Buffalo Japan introduced a fleet of new wired and wireless mice optimized for Windows 8, thanks to gesture-recognizing touch surfaces along the top, that augment the main buttons and scroll wheels. Among the products launched are the wireless BSMBB10N series, and wired BSMBU12 series. The BSMBB10N series mice are equipped with Bluetooth and NFC tags. The NFC tag lets you configure the mouse with an NFC-equipped Windows 8 tablet or Ultrabook by simply waving the mouse close to the host device, saving you the trouble of configuring Bluetooth or WLAN settings. Unpack, wave, use - it's that simple.

The BSMBB10N series mice are available in as many as six 2-tone color options, including blue, red, green, pink, orange, and gray. Measuring 60 x 35 x 100 mm (WxDxH), the mice weigh about 58 g. The primary sensor has a resolution of 1,600 DPI, its Bluetooth reception range is 10 m. Moving on, the company also launched the wired BSMBU12, which use common USB wired connectivity but retain the touch surfaces that let you perform gestures. These mice are available in six similar 2-tone color options to the BSMBB10N. The wireless, NFC tag-equipped BSMBB10N series mice are priced at 3,465¥ ($31), while the wired BSMBU12 go for 2,089¥ ($26).

HP today announced availability and pricing details for its new lineup of consumer and business PCs that are designed to work with Windows 8.

The new HP products, ranging from stylish notebooks and desktops to a tablet, leverage premium materials and a purposeful design philosophy to deliver a distinct HP look and feel.

Unique form factors, including a hybrid PC with a detachable screen, a business tablet with functionality-boosting HP Smart Jackets and an ultrathin all-in-one (AiO) desktop, enable users to take advantage of Windows 8 along with HP innovations such as HP TouchSmart technology. They also offer HP Connected Photo powered by Snapfish by HP and HP Connected Music powered by Meridian for convenient access to photos and music.

SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced that the company is providing the solid state drive (SSD) for the new ASUS TAICHI Ultrabook, introduced today by ASUS. Running on the Windows 8 operating system, the unique ASUS TAICHI is an ultrabook that features a tablet on the outside of the laptop lid, allowing users to quickly and easily transition from a tablet to notebook functionality, or operate both simultaneously, for superior mobile computing versatility.

With fast, reliable storage provided by a customized SanDisk X100 SSD, a high-performance stand-alone SSD model, the sleek and powerful ASUS TAICHI features a full notebook experience for consumers or business users, as well as the convenience of a tablet with stylus support, all in one device. The SanDisk X100 SSD used in the ASUS TAICHI (available in both 256GB and 128GB1 capacities) enables the ultrabook to boot up quickly and provides incredibly responsive, small form factor storage. With the ASUS TAICHI, both the tablet and notebook screens can be used at the same time, each featuring different content and applications. This enables the device to be easily shared by family, friends or co-workers simultaneously. While offering both notebook and tablet capability, the ASUS TAICHI is surprisingly thin and lightweight, due in large part to the compact form factor of the SanDisk X100. The customized SanDisk SSD also enhances application performance in the ASUS TAICHI and includes thermal control features to help protect the device from overheating, even when both the tablet and notebook capabilities are being operated at once.

ASUS unveiled the Zenbook UX42VS, UX52VS and U500VZ. This launch marks the first 14- and 15-inch models in a series that consists of ASUS' flagship Ultrabook products. The UX42VS features a 14-inch 1366 x 768 pixels screen, it tips the scales at 1.9 kg, and features a wedge-shaped chassis that is as just 6 mm thick at its thinnest point. It is driven by Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processor (options), with 6 GB of memory, GeForce GT 645M graphics, and 1 TB of SSD-accelerated HDD storage.

The Zenbook UX52VS and U500VZ feature 15-inch screens. The UX52VS (pictured below), features Core i5/i7 ULV processor options, 10 GB of memory, GeForce GT 645M graphics, and SSD-accelerated 1 TB HDD. The U500VZ is an anomaly in this lineup, as it features mainstream quad-core Core i7 processor, 8 GB memory, 1080p display resolution, GeForce GT 650M graphics. Despite the kind of hardware it packs, it weighs just 2 kg, and retains the wedge-shaped chassis that's as low as 6 mm-thick.

NEC's Celron-driven VersaPro VZ 12.5-inch tablet and UltraLite VG 13.3-inch Ultrabook received a specifications update, with Windows 8 Pro being the standard OS. Originally launched in March and July 2012, respectively, the two originally featured Windows 7 Professional. Driven by dual-core Celeron ULV CPU, the VersaPro VZ packs 4 GB memory and 128 GB SSD storage. The UltraLite VG, on the other hand, is driven by Core i7-3517U "Ivy Bridge" dual-core processor, with 4 GB dual-channel memory, and 128 GB SSD storage. The the two refreshed NEC products could hit the racks after October 26.

The Intel Perceptual Computing SDK 2013 Beta, announced in September at Intel Developer Forum, is now available as a free download. Developers can add perceptual computing usages to create immersive software applications that incorporate close-range hand and finger tracking, facial analysis, speech recognition and 2D/3D object tracking on 2nd and 3rd generation Intel Core processor-powered Ultrabook devices and PCs.

The SDK includes APIs to help reduce development time and testing costs. Also available for use with the SDK is the Creative* Interactive Gesture Camera Developer Kit a small, light-weight, USB-powered, depth-sensor camera tuned for close-range interactivity powered by technology from SoftKinetic. Download the SDK and order the Creative Interactive Gesture Camera Developer Kit today.

Like pretty much all its rivals Gigabyte Technology is embracing Windows 8 and is preparing to release various PCs running Microsoft's latest operating system. One such PC is called U2142 and is actually a convertible ultrabook featuring a rotating 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) touchscreen. This upcoming 2-in-1 machine packs an Intel Core i3/i5 ULV processor, up to 16 GB of RAM, up to a 1 TB hard drive backed by a 256 GB solid state drive, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, optional 3G, USB 3.0 connectivity, and an HDMI output.

The U2142 will start at about $999 and should become available next month.

Fujitsu today announced the launch of the new Floral Kiss brand of FMV personal computers aimed at female users. The new series will be available throughout Japan beginning November 2 at electronics stores and from the Fujitsu WEB MART online store.

Based upon the design concept of bringing elegance to PCs, Floral Kiss is a new series that was planned and developed primarily under the direction of female employees.

Fujitsu unveiled a fleet of notebooks beginning with its 13.3-inch Lifebook SH series, driven by Core i5-3210M or Core i3-3110M processors, 8 GB memory, 128 GB SSD or 500 GB HDD, and sized at 316 x 226 x 13.5 ~ 19.9 mm. Moving on, the Lifebook UH series includes 13.3-inch Ultrabooks, driven by Core i5-3427U processors, SSD or HDD storage options, and anodized aluminum unibodies.

Next up is the wide range of Lifebook AH series, which includes mainstream notebooks ranging from 15.6-inch and above (desktop replacements). These models have the luxury of room for quad-core Core i7-3632QM processors, 8 GB memory, 1 TB HDDs, BDXL writers, 1920 x 1080 pixels screens, and a plethora of connectivity options including USB 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, TV tuners, etc. A typical model measures 374.4 x 249.7 x 12.6 ~ 20.8 mm. The Lifebook AH is slated for November 2.

Foxconn, a global innovator and channel manufacturer of electronics and computer components, announces the release of the quietest NanoPC AT-5250, which is about to keep your surroundings silence in the next upcoming months. The latest AT-5250 with Intel GMA 3650 HD boosts graphics and CPU processing capabilities while maintaining energy efficiency to create a palm-sized home theater PC capable of high-definition video playback and lightning-fast system responsiveness. The elegant design can go with the environment freely, meeting the high-end needs of sales centers and real sales presentation who are seeking for a powerful tower PC replacement, home theater or energy-efficient PC.

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced that its consumer line-up of Satellite laptops and Ultrabooks, Qosmio laptops as well as its All-in-One desktops featuring Windows 8 are available for pre-order starting today and will be widely available for purchase from select U.S. retailers and ToshibaDirect.com on October 26.

Toshiba's new laptops feature spacious touchpads with Windows 8 gesture support to allow users to perform gestures on the touchpad as they would on a touchscreen device. In addition, to help transition consumers to the innovative interface in Windows 8, Toshiba's new PCs come pre-installed with Toshiba Desktop Assist, a utility designed to give users easy access to their programs, control panel, as well as files and folders, similar to the Start Menu in previous versions of Windows.

Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash, storage and enthusiast computer products today announces the availability of its new Memory For Ultrabook SODIMM Modules. Compatible with 3rd generation Intel Core processors, these modules offers consumers a no hassle option to upgrade Ultrabook class laptops for increased performance and productivity.

Providing the most dynamic and powerful mobile computing platform, the Ultrabook delivers the highest levels of portability, performance, and entertainment. The Ultrabook is truly redefining the mobile computing experience. With this in mind, Patriot's Memory for Ultrabook SODIMM modules were designed to offer the perfect performance enhancement to the Ultrabook ecosystem.

Samsung Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, today announced details about its upcoming Windows 8 mobile PC and All-In-One product lines. Building on its leadership position in the PC and tablet market, Samsung is bringing premium computing power, elegant design and an intuitive user experience to its PCs along with seamless convergence across devices, thanks to Samsung AllShare Play. In addition, Samsung offers a range of unique applications across devices including Samsung Quick Starter, and exclusive S Pen apps such as S Note and S Memo.

"Samsung has seen extraordinary growth in the mobile PC category over the past few years, and we're now taking our success to the next level by connecting the PC to other devices in the home or office through our convergence technology, Samsung AllShare Play," said Mike Abary, senior vice president of consumer IT product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "The launch of Windows 8 provides an inflection point in the evolution of the PC. Samsung has always focused on pushing the boundaries of design to create truly remarkable products that consumers and businesses want. We're confident that we will continue to lead the future with our thoughtful, powerful approach to the computing experience."

An analyst with Topeka Capital, who was touring Asia, meeting sources among supply chains, brings bad news to Microsoft investors. Analyst Brian White notes that the sentiment (among vendors and parts of the supply chain) about Windows 8 remains "overwhelmingly negative." Expectations from Microsoft's new client operating system plummet, as vendors don't see much activity following the October 26 launch.

"Although October is expected to be the sweet spot for the notebook ramp for Windows 8, and further follow through is likely in November, we were warned of idle facilities in December," notes White. "One of our contacts does not expect Windows 8 to be material until the second-half of 2013," he added. In related news, the industry is also reeling from a disappointing reception from Intel's 2011-12 pet project in the client computing space, Ultrabook. "...the enthusiasm around the Ultrabook ramp has also deteriorated as the cost structure remains too high under Intel's specifications," White notes.

Yet another ASUS-branded Windows 8 mobile PC has went up for pre-order this week and it is a 0.8-inch-thick ultrabook boasting a 14.1-inch (1366 x 768) touchscreen. Named VivoBook S400, ASUS' creation runs Windows 8 Home Premium (64-bit) and features a 1.7 GHz Core i5-3317U processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 24 GB SSD, a 500 GB (5400 RPM) hard drive, Intel GMA HD graphics, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, an HD camera, plus one USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports.

The VivoBook S400 costs $699 and will ship on October 26.

VIZIO, Inc., announced today its holiday line-up of Windows 8-based PCs, highlighted by a 24" and 27" All-in-One Touch PC with 10-finger capacitive touchscreen displays. Equipped with stunning full HD 1080p displays and an impressive 2.1 audio system with subwoofer, the VIZIO All-in-One Touch PC brings entertainment directly to the user's fingertips for a fast and fluid Windows 8 experience.

Along with the introduction of the stunning 24" and 27" All-in-One Touch PCs, VIZIO's PC lineup includes two Ultrabooks and a Notebook - the VIZIO14" and 15.6" Thin + Light and 15.6" Notebook. These new models arrive in time for the holidays with key enhancements that make them the ideal choice for users looking for optimal performance in a beautifully designed, premium PC. Both the Thin + Light and Notebook models feature an enhanced multi-gesture touchpad that allows users the ability to navigate Windows 8's touch-centric features using the same swipe, tap and pinch gestures as they would on the screen of the All-in-One PC. Elegantly combining exceptional performance, premium entertainment and touch functionality, the entire VIZIO PC line-up for Windows 8 places the power to create unique experiences at the fingertips of each user.

Acer America today announced the Aspire M5 series of Ultrabooks, available exclusively at Best Buy stores in the United States. Featuring Windows 8, the slim and stylish Aspire M5 series combines the portability of an Ultrabook with powerful performance, 8-hour battery life and outstanding value. Select models also include 10 point touch for easily navigating digital media and Windows 8 touch apps.

"Many consumers desire the mobility of an Ultrabook, but still require the larger displays, optical drives, all-day battery life and value offered in a more mainstream notebook PC," said Scott Ledterman, vice president of retail sales, Acer America. "The Aspire M5 series delivers that perfect combination of portability and performance for mainstream consumers, and goes a step further with premium features like touch input. We are delighted that Best Buy will offer the M Series line exclusively to their customers this holiday season."

Small businesses are grappling with how to manage the dramatic growth of critical files, email and media. Meanwhile consumers are creating and purchasing vast amounts of digital content, including music, movies, photos, e-books and videos. To help them have greater control over of their data, Intel Corporation today announced its next-generation Intel Atom processor-based storage solution.

Recognizing the ongoing, real-time growth of storage demands, this solution, powered by the Intel Atom processor D2550 or the Intel Atom processor D2500, combines impressive multimedia capabilities, energy efficiency and excellent performance to deliver the personal cloud to businesses and consumers.

Ultra-slim PC shipments will grow from 3.4 million in 2011 to 65.0 million by 2015-a quarter of mobile PC shipments-according to the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report. The mobile PC landscape is transforming from a performance-driven market to a convenience-driven market, where easy access to content and usage are the new preferred characteristics.

This fundamental change in preference is most noticeable in the slowing demand for notebook PCs and the increasing demand for tablet PCs. Tablet PC shipments are expected to exceed notebook PC shipment by 2016. Notebook PC players are responding by adopting the features of tablets that consumers have appreciated the most.

Acer America today announced the Oct. 26th availability of its highly anticipated Acer Aspire S7 Touch Ultrabook Series in North America. Previewed in Europe and Asia, the S7 has already been hailed as one of the most exciting Windows 8-based touch Ultrabooks to debut this holiday season. As thin as a tablet, the Aspire S7 has a simple, clean design with embellishments kept to a minimum to maintain a clean and elegant look. The use of straight lines, glossy white glass, glowing light and anodized aluminum have culminated in notebooks that champion cutting-edge technology alongside innovative design.

"Acer took a fresh approach to the design and development of the Aspire S7, using premium construction methods and materials," said Sumit Agnihotry, vice president of product marketing for Acer. "We also used cutting-edge manufacturing processes that are not typically used in the PC industry, but were necessary to achieve the high level of engineering and design quality we set for the S7."

PNY Technologies, Inc. ("PNY") today announced the launch of a new line of ThinkSafe Portable Laptop Locking Systems -- specifically engineered with patented technology to work with Laptops, Ultrabooks, and MacBooks. Designed for personal and business use to keep your device secured while in public locations, from dorm rooms and offices to tradeshows and display rooms, PNY offers a convenient and discrete locking solution for your laptop devices.

The PNY ThinkSafe family of products includes the Laptop Locking System, the MacBook Locking System, and the Security Clamp. The Laptop Locking System -- designed to be universal -- was engineered to work with Laptops, Ultrabooks, and MacBooks. The MacBook Locking System -- designed to work with Apple products -- was engineered to work with the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac. The ThinkSafe Portable Security Clamp provides a secure anchor point for your Laptop, Ultrabook, or MacBook, complements both of the PNY Locking Systems and also works with most cable locking systems in the market today.

As hard drives stared at oblivion in the Ultrabook segment, with Intel planning to slim the specification down even further, leaving room for nothing but bare SSDs, WD pulled a rabbit out of its hat with the revolutionary 5 mm-thick hybrid HDD. Following its September 10 announcement, 5 mm-thick hybrid HDDs have reportedly sparked great interest in notebook vendors, which prompted WD to pull its mass-production schedule from Q1 2013 to end of 2012.

HP today announced a new lineup of consumer PCs and accessories that are designed to work with Windows 8 and are ideal for savvy, tech-conscious users who desire great performance and beautiful design at a great value.

The consumer PC lineup is powered by the latest generation of Intel Core processors that deliver performance and stunning visuals for everyday life. HP also added four new business desktop and notebook PCs powered by the latest AMD processors to its industry-leading commercial portfolio. AMD's new A-series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) deliver a significant leap in PC graphics performance, offer exceptional manageability and provide an affordable total cost of ownership.

Dell today unveiled new additions to its state-of-the-art portfolio of business-class computers enabling companies to give employees devices they want to use while maintaining the IT security and manageability necessary for enterprise-class deployments. The three new devices include the Latitude 10-inch touch-enabled tablet, the Latitude 6430u Ultrabook that brings leading design to the boardroom, and a touch-enabled OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One desktop helping people interact with technology in more intuitive ways.

"Never before has the intersection between great design and data security and manageability been as important as employees increasingly ask for support for gorgeous products while IT needs to maintain corporate controls. Dell is providing the answer with these new Latitude and OptiPlex products designed to inspire workers and meet the needs of IT," said Sam Burd, global vice president, Personal Computing Product Group. "Dell's approach is rooted in our heritage of deep familiarity with the needs of IT professionals combined with our new, world-class set of commercial products that meet user demands."Images courtesy of SlashGear.

SK Hynix announced that it has introduced DDR3L-RS (Reduced Standby) DRAM for mobile solutions using its 20nm class technology. This product significantly reduces the standby power consumption.

By using cutting-edge 20nm class technology and efficiently managing standby current, this DDR3L-RS product reduces 70% of standby power compared to existing DDR3L DRAM while it maintains DDR3L performance. DDR3L DRAM which has recently gone mainstream works at 1.35V, while DDR3 DRAM does at 1.5V.