts the projector according to the room lighting conditions, and vertical and horizontal lens shift and 2x zoom to accommodate a range of room sizes. 

When using the projector in wireless mode, ‘Virtual Remote’, displays the controls on the presenter’s notebook screen, so they can be operated directly from their PC. With this feature, a user can monitor the projector’s status over a LAN network and can even be notified when an error has occurred or if a lamp needs to be replaced.

Other convenient features include an easy to use remote control with laser pointer, a blackboard mode for projecting onto a conference room blackboard, anti-theft features such as security anchor, control panel lock and text superimposing, HDTV compatibility, and a range of connection terminals.

The projector also has three different projection styles can be selected, including Extended Window Style (images from up to 16 PCs displayed as small windows on a single screen), Index Style (images from up to four PCs projected as small windows along the bottom of the screen with one image selected on the main screen) and Four-Window Style (up to four PCs projected in separate windows).  A window can be selected for main screen viewing via the included remote control. Multiple Source Live Mode simultaneously projects from one PC to a maximum of eight projectors

Panasonic’s Product Manager for Audio Visual/IT in Australia, Nadine Connell said, “Wide format content is becoming increasingly common in business presentations, from DVD movies to PC software. The PT-FW100NTE reproduces this media with bright, dynamic images, and also offers a number of viewing options. In widescreen, you can choose a two-window display that splits the screen left and right for side by side display of separate images from a PC source and a DVD source, images from two PC sources; and other combinations that take advantage of the widescreen format.”

RRP: Panasonic PT-FW100NTE $4,999

See: www.panasonic.com.au

Consumers and businesses alike are increasingly requiring huge amounts of hard disk drive storage space to save documents, videos, photos and music. WD is catering to this need with the release of its 750GB RE2 (RAID Edition) hard disk drive.

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Western Digital claims that its RE2 (RAID Edition) 750 GB hard drive has a 3GB/s data transfer rate, a Native Command Queuing (NCQ) , and a 16MB cache for high system performance.

The RE2 750GB hard drive includes the company’s SecurePark technology, which parks the recording heads off the disk surface during spin up, spin down and when the drive is not operating. This feature improves non-operational shock tolerance by ensuring that the recording heads never touch the disk surface, reducing head and surface wear and enhancing long-term reliability.

The RE2 also incorporates WD’s StableTrac technology, a motor shaft that is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking during read and write operations. With this, StableTrac allows end-user data to be retrieved fast without missing revolutions.

With WD’s IntelliSeek, the HDD actuator’s movement is controlled so the head reaches the next target sector just in time to read the next piece of information, rather than rapidly accelerating and waiting for the drive rotation to catch up. This smooth motion reduces power usage by more than 60 percent compared with standard drives, as well as quiets seek operation and lowers vibration. Lower power leads to a reduction in heat generation, resulting in greater long-term reliability, the company says.

Vice President and General Manager of Enterprise Storage for WD, Tom McDorman said, “WD has continued to leverage its extensive experience from previous RAID Edition drives, to develop a hard drive perfectly suited for a variety of high-capacity enterprise applications. These drives demand high capacity, reliability, performance and advanced features.”

RRP: $429

See: www.westerndigital.com

Dell has released the OptiPlex 755, a new business desktop line that the company claims to be EnergyStar 4.0 and Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) compliant.

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The OptiPlex 755 builds on Dell’s commitment to be the world’s greenest technology company with products and services that reduce carbon emissions through energy efficiency.  The company claims that it currently leads the industry with a comprehensive lineup of Energy Star 4.0 compliant commercial products and has the most business desktops with EPEAT “Gold” status.

Dell’s Brand Manager for Desktops and Workstations in Australia, Heber Delaney said that their commitment to customers is to reduce complexity throughout the lifecycle of their IT assets but without compromising flexibility.

Along with other Dell products, the OptiPlex 755 is also available with EnergySmart power settings that can help lower energy costs by up to 78 percent. In addition, the OptiPlex 755 family allows anyone to have the ability to manage systems that are powered down or have no operating system, reducing time spent on patch deployment by up to 94 percent and desk-side service visits by up to 56 percent. 

When desk-side visits are necessary, the number of steps required to remove and replace components on OptiPlex systems can be up to half that of similar desktops.

The company also claims that the OptiPlex 755 allows customers to choose the right solution for their environment with room to grow as it is the only major PC vendor to offer customers a flexible upgrade path from ASF (Alert Standard Format) to Intel vPro technology within the same platform, has support for industry-leading systems management solutions from companies such as Altiris, Microsoft and LanDesk that integrate hardware and software administration, and has a Dell Client Manager (DCM) Standard, a management console that is available at no charge for the life of the deployment, unlike competitors that offer free “trial periods” for similar products.

RRP: Starts at $769

See: www.dell.com.au

ViewSonic has launched its new widescreen Casa LCD monitor range with new dynamic contrast ratio (DCR) technology claiming to enhance its LCD contrast ratio by up to 2000:1.

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The Casa series includes a 19-inch model, and 3 widescreen models (19, 20, and 22-inch) that offer widescreen aspect ratios. The company promises a 1440 x 900 native resolution for the screens, as well as 5ms response times and 300 nits of brightness.

ViewSonic claims that its DCR technology detects image signals in the display and automatically controls the backlight brightness to achieve ‘blacker’ blacks, ‘whiter’ whites, and enhanced grey levels.

The DCR technology can also under-power its backlight lamp if it needs to display a dark image and proportionately amplifies the transmission through the LCD panel. This realises the potential static contrast ratio of the LCD panels in dark scenes, the company says.

The new Casa series is Windows Vista certified and incorporates a textured cabinet with thin-bezel design and a clean cable management system.

Pricing and Availability:

The ViewSonic Casa series will be available at leading retailers in September and has the following RRPs:

ViewSonic VA926w – A$TBA
ViewSonic VA1926w – A$TBA
ViewSonic VA2026w – A$349.00
ViewSonic VA2226w – A $449.00

See: www.viewsonic.com.au

Linksys has unveiled the SPA8000, an IP Telephony Gateway, which the company claims to have eight RJ-11 FXS ports, allowing users to connect analogue telephones to IP-based data networks.

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The device also has one 10/100Base-T RJ-45 Ethernet interface to connect to a router or multi-layer switch and includes a single multi-port RJ-21 50-pin connector offering an alternative connection choice when deploying the gateway in varied environments. It can also be remotely provisioned and supports dynamic, in-service software upgrades, the company says.

The SPA8000 is ideally suited for use in business and consumer VoIP service offerings including call centers and multi-dwelling environments. The SPA8000 not only delivers voice communication in diverse network conditions, it is also interoperable with common telephony equipment like voicemail, fax, PBX and interactive voice response systems.

The SPA8000 is available now through the Express Data, Ingram Micro, LAN Systems and Multimedia Technology with an RRP of $399.95

See: www.linksys.com.au

Canon claims that its new Pixma printers will meet the needs of consumers who want the most out their printers.

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The Pixma MX700 features a Quick Start function for full operation in a matter of seconds, and claims to print at speeds of up to 30 pages per minute for B&W and 20 pages per minute in colour. A high speed ADF ensures users can copy, scan and fax with ease, the company says.

The Pixma MX700 also adds Ethernet connectivity to the new Pixma range, allowing multiple workstations in the same small office to access the printer. The printer comes with four individual ink tanks, and uses a large pigment black ink tank for black & white text based document printing, copying and faxing, while its three dye ink tanks take care of photo printing and colourful graphics.

Canon Australia’s Product Manager for Ink Printing and Consumer Imaging Products Group, K.C Lu said, “With more than 70 years of heritage in the consumer imaging market, Canon has continually revolutionised home office printing. The Pixma MX700 builds on this unique legacy and sets new standards for productivity, efficiency and quality.”

Key Product Points

• High-Speed Automatic Document Feeder
• Ethernet connectivity
• Four individual ink tanks and Canon Fine print head technology
• All-in-One functionality with print, copy, scan and fax capabilities
• Quick Start operation

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The Canon Pixma MP600

Canon Pixma MP610

Canon has also launched the new Pixma MP610, a printer that combines five individual ink tank system, a print resolution of 9600dpi, and Canon ChromaLife 100 ink, to offer photo lab quality prints to last a lifetime from the convenience of home. For enhanced functionality and creative options, the new model also incorporates the popular CD/DVD print options as well as built-in automatic double-sided printing.

Additional key product features include:

• 5 individual ink tanks
• CD/DVD printing
• ChromaLife 100
• 2.5″ TFT display
• Easy-Scroll Wheel
• PictBridge and Memory Card slot
• Scanning capabilities
• Auto Duplex

Canon Pixma MP970

The Pixma MP970 has a maximum print resolution of 9600dpi and has seven individual ink tanks for photo and document printing. The MP970 also includes built-in networking, zero warm up time for scanning, as well as film and slide scanning capabilities encourage creativity, the company says.

Additional key product features include:

•  7 individual ink tanks
• Wired LAN
• CD/DVD printing
• ChromaLife 100
• 3.5″ TFT display
• Easy-Scroll Wheel
• PictBridge and Memory Card
• Scanning capabilities
• Film/slide scan & print

Canon Pixma MP520

Finally, Canon says that its Pixma MP520 is the answer for producing every day quality prints, copies and scans at home, using the cost-saving four individual ink tanks for efficiency.

Additional key product features include:

• 4 individual ink tanks
• 2-inch LCD
• Easy-Scroll Wheel
• 2 way paper feed
• Quick Start function

Pricing and Availability
The Pixma MX700 will be available through Canon dealers nationally on October 2007 with an RRP of $299.

The Canon Pixma MP520, MP610, and MP970 are available starting September 2007 and will have an RRP of $199, $299, and $449 respectively.

See: www.canon.com.au