NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc., a leading provider of commercial LCD displays and projectors, today announced the availability of the 27" MultiSync EA271U, a full-featured, business-class desktop display delivering superior 4K UHD image quality and enhanced USB-C connectivity.

The EA271U features a 3-sided ultra-narrow bezel of just 1.00mm, designed to eliminate distractions while delivering a large desktop workspace that enhances productivity for high-end corporate and small-business customers. The EA271U is also compatible with NEC Display's SprectraViewII color calibration tool, which is ideal for healthcare and education users who need advanced imaging quality.

NVIDIA today introduced the Quadro RTX 4000 graphics card - the company's first midrange professional GPU powered by the NVIDIA Turing architecture and the NVIDIA RTX platform. Unveiled at the annual Autodesk University Conference in Las Vegas, the Quadro RTX 4000 puts real-time ray tracing within reach of a wider range of developers, designers and artists worldwide.

Professionals from the manufacturing, architecture, engineering and media creation industries witnessed a seismic shift in computer graphics with the launch of Turing in August. The field's greatest leap since the invention of the CUDA GPU in 2006, Turing features new RT Cores to accelerate ray tracing and next-gen Tensor Cores for AI inferencing which, together for the first time, make real-time ray tracing possible.

LaCie , the premium brand from Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX), unveiled the high-performance LaCie Portable SSD storage solution. The compact external solid state drive offers fast and reliable performance featuring USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gb/s) technology with USB-C connector for universal compatibility.

With maximum sequential read/write speeds of 540/500MB/s, the LaCie Portable SSD is ideal for on-the-go creative professionals looking for uncompromised performance. Available in 2TB, 1TB, or 500GB capacities, this light-weight solution can transfer one hour of 4K 30fps video footage in less than one minute and store up to 65 hours of 4K 30fps video or 20,000 RAW photos2 (2TB capacity). It is also a great alternative to serve as a scratch disc -- allowing users to edit content directly off the LaCie Portable SSD, freeing up valuable workstation resources or serving as the perfect shuttle drive to quickly transfer files from capture devices on-set back to the studio.

The VirtualLink Consortium was formed in July 2018 with some of the major VR industry players such as Oculus, AMD, NVIDIA, Valve and Microsoft as founders. HTC has joined the group, and will therefore begin to support the implementation of the VirtualLink specification, which makes it possible to connect VR headsets to the PC with just one USB-C cable. Enjoying premium virtual reality experiences has so far been cumbersome. The cables needed to keep the headset connected to the PC limit the movements, and in fact that is one of the reasons that the standalone headsets are beginning to gain interest among users.

VirtualLink cable spec is based on the Alternate Mode function of the USB Type-C standard, and allows the cables and connectors to carry non-USB signals. The VirtualLink cable can carry four high-speed DisplayPort High Bit-Rate 3 (HBD3) lanes, a single USB 3.1 data channel, and 27 watts of power for the headset's displays and sensors. Setting up and using the VR headset with this kind of cable and connector will be therefore easier and not as clunky as before.

Apple today announced a slew of updates to there product lines including an all-new MacBook Air and Mac Mini. Starting with the MacBook Air, Apple has finally given the system a proper upgrade bringing it back to relevance after years of stagnation. These upgrades include a 13.3-inch Retina display, Intel's 8th generation Core i5 processor with UHD Graphics 617, up to 16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3 and SSDs with capacities up to 1.5 TB. In terms of design, the shell is made of 100% recycled aluminum with the entire system weighing in at just 2.75 lbs compared to the outgoing models 2.96 lbs.

On top of the various hardware improvements, Apple has also included their Touch ID fingerprint sensor which is paired with their T2 chip for a secure login much the same as the current MacBook Pro. These two inclusions, along with the T2 chips ability to deliver on-the-fly data encryption makes the MacBook Air one of the most secure notebooks on the market according to Apple. However, one thing missing here is the Touch Bar, which will likely make more than a few users happy. The keyboard also gets upgraded to the same third generation with butterfly mechanism used on the MacBook Pro lineup.

NVIDIA released its first GeForce software suite since Windows 10 October 2018 went official. The new GeForce 416.16 WHQL drivers add full support for the new operating system, including WDDM 2.5, and DirectX Ray-Tracing (DXR), which are essential for NVIDIA RTX to work. The drivers also add SLI profiles for a large number of games, including "Battlefield V," "Basingstroke," "Divinity: Original Sin II," "Immortal: Unchained," "Jurassic World Evolution," "Phoenix Point," and "Seven: The Days Long Gone." 3DVision profiles are added for "The Elder Scrolls: Online."

A small number of bugs are also fixed with this release. "Pascal" GPUs running "Quake HD remix" no longer experience black square glitches. Temporal AA sharp drops in performance with GeForce GTX 1060 running "Rainbow 6: Siege" has been fixed. Driver errors on TITAN Xp when waking up from S4 sleep have been fixed. Lastly, an issue found with "Turing" GPUs not exposing Netflix 4K mode to displays connected over USB-C, has been fixed. Grab the driver from the link below.DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 416.16 WHQL

The change-log follows.

TEAMGROUP, the world's leading memory brand, today launches multiple USB flash drives to satisfy users' different requirements in workplaces or other environments. They are the M181 with USB3.1 and Type-C OTG dual interface, and the lightweight and compact C182/C183 with high speed transfer interface.

The M181 has a compact and exquisite appearance. The color design is based on low key elegant black with amber golden which create an excellent innovative texture. The dual interface M181 has both standard USB connector and Type-C connector, so consumers can use it on MacBook or Android devices with USB-C, and no longer need to carry an adapter cable. Not only both sides of Type-C connector can be inserted, it also offers high speed transfer performance to save time on accessing or saving files. In addition, it provides multiple protections including waterproof, dust-proof and shockproof to protect important data and files in every aspect. The 180° positioning structure makes it easy to use, and the 360° rotating cap design can also free consumers from the trouble of losing the cap_. It is both durable and easy to use.

ASUS Republic of Gamers today announced ROG Delta and ROG Delta Core, a new series of gaming headsets tuned especially for first-person shooter (FPS) gaming. The headsets feature Sony-certified Hi-Res Audio and are designed to be incredibly lightweight and comfortable.

ROG Delta is the world's first gaming headset with the industry-leading, hi-fi-grade ESS ES9218 QUAD DAC , which delivers impeccably clear and detailed sound to give serious gamers the edge they need to win. ROG Delta features a USB-C connector and comes with a USB-C to USB 2.0 adapter for gaming on PC, console or mobile devices without changing headsets. A one-of-a-kind, circular rainbow RGB lighting effect provides a stylish look that sets gamers apart on the battlefield.

TechPowerUp today released the latest version of TechPowerUp GPU-Z, the popular graphics subsystem information and diagnostics utility. Version 2.11.0 introduces support for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-series "Turing" graphics cards, including the RTX 2080 Ti, RTX 2080, and RTX 2070. Support is also added for a few exotic OEM variants we discovered over the months, including GTX 750 Ti (GM107-A), GTX 1050 Ti Mobile 4 GB, Quadro P1000, Tesla P100 DGXS, GeForce 9200. From the AMD stable, we add support for "Vega 20," "Fenghuang" semi-custom SoC for Zhongshan Subor, Ryzen 5 Pro 2500U, 5 Pro 2400G, 3 Pro 2200G, 3 Pro 2300U, 3 2200GE, Athlon 200GE, and Embedded V1807B. Intel UHD 610, UHD P630 (Xeon), Coffee Lake GT3e (i5-8259U), are now supported.

Among the new features are system RAM usage sensors, temperature monitoring offsets for AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2000 series processors, and the ability to identify USB-C display output, GDDR6 memory standard, and 16 Gbit density memory chips. Several under-the-hood improvements were made, including WDDM-based memory monitoring for AMD GPUs, replacing ADL sensors that tend to be buggy. GPU-Z also cleans up QueryExternal files from your Temp folder. Grab GPU-Z from the link below.DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.11.0

The change-log follows.

PATRIOT, a global leader in performance memory, SSDs, gaming peripherals, and flash storage solutions today has announced the availability of the EVLVR Thunderbolt 3 external SSD, offering a breakthrough evolution in SSD technology. The amount of data that users transfer and store has been getting larger over the years due to major evolutions in technology and the ability to quickly process large amounts of data. Ideal for HD content, portable boot drives, video game libraries, high capacity jobs and more, Patriot's EVLVR Thunderbolt 3 external SSD brings fast speeds and convenience for consumers everywhere.

"EVLVR" is an abbreviation for "Evolver", and the technology itself presents a breakthrough evolution in SSD technology. "We dedicate to offer power users an evolutive idea about an SSD product, evolving appearance with an evolutionary technology, that's how EVLVR has been created. It's perfect for video editing, photography, multi-app usage, and more content creation. "said Les Henry, Vice President of Engineering at Patriot, "Our R&D team especially proud of implementing Thunderbolt 3 which allows Patriot to build such portable storage solutions with blasting-speed and ultra-quality," he added.

Straight off the heels of Gamescom 2018, where Dell announced their new gaming monitors and the refresh of their Alienware desktops, the excitement continues at IFA 2018. Dell is unveiling a new suite of innovative devices that elevate the computing experience for the everyday consumer, mobile professional and fast-paced small business owner. The enhanced Inspiron, XPS and Vostro portfolio is built with a combination of beautiful design, superior materials and top performance dedicated to deliver a device for every function and user. In addition, Dell is expanding its monitor leadership with a stunning new Dell 27 USB-C Ultrathin Monitor built with beauty and function.

Dell's commitment to thoughtful design and truly immersive cinematic experiences on the PC continues with this generation of new products. Launched at CES 2018, Dell Cinema is the combination of several cutting-edge technologies all working in concert to give the viewer an immersive, captivating experience on their PCs. Dell Cinema is available across the XPS portfolio and new Inspiron products starting this autumn.

In the unlikely event that you need to lug two graphics cards for an on-site job (think having to carry an ultraportable with two professional graphics cards for touch-ups and rendering on the fly), AKiTiO has a solution, with the Node Duo. This box measures about 29.3 cm x 15.5 cm x 23.2 cm (DxWxH), and encloses two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (electrical gen 3.0 x2), which it wires out upstream with a Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) connection. Each slot has room for 2-slot thick graphics cards that are up to 22 cm in length. The enclosure ventilates them with a 120 mm intake fan.

The Node Duo uses USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 wiring. The upstream port has standard 15W delivery, and plugs into your PC; whereas the downstream port supports USB PD, with up to 60W downstream power delivery. This port has no USB link-layer, only Thunderbolt. There's also a standard-size DisplayPort 1.2 output, if your Thunderbolt input is meant to daisy-chain with a DP monitor at one end (not with display from the installed graphics cards, though). Out of the box, you get a 150W power-brick that supplies up to 25W each to the graphics cards through the slot; although you can expand that to a 230W PSU that supplies up to 75W. Available from a little later this month, the Node Duo by AKiTiO is priced at USD $394.95.

(Editor's Note: Naturally, the adoption of such a standard does imply that graphics card manufacturers will have to start fitting USB 3.1 connectors on their graphics card outputs. This opens up a proverbial can of worms on backwards compatibility of this new data delivery protocol, however, in that even current top-of-the-line graphics cards lack such a port - meaning that this protocol will only be compatible with eventual, future GPU releases.)

A new industry consortium led by NVIDIA, Oculus, Valve, AMD, and Microsoft today introduced the VirtualLink specification - an open industry standard that enables next-generation VR headsets to connect with PCs and other devices using a single, high-bandwidth USB Type-C connector, instead of a range of cords and connectors.

Belkin Education, a division of Belkin International, the market leader in mobile accessories, today announced two versions of its Chrome OSTM -compatible keyboard which connects to an individual Chromebook Tab via a secure wired connection and requires no batteries or charging. Belkin will be showcasing the Wired Tablet Keyboard for Chrome OS (USB-C Connector) and the Wired Tablet Keyboard with Stand for Chrome OSTM (USB-C Connector) along with its newest enterprise solution, the Multiport to HDMI Digital AV Adapter, at ISTE 2018, Booth #856.

"Belkin Education is dedicated to developing the best solutions for digital learning environments through hands-on research and spending time in classrooms," said Jon Roepke, director of product management at Belkin Education. "From our many discussions with educators, we identified a need for a reliable solution for Chromebook Tab users as integration of Chrome OSTM tablets in the learning environment increases. These new keyboards will help bridge the gap between education technology and actual implementation in the modern classroom."

MMD, the leading technology company and brand license partner for Philips monitors, is announcing a new 34" UltraWide QHD curved display and a new 27" QHD monitor, both equipped with the practical USB-C docking solution.

The emerging importance of USB-C
Welcomed by early adopters at the time of its introduction as a true revolution in the making, USB-C is now rapidly becoming a standard requirement for business and power users alike. As a real enabling technology, it provides a whole lot more than its practical reversible connector or its support for higher data transfer speeds, also allowing users to charge, transfer audio and video signal with different protocols, and connect to the Internet with just one single cable. USB-C thus transforms displays into the critical hubs around which the modern digital workplace thrives.

When it comes to video ports, the Display Dock has them all: HDMI (4K@60 Hz), Mini-DP (4K@30 Hz), DP (4K@30 Hz), DVI (1080p@60 Hz) and VGA (1080p@60 Hz). The Display Dock let's you extend your video content to two external displays (dual 4K monitor support via HDMI & Mini-DP/DP as well as further combinations with VGA and DVI), each at its maximum resolution and refresh rate. It is the only USB-C dock that supports 4K@60 Hz video output via HDMI and it comes at less than half the price of a Thunderbolt dock. Ideal for the professional user, the passionate movie fan or the avid gamer alike - take advantage of 4K video with high-frequency 60 Hz refresh rate.

StarTech.com has announced the release of two new Thunderbolt 3 adapters that enable access to many different external peripherals and devices using various interfaces. The two new Thunderbolt 3 accessories allow users to extend the life of their external hard drives, USB devices and other specialized laptop peripherals.

The first new Thunderbolt 3 accessory, the Thunderbolt 3 to USB 3.1 Controller Adapter (SKU: TB33A1C), provides dedicated USB 3.0 bandwidth to three USB-A ports and one USB-C port (total of 20 Gbps). The adapter gives the user access to high performance USB peripherals such as storage controllers and 3D scanners from Thunderbolt 3 based laptops. The second new product, the Thunderbolt 3 eSATA Adapter with USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Port (SKU: TB3ESATU31), offers connections to an external eSATA hard drive or SSD, and to a USB device simultaneously. Both products are beneficial for Windows and MacBook Pro users, where no USB-A ports are available.

OWC, a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, is making drive juggling a thing of the past with the new OWC Mercury Elite Pro Quad. The new external storage solution offers four drive bays to provide massive amounts of storage from a single USB-C connection, with the flexibility to be utilized in Mac, PC and mixed Mac/PC environments. Designed for users who require high capacity storage with fast transfer speeds, the Mercury Elite Pro Quad is ideal for use by post- production firms, photographers, creative agencies, higher education programs, and small businesses.

ADATA Technology Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of high performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, is excited to announce the first participation at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018,the world's largest gathering for the mobile industry. ADATA and XPG are together presenting a total mobile gaming solution that provides mobility, functionality, and convenience in order to fulfill of growing number of mobile users' needs. ADATA brings the latest three high density battery cellpower bank models that provide a lightweight and versatile choice of colors and capacities. For XPG, EMIX I30 features patented design driven by 5.2 channel surround sound with a rich and detailed sound quality. By bringing these two devices together into a small, tidy package offers an immediate convenience for mobile gamers.

Nowadays, end users have continued to be fascinated and amazed by rapidly evolving mobile technology. Mobile gaming is one of the few segments that have swiftly grown at an immense pace and with a rise in demand. XPG places an emphasis on delivering rich and detailed sound quality. The 5.2 channel EMIX I30 has established an inner vacuum tube technology that creates true 3D surround sound. It also employs oversized 13.5 mm units made of durable yet reactive monomer materials. EMIX I30 works instantly with a majority of electronic devices.

SAPPHIRE Technology is launching today a new series of Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C accessories for both Windows and Mac users. The New lineup features products that extend display connectivity with popular HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, Power Delivery adapters for simultaneous display output and battery charging, and a traveler's 4-in-1 travel dock.

Thunderbolt 3 is a modern connector with staggering bandwidth of up to 40 Gbps. This speed of a single compact port enables users to extend the capabilities of their ultrabook and use additional peripherals, extra displays, Ethernet cards, or storage devices; and deliver power to their device at the same time. Thunderbolt 3 is an interface of USB-C that does it all.

Kensington understands that no business wants to be tied to USB 3.0 technology as it is being replaced by faster and better protocols, while at the same time recognizing that it isn't practical for an organization to incur the expense and loss of productivity to replace every legacy device with one that supports USB-C. So we are pleased to announce the release of the SD4700P Universal USB-C and USB 3.0 Docking Station (K38240, SRP $219.99), which gives organizations full support for both USB-C and USB 3.0 devices from laptops using both Windows and macOS.

"At Kensington, we value the trust that consumers and organizations have placed in us since we introduced the first Universal Docking Station. As technologies improve, we are committed to providing our customers with new solutions that leverage the latest enhancements to boost productivity and performance," says Fred Wu, Global Product Manager Kensington. "The Universal USB-C and USB 3.0 Docking Station is a great example of that because it protects an organization's investment in existing technology by supporting USB 3.0, while offering complete access to the latest USB-C technology."

AZIO, a well-known keyboard manufacturer, has started shipping a Bluetooth version of its well-received Retro Classic Keyboard. Originally released via a Indiegogo funding campaign as a way to increase the product's visibility, AZIO has now put a few more dollars into the keyboards' development, and included a Bluetooth model. Not so retro now, I'd say, as wires are part of a retro product's flair.

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory storage products and technology solutions, announced today the launch of Nucleum, a 7-in-1 Type C USB hub. Nucleum is the ideal hub for newer MacBooks as it provides extra USB-C and USB-A ports as well as HDMI and SD/microSD card slots.

Nucleum, with its multiple ports, is built to handle all of the familiar accessories consumers have such as mice, keyboards and even a second monitor. Users can be more productive as all seven ports can be engaged at the same time. Nucleum users can power up a MacBook while also running an external hard drive and charging an iPhone simultaneously.

Plugable's new 480GB external NVME SSD drive hits performance levels not possible before Thunderbolt 3. Connect the drive to a Thunderbolt 3 port to gain 480GB of extra storage with amazing speeds of up to 2400+ MB/sec read and 1200+ MB/sec write, all without the need for an external power connection. These speeds make this external drive a no-compromise performance solution for video editing, backup, and any tasks which demand maximum disk performance. "Thunderbolt 3 is a revolutionary technology," said Bernie Thompson, CEO of Plugable Technologies. "We've created our line of high-end docks, adapters, and drives to show it off."

Today Intel is announcing the Intel Thunderbolt 3 controller JHL7x40 series, code named Titan Ridge. Comprised of three controllers, the JHL7x40 series is a compatible extension of the current line of Intel JHL6x40 Thunderbolt 3 controllers, code named Alpine Ridge. The JHL7540 and 7340 controllers provide computer makers the same Thunderbolt 3 40Gb/s performance and feature set as Alpine Ridge, and also adds DisplayPort 1.4 capability for increased video performance.

The JHL7440 controller was specifically designed for Thunderbolt 3 monitor and enterprise dock makers who choose to offer basic compatibility when a Thunderbolt 3 monitor or dock is connected to a USB-C computer port. To accomplish this, the JHL7440 controller integrates USB-C computer port compatibility so a Thunderbolt 3 monitor or dock can intelligently provide more performance and features when connected to a Thunderbolt 3 computer port, and basic compatibility when the Thunderbolt 3 monitor or dock is connected to a USB-C computer port. Additionally, as with the other controllers in the JHL7x40 series, the JHL7440 supports DisplayPort 1.4.