The Zone

UK-based DataSlide are introducing a storage technology which could be the next logical step after SSDs. Dubbed the Hard Rectangular Drive, the system makes use of several hundred read/write heads which are stationary, but data is written and read using media which oscillates on a plane. It's a bit sketchy on how they will achieve the final product with data transfer issues now faced, but the technology is capable of 160000 random read/write instructions and a 500MB/s transfer rate - all while consuming 4W of power! More to come soon as we keep an eye out on this technology.

From left to right; Li Chang , Deputy Secretary General of the Taipei Computer Association and Walter Yeh, Executive Vice President of TAITRA answering questions from the media during a press conference about the upcoming COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2009

Computex Taipei 2009 is going strong despite the current global economic downturn. Taking place from 2^nd to 6^th June at the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) Nangang Exhibition Halls and Taipei International Convention Center (TICC), the show will host 1700 exhibitors using 4600 booths to showcase their best products and solutions and is expected to attract 35,000 international buyers. Products from wide-ranging categories will be found in such dedicated areas as Components & Parts, Data Storage Devices, Software, Computer Systems, Peripherals and Displays & Digital Entertainment Products. This year’s show will also feature a 700-booth WiMAX & Communication Products area to paint a clearer picture of a more wireless future.

The Computex 2009 show is expected to be an important technology and product launch platform for numerous IT giants such as Intel, AMD, ASUS and Acer. Two “New Product Launch Sites” both located in TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall and Hall 1 will be set up to accommodate the growing needs of exhibitors from home and abroad to stage their new products. Altogether 40 companies are to demonstrate their new products in these dedicated areas. This new service can also help buyers and the media to easily discover the hottest products and latest trends.

Another highlight of this year's event is the dedicated pavilion for China, a driving force in the computing market, thanks to the country's vast resources as well as manufacturing abilities. Computex 2009 will feature a dedicated area where wares and services from 100 Chinese companies will be showcased, in a total area that spans 200 booth spaces. It is definitely a show not to be missed!

Unlike other LED manufacturers, Samsung made an outstanding effort to make its LEDs stand out, as evidenced in this video. Whether the video is digitally enhanced or not still stands open for discussion, although its funny effects will definitely lighten up your day

Dutch outfit SPRANQ creative communications Utrecht has created a new font which purpotedly saves you ink and consequently, the world. Dubbed Ecofont, the font style which looks like Dutch holey cheese (as seen above) uses approximately 20% less ink, just by introducing holes into the facetype! After using it for a couple of days, we'll have to say that it takes time getting used to, and fonts below 10pts might look as though they're been nibbled by a rat. A must-try if you want more ways to save costs, especially during in these tough times, you can download Ecofont right here.

BBC News has reported that high-tech golf clubs made from titanium will be a health hazard to golfers. Thanks to the boom made when the club head touches the ball, golfers are in risk of becoming deaf if they regularly play with the same clubs. According to a case which was outlined in the British Medical Journal, a 55-year-old golfer developed a case of tinnitus and loss of hearing in the right ear after using one of such clubs, three times a week over a course of 18 months. Testing several models, the found out that the King Cobra LD club outputs the most sound, at 130 decibles, making that short moment a truly damaging one to your ears.The solution? Wooden clubs!

[BBC News]

Coming to us in the not so far future is an umbrella thatnot only lights up when it rains but is also powered directly by the rain droplets that hit its surface. The Lightdrops umbrella designed by Sang-Kyun Park uses a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fabric which transforms the kinetic energy of the rain drops into electricity which powers LEDs on the underside of the umbrella. Previous piezoelectric fabrics couldn't cut it since they weren't waterproof but the new PVDF fabric promises us the heavier the rain, the brighter the light to shine our way.

Honda's ASIMO is back in Malaysia and now, it offers much more than just being a show robot which does more than just walk and run; check out the video to see what's in store for your at these dates; November 20th to 23rd at City Square Shopping Center in JB and 27th to 30th November in Queensbay Mall, Penang!

The last Intel Developers Forum (IDF) for the year happened in Taiwan with not much new revealed. As usual there was mention of MIDs (although no definite date on when they'll be released), the associated Moorestown PC display, architectural information on the Nehalem (the usual QuickPaths and integrated GPU) and scant news of the Larrabee GPU. We did manage to get shots of some stuff which did catch our eye but if you've seen them at other IDFs this year we wouldn't be surprised. For a more detailed report on our IDF Taiwan trip check it out in the latest issue of HWM.

Why is this post all about cars? At HWM, we do have our own car nuts who love cars, and being technology lovers ourselves, the invitation to Detroit Electric's electric car introduction today was one of the greater pleasures in life when work meshes with our hobby. More details and videos to come in a later post!Pictures after the jump!

NVIDIA's much awaited built-in PhysX is finally getting some support. NVIDIA has released power packs which should whet the appetite for more on their website through their CUDA interface. The power packs contain drivers, tools you can explore, a full game (WarMonger) and a number of demos that should tie you over until a commercial PhysX game comes out (NOT! Most such games are supposedly for next year!). Download them after the jump for a glimpse at PhysX.

Heya folks. Check out our HWM/GameAxis minion, Fat Cat Lim, holding the PS3. It's not ours, but we're getting one for "reviews". That's right, we're GETTING one.

Don't hate us because we're beautiful.

So, if you're curious to see what we think of the PS3, don't forget to check out the January issue of GameAxis next month.

PS: We might get the Wii and do a double-header hands-on! Woot!

Samsung has hinted that it has produced a so-called 'fusion memory chip' that allows mobile phone makers to boost performance at half the current DRAM sizes. Running at a mere 133MHz and having a total of 512MB onboard memory, it is also touted to =

"reduce power consumption by 30 percent, lessens the number of chips needed and minimizes area coverage by 50 percent, resulting in a five-fold increase in the speed of cell phone and gaming console operations, longer battery life and slimmer handset designs."

All that from a chip containing both DRAM and SRAM? Cool! We can probably see Samsung's own nGage in the near future, I guess, but then again, mobile game developers should stop making rehashes of Mario in the first place!

 images are copyright of Samsung

 for more information click me *link opens in new window

• Asus Striker Extreme motherboard: RM1700
• x2 Asus Graphic Card 8800 GTX: RM4600
• Corsair Dominator 2GB 800MHz RAM: RM1500 
• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 2.66GHz Quad Core processor: RM3500+

Total cost: RM11300+

System being devoured by the power tentacles of a CoolerMaster 850W PSU? Priceless

XD 

We'll surely want this for Christmas, but that's passed, unfortunately >.<

In case you're wondering, that's a full-sized gauss pistol that actually works on the principles of magnetic propulsion. And that's the same laws of physics behind the ever-cool gauss rifle in the MechWarrior universe. Too bad the creator has to wait till April 2007 till the imminent release.

For more info, head over to www.gausspistol.com