IPv6 routers have existed for some time now, but there are currently very few models available. These are also very expensive at over £100 / $156 approx. However, the Technicolor TG582n router promises to be the first home router that's affordably priced and suitable for the home market. It's not quite on general sale yet, but is being provided as a "free with the service" router from business and techy-oriented Andrews & Arnold ISP - www.aaisp.net - preconfigured to work with their service straight out of the box. AAISP Director, Adrian Kennard had this to say about the new router:

Just in time for holiday giving, Samsung is introducing a Piano Black version of its WiFi-only Series 5 Chromebook. At a price of $349, the updated Series 5 is even more giftable than the original.

Chromebook, based on Google's Chrome operating system, is designed to provide people a faster, simpler and more secure computing experience. Due to automatic software updates, Google has continued to release new features and improvements on an ongoing basis. These new features coupled with the Samsung design aesthetic creates a technology device that gets better over time, offering the best possible web experience in one device for the internet-enthusiasts in all our lives.

Norwegian company FXI aims to grab some attention with its latest creation, the Cotton Candy. Simply put, this is a thumb drive-sized device that either plugs into a PC/notebook using USB, or a TV/display using HDMI, and works as a cloud-client computer. In its tiny form of 8 x 2.5 cm (L x W), this cloud-client packs an ARM Cortex-A9 1.20 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, ARM Mali-400MP quad-core GPU, a micro-SDHC card reader, and connectivity that includes Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, WiFi b/g/n, and USB; stuff high-end smartphones are made of.

You can simply plug this to your HDTV, connect wireless keyboard and mouse that support Bluetooth or WiFi, and end up with a cloud-ready desktop powered by either Android or Ubuntu. You can even connect your Android smartphone to it and use its touchscreen as an input device. With your more powerful desktop or notebook, you can simply plug Cotton Candy to a USB port and boot from it (like you'd boot from a flash drive). The OS loads up, and you have your cloud desktop ready to go. Besides its compact form, Cotton Candy weighs as little as 21 grams. It is expected to be priced under US $200.

There sure is going to be fierce competition between motherboard vendors once "Sandy Bridge-E" Core i7 processors come out, a little later this month. Even the tiniest edge over competitors in terms of features can go a long way with market success. Gigabyte is ready with one such feature of its own: the Bluetooth 4.0 + WiFi b/g/n card, which it will bundle with the GA-X79-UD5, GA-X79-UD7(OC), and G1.Assassin 2. Simply put, this is a special addon card that will provide a Wireless b/g/n (wireless n at 150 Mbps), and Bluetooth 4.0 (24 Mbps) connectivity.

Here's how it works: the card sits on one of the board's PCI-Express x1 slots (or any PCIe slot for that matter), the PCIe connection is wired to the wireless network controller on the mini-PCIe card. We expect this to be a common Atheros AR9285-based card. The main card also has a Bluetooth 4.0 controller, which connects to the system using USB 2.0. A cable runs from the card to any of the board's USB 2.0 front-panel headers. The Bluetooth controller only uses one port, so the other is wired out as an internal USB 2.0 port (good for any DRM dongles you may have). The card is then wired to two antennas (included), one for the wireless network controller, the other for the Bluetooth, both have activity LEDs. It's not known if Gigabyte will sell this card separately, so just about anyone can use it.

Acer's first Aspire One 522 netbook powered by AMD's low-power C-60 accelerated processing unit hit shelves in Europe. The Aspire One 522 was released in January, powered by other AMD APUs that aren't as power-efficient as the C-60. The AMD C-60 features two x86-64 cores clocked at 1.00 GHz, which can jump up to 1.33 GHz with TurboCore, and a Radeon HD 6290 graphics core that runs at 276 MHz, that can run at 400 MHz with TurboCore.

The Aspire One 522 is a 10.1-inch netbook with all the essentials you'd expect from a netbook from this category, plus the performance advantage AMD's APUs bring to the table over Intel Atom. Its LED-backlit screen features 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, the APU is backed by 1 GB of DDR3 memory, and storage is care of a 320 GB hard drive. Connectivity includes a web-cam, 10/100 Ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, and a 5-in-1 card reader. Display connectivity includes D-Sub and HDMI. A 6-cell battery powers the machine. It comes with Windows 7 Starter pre-installed. The new Aspire One 522 is priced at €279.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today announces the A75-ITX WiFi platform that enable users to embrace the power of AMD accelerated processing units, or APUs, in a compact mini-ITX form factor to form the perfect gaming capable home theatre PC.

The ZOTAC A75-ITX WiFi features an FM1 socket to take advantage of the latest AMD A8, A6, A4 and E2 series APUs with AMD Radeon HD 6000 series graphics processors for the perfect synergy of CPU and GPU performance power. Two memory slots enable users to install up to 8GB of high-speed DDR3 memory with speeds up to 1866 MHz, depending on the APU installed, for maximum system responsiveness for media playback, gaming and every-day use.

Peripherals specialist Targus, released the new AMW58US wireless laser mouse that uses WiFi to interface with the computer, and in the process, eliminates the need for a dongle. Its design is based on the OZMO2000 by Ozmo Devices. The mouse is 8.25 cm long, 5.71 cm wide, and is about 2.54 cm tall. It has a five button layout, with a 4-way scroll-wheel, and is ambidextrous in shape. Powered by 2 alkaline batteries, it can provide up to 12 months of usage. Backed by a 1 year warranty, the Targus AMW58US is priced at $49.99.

ZOTAC is readying a new ZBox mini-PC model that makes use of VIA Nano X2 ultra-low power x86 platform. Nano X2-powered ZBox models have been already spotted in the Japanese market. The new ZBox model will make use of Nano X2 U4025, which is a dual-core processor clocked at 1.20 GHz. While VIA is the smallest x86 processor vendor, in the ULV category, the company does tend to punch above its weight, competing with low-wattage Intel Atom processors.

The Nano X2 U4025 processor will be backed by VIA VX900H chipset, with integrated S3 Graphics. The VIA-powered ZBox will be available in two SKUs: a complete product, and a barebones package to which you have to add some of your own compatible components. Both will support up to 4 GB of DDR3 memory, a 2.5-inch SATA bay will be provided to install a hard drive or SSD. Most other features will be consistent with other ZBox models: 6-in-1 card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 3.0 connectivity, as well as HDMI and DisplayPort outputs. Originally based on the Intel Atom platform, ZOTAC's ZBox is available in AMD Fusion "Zacate" platform apart from the new VIA-powered one. The new ZBox models will be available worldwide by the end of this month.

Lenovo today announced the ThinkCentre M71 all-in-one (AIO) desktop designed for large businesses, schools and governments. The new AIO boasts a variety of performance features, from fast boot up to the latest second generation Intel Core processor family, interactive touchscreen options and advanced video conferencing features.

"We're seeing more and more business customers embrace all-in-one desktops for their space savings, portability and style benefits," said Tom Shell, general manager and vice president, Worldwide ThinkCentre Business Unit, Lenovo. "We've built the ThinkCentre M71z to go beyond these advantages and give any business that needs it the highest levels of desktop performance."

ASUS unveiled its first socket FM1 motherboard in the mini-ITX form-factor, catering to the premium HTPC and small form-factor (SFF) markets. Like with similar mini-ITX boards, the F1A75-I Deluxe crams in all the connectivity features it can on its tiny PCB, outdoing even large ATX boards. It is based on the AMD A75 chipset. The FM1 socket supports AMD's A-Series "Llano" APUs, and is powered by a 4+1 phase VRM. It is wired to two full-length DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory. The board draws power from standard 24-pin ATX with 4-pin CPU power.

The lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, letting you plug in just about any PCIe addon card. Storage connectivity includes four SATA 6 Gb/s ports with RAID support, and one eSATA 6 Gb/s. Other connectivity features include 6-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF (our only gripe), four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by header), WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. Display connectivity includes one each of DVI, HDMI 1.4a, and DisplayPort 1.2. The HDMI 1.4a output includes 8-channel HD audio of the GPU, so the 6 analog audio channels is sort of compensated. The board features ASUS TPU performance control chip, EPU energy-efficiency chip, and a UEFI firmware with ASUS EZ-mode GUI setup program. There's no word on pricing.

Acer America today debuts the Acer AC700 its first Chromebook in the United States and its first product running Google's Chrome-based operating system. The Acer AC700 ultraportable delivers blazing boot times and instant access to the Internet.

The first in a planned line of products that will utilize Google's Chrome operating system, the Acer AC700 Chromebook is ideal for savvy mobile consumers, educational institutions, and business people that spend most of their time on the Internet for cloud computing such as using web-based email, uploading photos to sites like Flickr and Picasa, and keeping up-to-date on the latest news and events. The new Acer AC700 provides WiFi connectivity, a sleek thin and light form factor, long battery life and excellent HD playback.

Known for delivering premium external storage solutions engineered to meet the needs of the Apple Mac community, G-Technology by Hitachi today introduced its G-CONNECT wireless storage solution, the first in a family of products providing instant, wireless storage and 802.11n WiFi Internet access for your Apple iPad, iPhone and many other mobile devices. The G-CONNECT solution provides on-the-go wireless access to content that's not already loaded on your iOS devices, including your favorite movies, music, books, photos and documents. No Internet connection is required. G-CONNECT provides access to five+ simultaneous devices, depending on the workload, and supports up to five SD or three HD video streams at once.

When connected via Ethernet to a network, the G-CONNECT drive becomes your own personal cloud or WiFi Internet access point, allowing you to surf and stream content, wirelessly, at the same time. Access and view content on the G-CONNECT solution with a mobile iOS app, which will be available in the App Store, or through your browser. Android devices are also supported with access through a web browser, with native apps available this fall.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today unleashes the Z68-ITX WiFi and Z68-ITX WiFi Supreme - a pair of mini-ITX platforms designed for the most adventurous and demanding enthusiasts. The ZOTAC Z68-ITX WiFi series enables users to take advantage of all features of 2nd Generation Intel Core family processors including integrated graphics, overclocking and Intel Quick-Sync Video technology.

Powered by the latest Intel Z68 Express chipset, the ZOTAC Z68-ITX WiFi series enables adventurous enthusiasts to extract every ounce of performance available from 2nd Generation Intel Core while maintaining use of Intel GMA HD 2000/3000 series integrated graphics processors. Support for Intel Quick-Sync Video technology enables lightning-fast video transcoding for virtually instant video conversions to popular portable media players with the ZOTAC Z68-ITX WiFi series.

MSI's popular and intuitive VGA overclocking software Afterburner has gone mobile, don't worry, it's not going to let you overclock or fry anything up inside your smartphone, but let you overclock graphics cards in your bench setup wirelessly. Designed for popular smartphone platforms such as Android, the Afterburner mobile application connects to the system using direct IP access via wireless. We assume that the desktop Afterburner process needs to be running in the background. The application takes advantage of touchscreens on smartphones, giving you slider-based control. Apart from controlling clock speeds, voltages, and fan speeds, the application also lets you monitor everything the desktop end of Afterburner is able to monitor.

Rarely do motherboard vendors dish out mini-ITX form-factor motherboards targeting the overclocking community. There's little space to squeeze in the bare essentials, but nothing is impossible, if there are competent designers at work, a case in point is the new Z68-ITX WiFi from ZOTAC. Based on the Intel Z68 Express chipset, this board supports LGA1155 Core i3/i5/i7 Sandy Bridge, and future Ivy Bridge processors, supports their integrated GPU giving you access to Intel QuickSync technology, as well as a suite of overclocking options.

To begin with the LGA1155 socket is powered by an 8-phase digital-PWM power design that uses high-grade PWM chokes made by Pulse, and in all probability, a Volterra PWM IC giving you precise voltage control as well as vDroop protection (high-precision load-line calibration). It also uses server-grade high-C capacitors. The PWM circuit takes input from an 8-pin EPS connector. The PWM chips are cooled by a large heatsink that sends some of its heat to the heatsink cooling the Z68 PCH, over a heat pipe.

Acer unveiled its latest Aspire One netbook, the AAO Happy 2. Priced at the lower-end of the spectrum at 299 Euro, the AAO Happy 2 is an entry-level 10.1-inch netbook with conventional AAO styling, including the water-drop graphic. It is available in a variety of lid colors, including Banana Cream, Blueberry Shake, Papaya Milk, Strawberry Yogurt, as Acer puts them. It is driven by Intel Atom N570 (1 MB L2 cache, 1.66 GHz, DDR3 667 MHz, 8.5 W), or N455/N475 (512 KB L2 cache, 1.66/1.83 GHz, DDR3 667 MHz, 6.5 W) processor, with 1 GB or 2 GB of single-channel DDR3 memory.

The 10.1-inch screen provides resolution of 1024x600 pixels, and is LED-backlit illuminated. Storage is care of a 250 or 320 GB HDD, and a multi-format card reader. Connectivity is care of WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0+, and optional 3.5G HSDPA. A VGA webcam, and 6-cell 48 Wh 4400 mAh battery top up the list. The Acer Aspire One Happy 2 netbook starts at 299 Euro.

Dell introduced its very first Inspiron notebook based on the AMD Fusion platform, the Inspiron M102z. The 11.6-inch notebook is available in two variants based on the processor model, one with dual-core AMD C-50 1.00 GHz at US $699, and the other with dual-core AMD E-350 1.60 GHz at $799. The $699 variant features Radeon HD 6250 graphics, 2 GB of memory, 320 GB 7.2k RPM HDD, 56 Whr 6-cell battery, and connectivity that includes WiFi b/g/n, and Bluetooth 3.0.

The $799 variant packs Radeon HD 6310 graphics, 4 GB memory, and 500 GB 7.2k RPM HDD apart from other features of the $699 variant. Both models feature 1366x768 pixel WLED-backlit display, 1.3 MP webcam, 7-in-1 card reader, and 3W stereo speakers with SRS surround technology.

This Friday, ASUS will launch what it is touting to be a revolutionary new ultra-portable computing device, the Eee Pad Transformer (EP101), at a high-profile launch event in Taipei. The EP101 is a slate-type 10.1-inch tablet that can attach to a bottom-half that includes a keyboard and trackpad, and transform into a netbook. Two of its biggest features include NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor that make it both fast and its UI visually intensive; and Google's Android Honeycomb operating system largely customized by ASUS, that is optimized for larger touch devices such as tablets.

Notable components include Tegra 2 processor, 1 GB LPDDR2 memory, 16/32/64 GB eMMC storage with unlimited cloud storage, IPS display with capacitive touch and resolution of 1280 x 800, 1.2 MP front and 5 MP rear cameras, Tegra 2 graphics that can play back 1080p video, and a load of connectivity feature including WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, 3G (optional). Other human interface devices include g-sensor, compass, gyro, light sensor, and GPS. The Eee Pad Transformer is expected to be priced in Taiwan at 19,596 NTD (around US $663).More pictures follow.

Foxconn, the world's leading manufacturer of computer components and systems, today announced the arrival of the Nettop NT-535, finally bringing true high definition (HD) quality playback to Intel Atom based systems without the use of third party graphics.

With a volume of only 0.6 of a litre, the NT-535 is a significant step forward from its predecessor with an upgrade to DDR3 memory and the inclusion of two specific chips to enable true Blu-ray standard of HD streaming and playback.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today announces shipments of the H67-ITX WiFi has resumed across the globe. New shipments of the ZOTAC H67-ITX WiFi feature the updated H67 B3 revision chipset for enhanced SATA performance and reliability.

"ZOTAC values our customers and are doing everything we can to ensure customers only receive enhanced H67-ITX WiFi motherboards. To eliminate confusion, we have assigned the enhanced model with a new SKU - H67ITX-C-E," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

Today, Lenovo and Intel Corporation announced the Lenovo Classmate+ PC, a purpose-built laptop designed to improve learning for students in grades K-8. The Lenovo Classmate+ provides schools an affordable, child-friendly complete hardware and software solution. Based on the Intel Learning Series reference design, the PC will come pre-loaded with the Intel Learning Series software suite, specialized educational software and a variety of teaching resources. This spring, the Organization of Ibero-American States will deploy the first wave of 158,000 Lenovo Classmate+ laptops as part of its Conectar Igualdad 1:1 computing program, which will equip students throughout the country with PC technology.

"As the fastest-growing PC company in education, we are committed to creating education solutions that improve schools' efficiency, as well as leading initiatives to evaluate how technology can measurably improve learning outcomes," said Michael Schmedlen, director of Worldwide Education, Lenovo. "Our work with Intel to offer products like the Lenovo Classmate+ PC will create more opportunities for K-8 administrators, teachers and students to realize the benefits of technology-enriched 1:1 learning experiences."

Lenovo made its AMD Brazos platform-based ThinkPad X120e available to buyers. One of the first ThinkPad laptops using AMD processors, the X120e uses a 11.6-inch form-factor, and is driven by either an AMD E-240 Fusion single-core, or E-350 dual-core accelerated processing unit, AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics, 2, 3, or 4 GB of DDR3 memory, WiFi a/b/g/n, and optional 3G HSDPA, Bluetooth 3.0. Storage options include 5400 or 7200 RPM hard drives, while battery options include 3-cell standard, or 6-cell. Windows 7 Home Premium is standard, but Windows 7 Professional can be opted for. Available in a variety of configurations, the ThinkPad X120e base models start at US $399 and $449.

Toshiba released its latest stereoscopic 3D ready notebook in Japan, the Dynabook T551. This 15.6-inch notebook is driven by Intel's Huron River (Sandy Bridge mobile) platform, consisting of Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor clocked at 2.00 GHz. Up to 8 GB of memory can be opted for, 4 GB being standard. Graphics duties are assigned to NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M GPU with 1 GB of dedicated memory. The 15.6-inch screen offers native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. 3D viewing requires putting on 3D glasses.

Other features include an almost full keyboard with number pad cluster, 750 GB of hard drive based storage, a Blu-ray drive that supports BD-3D, and a webcam. Connectivity includes USB 3.0, WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, and HDMI 1.4a to extend the display. Windows 7 Home Premium x64 is the OS of choice, and comes pre-installed. The company did not give out pricing details yet.

Fujitsu released the world's first all-in-one desktop PC that offers glasses-free 3D viewing. The Esprimo FH99/CM from Fujitsu packs a 23-inch screen with full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution featuring glasses-free 3D technology. The all-in-one is based on Intel Huron River (Sandy Bridge mobile) platform, it is driven by an Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor clocked at 2.00 GHz, with Intel HD 3000 graphics, 4 GB of DDR3 memory, 2 TB of storage, Blu-ray drive, and HDTV tuner. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, SD card slot, and USB 3.0. Display can be extended using an HDMI port. Pricing is unknown, but we can guess that glasses-free 3D screens aren't cheap.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today introduces three new do-it-yourself friendly mini-ITX platforms - the new ZOTAC ION-ITX R, S and T-series. The new ZOTAC ION-ITX R, S and T series reinvigorates the ION-ITX series with an added boost of graphics power.

Next-Generation NVIDIA ION graphics and a dual-core Intel Atom D525 processor combine to deliver a perfect balance of performance and energy-efficiency in the new ZOTAC ION-ITX R, S and T series. High-definition video playback capabilities enable the ZOTAC ION-ITX R, S and T series to deliver a premium multimedia experience with hardware decode acceleration for smooth playback of high-definition Blu-ray 3D and streaming Internet video content.