Transcend Intros High-Speed DDR2-1066 RAM in India

Transcend Information has announced the availability of its latest memory innovation — a 4GB aXeRam DDR2-1066+ Extreme Performance dual-channel memory kit in India.

This new product uses top-binned, premium quality DRAM chips and custom polished aluminum heat sinks. Transcend’s 4GB aXeRam DDR2-1066+ dual-channel kit includes a matching pair of 1066MHz tested and verified 2GB DDR2-1066+ modules which provide dual-channel memory bandwidth of up to 17GB/s. To ensure compatibility, all aXeRam modules use robust six-layer PCBs that fully comply with JEDEC (the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) standards.

The 240-pin Unbuffered DIMMs included in the kit are each made of 16 high-quality 128Mx8 DDR2 DRAM chips. Each chip is selected with the strictest quality and performance standards and is manufactured using small Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array (FBGA) packages to assure better thermal dissipation, electrical efficiency and improved overclocking performance.

Its memory includes Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP), which allow users to automatically configure EPP-enabled motherboards with aggressive memory settings for better memory and system performance, especially when using dual video cards.

The kit’s two identically matched 2GB modules are specifically designed for use in dual-channel configuration. It also includes custom high-purity aluminum heat sinks with distinctive gold and black styling and superior heat diffusion characteristics.

High capacity 4GB kit is enhanced for dual channel motherboard and a stable 2.0V operation. The module includes EPP (Enhanced Performance Profiles) for easy overclocking. It is compatible with Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.

It is priced at Rs. 8300 and available through Supertron Electronics and Mediaman Infotech. The modules enjoy a warranty of three years and the support of a global service network.

Windows XP SP3 Due Next Month

Microsoft will release Windows XP Service Pack 3 during the second half of April, according to a report from a Web site that has correctly predicted recent Windows ship dates.

TechARP.com, a Malaysian Web site that nailed Vista SP1’s release-to-manufacturing (RTM) date last month as well as its release to Windows Update last week, said that Microsoft will wrap up work on XP’s third and final service pack next month. The site pegged RTM for Windows XP SP3 as “second half of April 2008″ for seven languages, with a follow-on RTM of the remaining supported languages “approximately 21 days” later.

By TechARP’s account, Microsoft will first finish work on the Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish versions of the service pack.

Microsoft declined comment, other than to repeat an earlier statement about the service pack’s timing. “We are targeting 1H [first half] 2008 for the release of XP SP3 RTM, though our timing will always be based on customer feedback as a first priority,” a spokeswoman said in an e-mail.

The last time Microsoft made a public move with Windows XP SP3 was a little over a month ago, when it posted a second release candidate to Windows Update.

About two weeks ago, however, XP SP3 caused a minor stir when what was purportedly the newest build leaked to the Internet and hit BitTorrent search sites such as The Pirate Bay. Although Microsoft initially refused comment, last week it acknowledged that the build — designated 5503 — was real and had been released to a portion of the invitation-only beta test group.

It also warned users away from any download. “This build was not intended for public release and anyone who has that build and is not part of the private beta is working with bits that Microsoft can’t verify,” a company spokeswoman said in an e-mail last week. “It’s possible the bits may have been modified with malware or other bad code that Microsoft hasn’t tested.”

Multiple versions of XP SP3 build 5503, including English- and Russian-language editions, are available via BitTorrent.

Once SP3 ships, the next major milestones for Windows XP are June 30, when the popular operating system is slated to fall off the reseller and retail availability list, and Jan. 31 2009, when it will be taken out of all distribution channels, including system builders.

Dell Products Now Available at Retail Outlets in India

Dell and Croma today announced the availability of Dell laptops and desktops in Croma stores. Beginning in April, customers will be able to place a customized order for a wide range of Dell Products at select Croma stores in Mumbai.

This announcement marks the first time that Dell Products will be made available in India through a retail outlet in the country. The Dell XPS and Inspiron systems will be available at the Croma stores with Dell branding and support.

This will allow customers to touch, feel and browse, Dell products, request  for customizations of their products to suit specific needs as well as have them home delivered.

Nokia, RIM Lead in Phone Innovation: Study

Nokia is the mobile device maker with the best innovation and implementation strategies, followed by Research In Motion (RIM), which produces the popular BlackBerry smartphone, and Samsung, according to a recent analyst report.

The ranking was issued by technology market research firm ABI Research, whose innovation scores for the 10 companies included were based on a handful of factors, including choice of partnerships with cellular carriers, distribution channels, relative cost, hardware scalability, interface customization, handset differentiation, patent portfolio, battery life, handset size, support for third party application developers and operating system source code licenses, among others. ABI’s implementation rankings were based on factors like smartphone shipments, brand equity, the number of handset models available, choice of OS, smartphone market share, smartphone average selling prices, distribution networks, operator relationships, and manufacturing facilities.

Nokia scored the highest in both innovation and implementation.

“Nokia’s commitment to driving smart OS into a wider range of devices, and the success of its N series devices, especially the N95, gives it a huge market presence,” said Stuart Carlaw, ABI research director, in a statement.

Espoo, Finland-based Nokia is also the world’s leading producer of smartphones, and the Symbian operating system (OS) found within the vast majority of Nokia handsets is the most widely used mobile OS, followed by Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and RIM’s BlackBerry OS, respectively, according to Canalys, another technology market research firm.

Nokia may be the global smartphone leader, but in the enterprise space RIM is king with nearly three-quarters of business users, a ChangeWave survey recently found. Palm is RIM’s closest competitor for enterprise smartphone users with 18 percent of the market, followed by Motorola’s nine percent share and Nokia’s seven percent of users, according to the ChangeWave survey.

ABI also predicts that the worldwide market for smartphones will triple over the coming five years from 10 percent of the total handset market in 2007 to 31 percent by 2013.

ABI’s full ranking of the top 10 smartphone vendors is as follows:

1. Nokia
2. RIM
3. Samsung
4. Motorola
5. Sony Ericsson
6. High Tech Corp (HTC)
7. Palm
8. LG
9. Sharp
10. Hewlett-Packard (HP)

Sahara Launches Mini Multimedia Keyboard

Sahara Computers has announced the launch of its latest Mini Multimedia Keyboard.

This new 63DUBG31 Mini Multimedia Keyboard is an ultra slim notebook keyboard with 88 keys and 19 hot keys. The keyboard also provides static resistant magnetic field and disturb resistant functionalities.

The ergonomically designed keyboard has 10 million minutes life. It is a user friendly keyboard, which is WIN 95/98/NT/2000/XP/Vista compatible.

Sahara 63DUBG31 keyboard is available through Sahara Computers’ authorized channel partners and ITJ Retails at a Price of Rs. 499 + Tax.