WHS 2011 Add-in: Drive Bender Updated to version 1.2.2.0

Andrew Edney
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0
WHS 2011 Add-in: Drive Bender Updated to version 1.2.2.0

Drive Bender, the add-in for Windows Home Sever 2011 that replaces Drive Extender, has now been updated to version 1.2.2.0.

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What is it?

Drive Bender is state of the art, single point storage pool technology for Microsoft Windows. Drive Bender presents multiple hard drives as a single pool of data storage, either as one or more drive letters, or a network shared drive. Drive Bender is able to do this with any drive recognized by Windows, including external drive such as USB, Firewire etc.

Expandability

Drive Bender also provides the user with the ability to seamless expand their storage pool by simply adding a new drive. Adding a new drive expands the pool by the size of the new drive. Existing data within the pool is redistributed to the new drive to ensure the pool remain balanced.

Drive merging and converting

Drive Bender also offers a merge capability, allowing users to take a drive that contains data, and merge that drive (and data) into the pool. In addition there is also a drive conversion feature. This can take and existing drive letter (mounted against a physical drive) and convert this into a pooled drive. Once completed, new hard drives can be added to expand the once fixed drive.

Data redundancy

To further ensure data safety, Drive Bender can automatically duplicate any file added to a Drive Bender pool. File duplication is determined at the folder level and occurs on the fly as data is being written to the pool. More importantly, files are only duplicated across physical drives ensuring maximum safety and data redundancy.

Non-destructive

One of the key Drive Bender features is its non-destructive file system technology. In short, this means that all drives within a Drive Bender pool are utilizing standard NTFS format and file structures. This is to such an extent that a drive can be pulled from the pool and read on any machine capable of reading an NTFS formatted drive. More over, drives attached to the pool can be done so without modification, if a drive is added (not merged) that contains existing data, that data will remain untouched.

Ease to try

Because of our non-destructive file system, taking Drive Bender for a test drive is easy. Simply specify the drives to be included in the pool, and you are ready go. The drives are not formatted (unless specified), the only change made to the drive is the addition of a folder that holds the contents of the pool and a small number of configuration files.

The technology

Drive Bender employs existing, proven kernel mode file system technology. Having spent many years developing kernel mode drivers, we are able to use this experience to great extent. The end result is a product whose performance will closely match that of the underlying drive.

The story

Early in 2010 we prototyped a Drive Extender style application with the view of releasing a product that would work with all versions of Microsoft Windows. However soon thereafter, Microsoft announced Vail (a new version of Windows Home Server) and a small business server product, codename Aurora, both of which contain their Drive Extender technology. Given this, and the possibility that Drive Extend may well make its way to other Microsoft platforms, we shelved the project.

However later that same year, Microsoft announced that they would be dropping Drive Extender from all their products (including Windows Home Server 2011), leaving the door open for Division-M to resurrect the Drive Bender project!

Release v1.2.2.0 release (2011-12-01)

– Update: Many improvements to file duplication, including a more verbose duplication feature.
– Bug fix: Under certain conditions a networked connection to a Drive Bender mounted drive can be dropped by Windows. This is the result of incorrect NTFS “File Id” handling.
– Update: Lazy duplication has been removed from the Drive Bender options.
– Update: Improved performance for file/folder enumeration across a pool.
– Update: Improved pool recovery process.
– Update: You are now able to change the volume label of a drive letter mounted point via Windows (i.e. F2 the drive in Windows explorer).
– Bug fix: A large number of files no longer cause an error when using the duplication feature.
– Bug fix: Many minor interface bugs have been fixed.

Download Drive Bender from here

Amazon Offer a Santa App for the Kindle Fire and the iPad

Andrew Edney
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0
Amazon Offer a Santa App for the Kindle Fire and the iPad

So it’s less than a month until Christmas now, and the ever helpful Amazon have created a Santa app to help you make those very important Christmas wish lists.

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Here is what Amazon said:

Amazon.com, Inc. today announced Amazon Santa, a free app for Kindle Fire and iPad that makes it fun and easy for children and their parents to create holiday Wish Lists to share with friends, family and Mr. Claus. The Amazon Santa app provides a visual Wish List creation experience designed for children to browse and search more than five-hundred thousand kid-friendly items. With a little help from their parents, kids can make a holiday Wish List to share with loved ones, making it easier than ever for family and friends to give the right gifts this holiday season.

“Sometimes Santa can use help sorting out what gifts to give everyone and this new app makes it easy and fun for kids to create their perfect Wish List,” said Sam Hall, director of Amazon Mobile. “We’ve selected more than five-hundred thousand of the hottest kid-friendly holiday gifts and made it fun, easy and intuitive for kids to find exactly what they want. The Amazon Santa app is also a great way for parents to spend some quality time with their kids and help make certain there’s a smile Christmas morning.”

The Amazon Santa app gives kids and parents access to an online catalog of family-friendly toys and games, movies and TV shows, books, music, and video games. With the tap of a finger, kids and their parents can explore by a product category or type a search to find the perfect gift and instantly create a Wish List. Parents can review and edit the Wish List as needed, and easily share each child’s list with grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, and family friends. Wish Lists shared via the Amazon Santa app can only be viewed by family and friends who receive the Wish List link. The list shows recipients wished-for items, including those that have already been purchased, helping to eliminate duplicate gifts.

The new Amazon Santa app is optimized for tablets like the iPad and the new Kindle Fire – the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, magazines, apps, books, games, and more. The Amazon Santa app is available for free from the Amazon Appstore at www.amazon.com/appstore or from iTunes. For more information please visit www.amazon.com/santa_app.

Amazon’s mobile shopping applications include Amazon Santa for iPad and Kindle Fire, Amazon Deals for iPhone, Price Check by Amazon for iPhone and Android, Amazon Student for iPhone, Amazon Windowshop for iPad and the Amazon Mobile App for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and Android-based devices. Customers can learn more by visiting www.amazon.com/amazonmobile.

Well that is certainly one way to make sure gifts are purchased through Amazon.

Spotify Platform – A World of Possibilities?

Andrew Edney
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0
Spotify Platform – A World of Possibilities?

Spotify today announced some exciting new possibilities with it’s Spotify Platform for apps.

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Here is the press release:

Spotify, the largest and fastest-growing music service of its kind, today opens up a new world of possibilities with Spotify Platform.

Spotify Platform gives third party developers the opportunity to build innovative, engaging music-based apps. To us, it’s the next big step in musical enjoyment.

These free apps integrate beautifully with Spotify, both visually and functionally, and can be accessed and shared by millions of Spotify users through the new App Finder, launching today as a preview at www.spotify.com/download/previews/

The first generation of Spotify Apps features 16 partner apps, with 12 available from launch today. We’ve been lucky to partner with some of the brightest and best brands in the world to create engaging, fun, and social apps.

The 13 global partners launching on the Spotify App Finder include Billboard, Fuse, The Guardian, Last.fm, Moodagent, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Songkick, Soundrop, TuneWiki and We Are Hunted, with Top10 and ShareMyPlaylists apps coming soon. We also have three Nordic partners launching local apps, including Tunigo in Sweden which launches today, Gaffa in Denmark and Dagbladet in Norway, which will be launching local Nordic apps soon.

Our integration with Facebook in September has made more people than ever excited about sharing music again, adding more than 7 million new Spotify users in just over two months. And our users have now created more than 500 million playlists, a number which has doubled since just July.

With Spotify Platform, we want to enable innovation on top of music and add many more layers of music enjoyment. We want DJs to create the best lists, and virtual clubs where people can gather together to hear them, dance, and sing along. We want fans to get closer to their favorite artists, and give great editorial partners and tastemakers a way to recommend music to you.

It’s also what Spotify users have been asking for. Now anyone can enjoy great music reviews, buy tickets for gigs, sing along with the lyrics, all inside Spotify. In addition, you can curate the apps you want and make Spotify yours… and the launch apps are just the beginning.

Music is many things to many people. With Spotify Platform and a whole bunch of clever apps, we hope we can all get more out of music than ever before.

Speaking at the conference, Spotify CEO and Founder Daniel Ek commented: “Once you take a look, you’ll see why we believe this is truly the beginning of something game-changing for digital music. We think this will lead to integrations that keep Spotify beautiful and simple, but layer in great musical experiences designed to be social and fun. It’s what our users have been asking us for.”

Spotify Platform beta goes live later today as a preview, at: www.spotify.com/download/previews/. For more information about the apps please visit www.spotify.com/apps. The full consumer rollout will take place later in December.

If you were unable to watch Daniel make this announcement live in New York, you can watch again here:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/spotify-event Password: l0vemus1c (both times)

Synology Release DSM 3.2-1955 Update Including ARM Performance Acceleration Technology

Andrew Edney
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1
Synology Release DSM 3.2-1955 Update Including ARM Performance Acceleration Technology

Today saw Synology release another update for it’s DiskStation Manager (DSM) software, taking it up to version 3.2.-1955.

DSM ARM

Here is press release:

Milton Keynes – November 30, 2011—Synology® today, introduced Synology ARM® Performance Acceleration Technology in its DSM 3.2-1955 update to deliver a substantial performance boost to its NAS servers.

“Synology strives to optimise the performance of its NAS servers, and today adds to its efforts with the ARM Performance Acceleration Technology,” said Evan Tu, software development group manager of Synology Inc. “The Technology enables a DiskStation to surpass its limit, achieving an up to 18.8% gain in performance while ensuring system reliability and stability at the same time,” added Tu. With the ARM Performance Acceleration Technology, for instance, the DS212+ writes faster at 65.69 MB/sec. For more information, please visit http://www.synology.com/releaseNote/DSM3.2_v1955_ARM.php.

The DSM 3.2-1955 update also improves data transfer stability of USB 3.0 storage devices and the compatibility of iSCSI targets with ESXi servers. Users are thus empowered to manage more data in less time and achieve greater productivity.

Availability The DSM 3.2-1955 update applies to the following models: DS712+, DS212, DS212+, DS212j, RS212, RS812, DS3611xs, RS3411xs, RS3411RPxs, DS2411+, RS2211+, RS2211RP+, DS1511+, RS411, DS411, DS411+II, DS411+, DS411j, DS411slim, DS211+, DS211, DS211j, DS111, DS1010+, RS810+, RS810RP+, DS410, DS410j, DS710+, DS210+, DS210j, DS110+, DS110j, DS509+, RS409+, RS409RP+, RS409, DS409+, DS409, DS209+II, DS209+, DS209, DS209j, DS109+, DS109, DS109j, DS409slim, DS508, DS408, RS408, RS408-RP, DS108j

It is available for free download at http://www.synology.com/support/download.php and in the DSM Update of DiskStation Manager.

FTDX Books Online – A New Way of Publishing

Andrew Edney
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0
FTDX Books Online – A New Way of Publishing

A new online publisher has emerged called FTDX Books Online – and it’s run by a few people you may have heard of!

FTDX

Who Are FTDX?

Fair Trade Digital Exchange is a revolutionary “digital first” publishing company devoted exclusively to technology topics. Our books are written for business people, developers, IT professionals, and computer enthusiasts. All of our titles are developed with the goal of helping readers turn technology intro productivity. The Fair Trade DX development model lets us turn content from world-class authors into high-quality books and learning products, at a pace that leaves traditional print publishers in the dust. Unlike other publishers, we treat authors as full partners, and our shared goal is to inform, enlighten, and delight readers.

A few of the people involved in this new venture include Ed Bott and Mike Halsey – both are great guys and fellow authors, and I can highly recommend their books.

Congratulations guys – as one author to another this is a fantastic idea!!!!

Learn more and buy some of the books from here

Iomega Launch Iomega TV with Boxee in the UK

Andrew Edney
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0
Iomega Launch Iomega TV with Boxee in the UK

The Iomega TV with Boxee has been launched in the UK – 11 months after we saw it at CES.

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We first told you about the Iomega TV back in January when we were at CES. Well it has finally been launched here in the UK.

Here is what Iomega said:

Iomega TV with Boxee is now shipping in the UK and is available in retail stores and online.

Experience Internet TV.  Iomega® TV with Boxee + Network Storage takes everything you love about the Internet – TV shows, movies, music and more – and puts it directly on your HDTV. At the same time, you can manage, share and store up to 2TB of your most important digital content.  So you get the best of both worlds – entertainment and network storage.

Features

  • Everything From The Web on Your TV
  • Stream HD Content to Your TV
  • Connect With Friends on Facebook and Twitter From Your TV
  • Your Digital Collection From Your Home Network on Your TV
  • Wireless Connectivity and Up to 2TBs of Onboard Storage for All Your Videos, Pictures and Music

Two versions of the new Iomega TV with Boxee are available.  One that includes 1TB or 2TB of onboard storage, and another model without an integrated hard drive.  Either way, the new Iomega TV with Boxee makes your laptop or desktop a thing of the past for enjoying the web as well as your own videos, photos and music.

Prices start at £220.00.

Sony Release PlayStation 3 System Software 4.00 Update

Andrew Edney
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1
Sony Release PlayStation 3 System Software 4.00 Update

Sony have just released a PlayStation 3 system software update taking it to version 4.00 and bringing mainly PlayStation Vita bits.

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The PlayStation 3 system software version 4.00 update includes the following:

PlayStation Vita system compatibility

  • You can copy content such as music, videos and images, games, and other applications between the PS3 system and the PS Vita system.
  • You can back up the data saved in the PS Vita system to the PS3 system disk drive.
  • You can update the system software for your PS Vita system using the network features of the PS3 system.

Settings

  • Upscaler output and Cinema conversion are now supported for Blu-ray Disc (BDMV) content. “Blu-ray Disc” and “Blu-ray” are trademarks of the Blu-ray Disc Association.
  • You can now select the items you want to update under  (System Settings) > [Automatic Update]. This feature is exclusively for use by PlayStation Plus members.
  • Two new system languages have been added: [English (United Kingdom)] and [Portuguese (Brazil)] are now available under  (Settings) >  (System Settings) > [System Language] .

I’m downloading the update now.

Sonos Now Offering Android Tablet Support and New Spotify Features

Andrew Edney
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0
Sonos Now Offering Android Tablet Support and New Spotify Features

Sonos have just updated their System Software to version 3.6, bringing with it Android Tablet support and some new Spotify features.

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MORE CONTROL:

Sonos Controller for Android™ now works on Android tablets

  • Find and play any song, in any room, right from your favorite Android device (running 2.2 and higher) — with one free app.
  • View your zones, music menu, now playing pane and volume controls all at once. Intelligently scales the screen layout to take advantage of larger screen size.
  • Set alarms or sleep timer to wake up or fall asleep to your favorite music or station.
  • Send tweets about what you’re listening to on Sonos.
  • Access advanced Sonos system settings.
  • Connects to Sonos over your home WiFi network.
  • Download it for free from Android Market™.
  • Available worldwide.

Two more languages: Danish and Norwegian

Now you can control Sonos in 11 languages: Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Swedish.

MORE MUSIC:

Sonos Labs

  • Be the first to test out music services before they’re officially added to the Sonos Music Menu.
  • Access Sonos Labs within More Music on your Sonos Controller. Click on any or all of the music services listed to enjoy them on Sonos.
  • Remember these services are still in Beta so expect the unexpected.
  • Provide feedback as you listen—the good and the bad—on the Sonos Labs Beta Feedback website* to help us improve the service.

*You must create a new account to submit feedback. After you log in, you will see a list of music services to choose from.

Spotify enhancements on Sonos

  • Access your Inbox on Sonos and play music from Spotify’s new releases and top tracks.

Other improvements

  • MOAPI enhancements for ratings, richer metadata, and error handling.
  • Support for AAC+ music formats.

Updating couldn’t be easier

On the Sonos CONTROL and Sonos Controller for Mac or PC:
    • Sonos will automatically notify you when an update is available
    • Select Update Now and click OK
On the Sonos Controller for iPhone and iPad:
    • The App Store will notify you when an update is available. Simply visit the App Store and install your system update
On the Sonos Controller for Android:
    • Your Android device will notify you when an update is available. Simply click on the alert in the notification menu.
On the Sonos Controller 100:
    • Tap the Music button on your Controller 100 and click on System Settings
    • Select Online Updates and click OK

Here is what Sonos said:

Sonos, the leading manufacturer of wireless music systems, today announced Sonos System Software 3.6, an innovative update that adds more control and more music to the Sonos Wireless HiFi experience. This free software is available to all Sonos customers via a one button update to their system.

“Today’s feature update reaffirms our commitment to persistently innovate so that Sonos users continue to have the ultimate music experience in every room of the home,” said John MacFarlane, founder and CEO, Sonos, Inc. “Effortless control, endless music and constant innovation are what will keep us as the gold standard for listening out loud in the home.”

The free Sonos Controller for Android now supports Android tablets as well as smartphones, letting you control Sonos from your Android device of choice. With Sonos, you can stream all the music on earth wirelessly in every room, and now control it wirelessly on a larger screen with any Android tablet running 2.2 or higher including the HTC Flyer, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Sony Tablet S, and many others. Plus, Sonos Controller for Android includes new enhancements such as alarms, music library management and Twitter support for Android smartphones and tablets alike. Download it from Android Market.

With Sonos 3.6 software, Sonos is also introducing Sonos Labs, a new Beta environment where customers will be able to test out music services before they’re officially launched on Sonos. New music services will be added to Sonos Labs on an ongoing basis.

Sonos 3.6 also includes improved Spotify integration on Sonos, giving Spotify fans on Sonos access to their Spotify Inbox and ability to play music from Spotify’s new releases and top tracks.

Other features of Sonos 3.6 include:

  • AAC+ codec support
  • More local language support with Danish and Norwegian

Full details of Sonos 3.6 software can be found here: http://www.sonos.com/support/software_updates/

HP launches X5000 G2 with Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2008 R2

Andrew Edney
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1
HP launches X5000 G2 with Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2008 R2

HP have launched a new server, the X5000 G2 running Windows Storage Server 2008 R2.

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The new HP X5000 G2 Network Storage Systems is ideal for midsize companies with Windows-centric environments to help them control and file unstructured data cost efficiently. The solution, a two-node Network Attached Storage (NAS) cluster with shared storage built on HP BladeSystem technology and integrated into a converged 3U chassis, provides high availability and greater storage density in one platform.

The HP X5000 G2 Network Storage Systems uses Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition operating system and is designed to deliver a better file serving experience. Storage technologies such as file deduplication and iSCSI provide unique storage features for these converged file and block I/O network attached storage appliances. HP and Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 management software provide simplified deployment and management.

Comprehensive, Highly Available Network Attached Storage Appliance

• Two-node, active/active mid-range NAS cluster and shared storage in a single system
• File and block storage capable – CIFS/SMB, NFS, iSCSI, HTTP, FTP, and WebDAV
• Advanced storage management features – File deduplication, File Classification Infrastructure, Hosted BranchCache, file screening, storage quotas, and storage reporting
• All inclusive software license

 

Simple Deployment and Management

• All standard hardware and software pre-installed in system
• Power On to file serving in less than an hour
• 100% compatible with Windows IT infrastructure – Active Directory, Distributed File System (namespace and replication), Microsoft System Center and more
• Can be remotely managed for lights out data center or remote office locations

 

Scalable and Affordable

• Capable of supporting 10,000 plus users on a single system – user number variable based on system configuration
• Up to 32 TB of capacity inside the system, expands to over 100 TB externally with HP D2000 Disk Enclosures
• File Deduplication feature can recover up to 40% of disk space
• File Classification Infrastructure feature provides insight into your data to help you manage it more effectively, reduce costs and mitigate risks based on the data’s business value
• No need to buy additional hardware for anti-virus screening – any Windows Server 2008 R2 compatible anti-virus software runs right on the system

 

Built on Windows Server 2008 R2 File Services

• Enables administrators to provide faster access to files while minimizing the effort required to manage distributed data. Users have fast access to information that can be managed more easily by IT pros
• Provides organizations with better control over their data using familiar management tools and helps centralize the management of data, which reduces administrative overhead while simultaneously providing insightful information on the file infrastructures

 

Learn more from the HP website

Apple Update Safari to Version 5.1.1

Andrew Edney
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0
Apple Update Safari to Version 5.1.1

Yesterday saw Apple release an update to it’s Safari browser, bringing it up to version 5.1.1.

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This update contains various improvements, including fixes that:

  • Improve stability
  • Address issues that could cause hangs and excessive memory usage
  • Address issues that could cause webpages to flash white
  • Allow PDFs to be displayed within web content

ZOTAC Launch GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores Limited Edition Graphics Card

Andrew Edney
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0
ZOTAC Launch GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores Limited Edition Graphics Card

ZOTAC have launched the GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 cores Limited Edition geared for the latest stunning Microsoft DirectX 11-enabled titles.

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Here is what ZOTAC said:

ZOTAC® International, a leading innovator and a channel manufacturer, today unleashes the GeForce® GTX 560 Ti 448 cores Limited Edition graphics card geared for the latest stunning Microsoft® DirectX® 11-enabled titles.

The ZOTAC® GeForce® GTX 560 Ti 448 cores Limited Edition graphics card delivers the performance and visual details gamers crave for an unmatched immersive gaming experience. Equipped with 448 lightning-fast shaders and 1280MB of GDDR5 memory, the ZOTAC® GeForce® GTX 560 Ti 448 cores Limited Edition graphics card packs a performance punch.

“PC gaming is a strong segment that continues to grow and now is the best time to upgrade for the latest DirectX® 11 releases. With the ZOTAC® GeForce® GTX 560 Ti 448 cores Limited Edition, gamers can easily equip their PC to play the latest titles with ultra-quality settings up to 1080p – beyond what a console can deliver,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC® International.

The ZOTAC® GeForce® GTX 560 Ti 448 cores Limited Edition is NVIDIA® SLI™ ready with dual SLI™ connectors. Up to three ZOTAC® GeForce® GTX 560 Ti 448 cores Limited Editions can operate together for up to 2.8-times the performance of a single card or unlock 3D Vision™ Surround technology for triple-display gaming.

It’s time to play with the ZOTAC® GeForce® GTX 560 Ti 448 cores Limited Edition.

  • New ZOTAC GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 cores Limited Edition graphics card
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores GPU
  • Engine clock: 765 MHz
  • 448 unified shaders
  • Shader clock: 1,530 MHz
  • 1280MB GDDR5 memory
  • Memory clock: 3800 MHz
  • 320-bit memory interface
  • Dual DVI, HDMI & DisplayPort outputs
  • DirectX 11 technology & Shader Model 5.0
  • OpenGL 4.2 compatible
  • NVIDIA CUDA technology
  • Full HD video playback
  • Blu-ray 3D ready
  • Loss-less audio bitstream capable
  • ZOTAC Boost Premium software bundle included
Product Name ZOTAC® GeForce® GTX 560 Ti 448 cores Limited Edition
GPU NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560 Ti 448 cores
Engine Clock speed 765 MHz
Unified Shaders 448
Shader Clock 1530 MHz
Memory Clock speed 3800 MHz
Memory 1280MB GDDR5
Memory interface 320-bit
Display Outputs Dual DVI, HDMI & DisplayPort
HDCP Yes
Cooling With fan (dual-slot)
DirectX® version DirectX® 11 with Shader Model 5.0
Other hardware features Hardware accelerated Blu-ray 3D ready
Software Features Hardware Video Decode Acceleration Technology, NVIDIA® CUDA™ technology, OpenGL® 4.2
Windows 7 capability Windows® 7 with DirectCompute support

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For further information visit www.zotac.com

Want to Experience Windows Phone 7 from Your iPhone or Android Phone?

Andrew Edney
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2
Want to Experience Windows Phone 7 from Your iPhone or Android Phone?

Do you have an iPhone or an Android phone? Would you like to try Windows Phone 7 on your phone? Now you can thanks to a demo from Microsoft.

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Click here from your phone to try it!

IMG_1132

Andreas Miceli Updates Advanced Admin Console for WHS 2011

Jim McCarthy
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2
Andreas Miceli Updates Advanced Admin Console for WHS 2011

Andreas Miceli announced an update to the popular WHS 2011 add-in called Advanced Administrative Console.  Read on for details.

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Andreas Miceli announced today that he is updating Advanced Administrative Console, which will stop working on 1 December 2011.  Here is what he had to say:

The previous beta version of the Advanced Admin Console 2011 will stop working on December 1, 2011. Download the latest release now!

Since its release in late July 2011 the Advanced Admin Console 2011 Release Candidate has proven that it’s ready for its final release. No bugs have been reported and I’ve got plenty of emails from users telling me that it’s fulfilling their needs and it’s running smoothly on their servers.

In order to test the update check and upgrade installation mechanisms there will be a final test release (version 0.9.6) dubbed the “Release Candidate Refresh”.

Download

Go to the downloads page to download the Advanced Admin Console 2011 Release Candidate. You can share your opinion and discuss the new release over at the HomeServerLand forums.

License

The Advanced Admin Console 2011 Release Candidate Refresh will work until February 1, 2012. Starting that day it will switch to reduced functionality mode for home users and will cease to function for business users. Both groups of users will need to purchase a license (pricing TBA) in order to be able to make use of the Advanced Admin Console 2011 feature set after that date. Please see my previous post for more licensing details.

So it seems that AAC is entering the home stretch!  If you are running this useful add-in, make sure that you download the update.

AAC Update On The Way

Seagate Now Shipping 2nd Generation Momentus XT Solid State Hydrid Hard Drive

Andrew Edney
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0
Seagate Now Shipping 2nd Generation Momentus XT Solid State Hydrid Hard Drive

Today Seagate announced that it was shipping the 2nd generation of it’s Momentus XT solid state hybrid hard drive.

seagate

Here is the press release:

Cupertino, Calif. — November 29, 2011 — Seagate (NASDAQ:STX) is now shipping the second generation of Momentus® XT, its groundbreaking solid state hybrid drive for consumer and commercial laptops and the company’s fastest drive ever for personal computers. With a simple drive upgrade, users can boost boot-up speed and overall performance to turbo-charge their laptop PC. Seven original equipment manufacturers are gearing up to ship laptops powered by Momentus XT. The drive is now available at online retailers Amazon, Canada Computers, CDW, Memory Express, NCIX, Newegg, and TigerDirect.

Powering the Momentus XT drive are Seagate’s Adaptive Memory™ and FAST Factor™technologies. Adaptive Memory technology works by identifying data usage patterns, and then moving the most frequently retrieved information to solid state memory for faster access. Adaptive Memory effectively tailors hard drive performance to each user and the applications they use. FAST Factor technology blends the strengths of SSDs and hard disk drives for faster access to applications, quicker bootup and higher overall system speed.

“Laptop users want faster access to all of their content, from gaming, music and video to spreadsheets and documents, creating strong demand for the highest performance,” said Scott Horn, vice president of Worldwide Marketing at Seagate. “Seagate is excited to answer this need with a second-generation Momentus® XT drive that delivers solid state drive (SSD) speed, greater storage capacity and easy installation at an affordable price.”

“High-speed storage devices make a difference when it comes to improving overall PC performance,” said John Rydning, research vice president at IDC. “Seagate’s newest Momentus® XT drive gives notebook PC users an economical option for boosting PC performance while at the same time providing spacious storage capacity all in one device.”

Momentus XT – Meeting the need for speed

The Momentus XT drive is nearly 70 percent faster than the prior Momentus drive version and up to three times faster than a traditional hard disk drive while providing 750GB of storage capacity. The Momentus XT hard drive’s Serial ATA 6Gb/second interface and 8 gigabytes of Single Level Cell NAND flash double the interface and NAND read-write speed of the previous generation. The all-in-one design of Momentus XT drive makes installation and upgrading simple and easy for any laptop or desktop computer and with any operating system.

The Momentus XT drive is now shipping in volume worldwide. Manufacturer’s Suggesting Retail Pricing (MSRP) for Momentus XT 750GB is $245.

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