Alphacool today joins EKWB and XSPC (and Dazmode, before) in launching ultra thin sub-30 mm thick radiators for PC watercooling. Labeled the NexXxoS ST25, these are 25.5 mm thick and are the same radiators as those used in their Eisbaer LT CPU AIO coolers. These radiators are compatible with copper/brass/nickel loops, with copper fins and coolant channels, a steel housing, and brass threads on the two BSP G1/4" ports aboard the radiator. The core uses 15 FPI fins, which we speculate are the same fin geometry as with their other NexXxoS radiators with a louvered surface and ~25-30 µm in thickness. The NexXxoS ST25 is only available in 120 mm sizes for now, with prices ranging from 31.99€ for the ST25 120, to 39.47€ for the ST25 240, and 58.49€ for the ST25 360, with all prices inclusive of VAT.

XSPC has announced their all-new TX Series ultra thin radiators, billed as the world's thinnest available PC radiators at just 20.5 mm thick. Tailored for systems where space is at a premium, the TX series is offered in 120 mm, 240 mm, 360 mm and 480 mm sizes. To put the radiator thickness into perspective, it is 20% thinner when compared to a typical 120 mm fan (25 mm) and a full 40% thinner than XSPC's own EX-series radiators. If paired with slim 15 mm fans, the total radiator and fan thickness can be reduced to all of 35.5 mm, allowing for a proper liquid cooling loop in even the smallest of spaces.

The TX series uses a high performance copper and brass core, with welded seam tubes and high density splitter fins. In order to further improve cooling performance, the fins protrude past the tubing to make use of the space available between the tubing and the radiator frame. This allows for an increase in fin volume for heat dissipation without affecting the overall dimensions of the radiator. In a bid to further boost performance XSPC has increased fin density with the TX line to 22 FPI (fins per inch). They claim performance remains excellent even with low speed fans thanks to the radiators ultra thin nature, although we will be sure to put it that to the test in due time. No launch date has been specified, but XSPC expects the TX series radiators to be available next month by their network of retailers.

Dell has announced at CES their new ultrathin 27" monitor. Aptly (and maybe unoriginally) named the "Dell 27 Ultrathin Monitor", it sports a Quad HD (2,560 by 1,440 pixels) screen with a 178º viewing angle which also supports HDR (though apparently, and according to Dell, not the same as HDR standards you'll find in 4K TVs. However, it will still be able to display higher contrast and color range than most consumer monitors, with support for up to 99 percent of the SRGB gamut.

Micron Technology, Inc., today announced the availability of a replay-protected monotonic counter (RPMC) feature for their SPI NOR Flash memory devices, which are validated for future Intel Ultrabook platforms. The cost-effective 64Mb density is the sweet-spot solution currently available for immediate platform-enablement activities.

The RPMC feature in Micron's SPI NOR device is the first in a family of cryptographic primitives that will significantly enhance preboot security in cost-sensitive embedded, mobile, and personal computing architectures. The RPMC-enabled device facilitates critical nonvolatile data storage, while making systems resistant to rollback and replay attacks. It enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to further strengthen code/data storage in the boot memory and deliver more secure systems to customers.

Is it possible to gain something when one removes something? iBUYPOWER is proud to announce our ultra thin gaming laptop, the 17-inch Battalion Ultra-thin - where all excesses were trimmed, leaving only absolute performance.

Created from the ever increasing need to be mobile and be nimble, the new Battalion Ultra-thin sports everything a relentless gamer could want: a theatrical 17.3-inch Full HD 1920x1080 screen, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 700-series graphics, the latest Intel Core-i7 processors, and excellent battery life. And while all that's on the inside of the new Battalion hails to performance junkies, it's what's on the outside that shows "less is more" is a great thing. Built around strong yet striking dark aluminum, the new Battalion is the thinnest 17-inch gaming laptop.

Micron Technology, Inc., (Nasdaq:MU) today announced the availability of a replay-protected monotonic counter (RPMC) feature for their SPI NOR Flash memory devices, which are validated for future Intel Ultrabook platforms. The cost-effective 64Mb density is the sweet-spot solution currently available for immediate platform-enablement activities.

The RPMC feature in Micron's SPI NOR device is the first in a family of cryptographic primitives that will significantly enhance preboot security in cost-sensitive embedded, mobile, and personal computing architectures. The RPMC-enabled device facilitates critical nonvolatile data storage, while making systems resistant to rollback and replay attacks. It enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to further strengthen code/data storage in the boot memory and deliver more secure systems to customers.
Micron's 64Mb RPMC-enabled SPI NOR device supports nonvolatile storage and authentication needs that are critical to the chipset security implementation for future Intel Ultrabook platforms and is compliant with Intel's Serial Flash Hardening Product External Architecture Specification. The device, which is available in SO8W and W-DFN 0.8mm packages, also includes improved erase performance to increase throughput and lower the initial cost of manufacturing programming.

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today expanded its portfolio of ultrathin laptops with the new 14-inch Satellite E45t and 15.6-inch Satellite E55t/E55Dt models. Built with the latest technologies and intuitive touchscreen and voice controls, these ultrathin PCs offer versatility for both productivity and entertainment in a distinctively thin design.

"Thin is in," said Carl Pinto, vice president of marketing, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "Our expanding line of ultrathins is designed to be more accessible to consumer looking for a thinner, more stylish PC that delivers the same class of performance and features as a traditional laptop - at a price point that is competitive with a traditional laptop."

Logitech International (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of Fiscal Year 2013.

Sales for Q4 FY 2013 were $469 million, down 12 percent from $532 million in Q4 FY 2012. Excluding the unfavorable impact of exchange rates, sales were down by 11 percent compared to the prior year. The Company posted an operating loss for the fourth quarter of $37 million compared to operating income of $24 million in the same quarter a year ago. The operating loss included $16 million in restructuring charges and $6 million related to the impairment of goodwill and other assets. The net loss for Q4 FY 2013 was $36 million ($0.23 per share) compared to net income of $28 million ($0.17 per share) in the prior year. Gross margin for Q4 FY 2013 was 33.5 percent, down from 36.4 percent a year ago.

AMD will welcome attendees, customers and partners to COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2012 with system demonstrations of the second generation AMD A-Series Accelerated Processor Unit (APU) and the newest AMD E-Series APUs, both designed for best-in-class PC entertainment, gaming, and battery life. A debut event the morning of June 6 in Taipei will underscore the diverse range of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) supporting AMD's 2012 product offerings, provide updates on new products, and demonstrate the powerful applications leveraging the unique processing power of the APU. A live webcast of the "Life More Brilliant" event will be available.

"There could not be a better location than COMPUTEX in Taiwan to recognize our customers and technology partners, and celebrate their contributions to the rapidly growing APU ecosystem," said Lisa Su, senior vice president and general manager, AMD Global Business Units and host of the upcoming event. "AMD saw consumers wanting a more visually-demanding, entertainment-focused PC experience long ago and created a product strategy to enhance those experiences. This week we will proudly share with the rest of the world the latest advances and accomplishments we have made with our customers."

Logitech today extends its tablet lineup with its latest keyboard accessory - the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover - made for the new, third-generation iPad as well as the iPad 2. Leveraging Logitech's extensive heritage of high quality, reliability and design, this all-in-one solution provides an ultrathin screen protector and built-in keyboard so you can type easily and travel without worry.

"The third-generation iPad and its apps are designed to give you more control and creativity, whether you are editing photos and movies, making music or writing a novel," said Alexis Richard, director of product marketing at Logitech. "The new Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover - with its ultra-sleek, smart design and extended keyboard battery life - provides a convenient way for you to make the most of your iPad no matter what activity you are using it for."

In a footnote of a slide detailing AMD's Trinity A6 APU for Ultrathin notebooks at the company's Financial Analyst Day event, the new chip's 3DMark performance was revealed. The company was talking about the 17W ULV (ultra-low voltage) variant of the "Trinity" APU in the slide, that's designed for compact notebooks. The 3DMark Vantage performance of the APU was measured to be 2,355 points, in the same test, an Intel Core i5-2537M ULV 17W "Sandy Bridge" processor scored 1,158 points. The AMD chip, hence, emerged with a 103% graphics performance lead.

The slide notes that with an assumed performance increase of 30% by the upcoming "Ivy Bridge" architecture, its 3DMark performance is projected to be 1,505 points. The 17W Trinity chip would still end up with a 56% performance lead. Moving on, AMD even revealed the performance of the high-performance A10 "Trinity" APU with 25W TDP, designed for slightly thicker notebooks. This chip scored 3,600 points in 3DMark, which would effectively make it 136% faster than Ivy Bridge at graphics.

While many might think that "Ultrabook" is a generic term for a new performance ultra-portable notebook form-factor, it is a registered trademark of Intel, which governs the specifications of what qualifies to be an Ultrabook. Intel will launch a well-defined Ultrabook platform based on its third-generation Core processor family, codenamed "Ivy Bridge", later this year. Meanwhile, AMD is finalizing a performance ultra-portable specification of its own, powered by its next-generation "Trinity" accelerated processing units (APUs), which it will call "Ultrathin".

Ultrathin will be designed to offer competitive CPU performance to Ultrabook, and superior GPU performance to it, at target prices 10-20 percent lower than Ultrabook. In 2012, while Intel bagged about 75 design wins for its Ultrabook platform, AMD claims to have already won 20. AMD's Ultrathin platform will have advantages over Intel's Ultrabook with regards to platform and component costs. The average AMD Ultrathin with $100~$200 cheaper than the average Intel Ultrabook. Some notebook vendors are concerned that a competitive platform to Intel Ultrabook could result in a price-war between the two platforms, and end up reducing the prices of the now profitable-looking performance ultraportable segment.

Next month Samsung Electronics is planning to refresh its Series 9 line of ultra-thin notebooks and introduce new 13.3-inch and 15-inch models that are just 0.58-inch thick and offer a battery life of up to 10 hours. The incoming machines have an aluminum casing, a SuperBright Plus display, a Core i3 or i5 processor, up to 8 GB of RAM, a 128 GB or 256 GB solid state drive (for a boot time of just 9.8 seconds and a wake-from-sleep time of 1.4 seconds), a glass touchpad, and a backlit keyboard.

The 'new and improved' 13.3-inch Series 9 notebook will start at $1,399 while its 15-inch sibling will have a base price tag of $1,499.