Acer Predator Triton 700, Helios 300 Slim Form Factor Gaming Laptops Launched

If you want the top-of-the-line gaming hardware in a laptop then you generally need to compromise on the weight and portability aspect. However, Acer hopes to change that perception with its new Triton 700 and Helios 300 gaming laptops. Announced during the Next@Acer global press conference in New York, both laptops feature the company’s new AeroBlade 3D metal blade fans which is said to increase airflow by 35 percent without taking too much space. The Triton 700 will go on sale in the US in August, starting at $2,999 (approximately Rs. 2,03,900) while the Helios 300 will be available starting July at $1,299 (approximately Rs. 88,340).

The Predator Triton 700 is the top-end model, which according to Jerry Hou, General Manager, Consumer Notebooks, is built on the learnings of the Predator 21 X which was first showcased at IFA 2016. Due to the new cooling technology, Acer is able to offer top-end specifications in a chassis that measures 18.9mm in thickness and weight of 2.6kg.

Western Digital's New G-Drive USB-C Hard Disk Can Charge Your Laptop

 

Western Digital has announced new storage drive in its G-Technology series - 'G-Drive USB-C'. The company says that the new drive has been developed keeping "creative enthusiasts" in mind and features high-capacity storage and USB Type-C connectivity, which allows it to charge the latest range of USB Type-C equipped laptops, including the popular MacBook series.
The MacBook has only one USB Type-C port, thus, with the WD G-Drive USB-C drive, users will be able to use external storage while also charging their machine. When used with the 2016 MacBook Pro laptops, which have more than one USB-C port, users will be able to keep ports free for other purposes.

Acer Aspire VX 15, Predator 15, and Predator 17 Gaming Laptops Launched in India

Acer on Tuesday launched its Aspire VX 15 gaming laptop and Predator G1 gaming desktop in India. The company also updated its Predator notebook line up and introduced Predator 15 G9- 593 and Predator 17 G9-793 laptops for the country. The Acer Aspire VX 15 has been priced by the company at Rs. 87,999 and has been made available online on Flipkart and through Acer retail stores. On the other hand, Predator G1 Desktop has been made available through Acer's exclusive stores and leading retail chain outlets from Rs 1,19,999.

Honeywell Launches Industrial Cyber Security Solution To Secure USB Devices

Honeywell’s new Secure Media Exchange (SMX) protects facilities against current and emerging USB-borne threats, without the need for complex procedures or restrictions that impact operations or industrial personnel.
Malware spread through USB devices – used by employees and contractors to patch, update and exchange data with onsite control and computer systems – is a key risk for industrial control systems. It was the second leading threat to these systems in 2016, according to BSI publications, and uncontrolled USBs have taken power plants offline, downed turbine control workstations, and caused raw sewage floods, among other industrial accidents.
“Industrial operators often have hundreds or thousands of employees and dozens of contractors on site every day,” said Eric Knapp, Cyber Security chief engineer, HPS. “Many, if not most, of those rely on USB-removable media to get their jobs done. Plants need solutions that let people work efficiently, but also don’t compromise cyber security and, with it, industrial safety.”
Currently, many plants either ban USBs, which is difficult to enforce and significantly reduces productivity, or rely on traditional IT malware scanning solutions, which are difficult to maintain in an industrial control facility and provide limited protection. These solutions fail to protect process control networks against the latest threats, and offer no means to address targeted or zero-day attacks.

WD My Passport Portable SSD With 515MBps Read Speeds Launched

Western Digital (WD) has now launched a new ‘fits-in-your-palm’ SSD that is durable, easy to carry, and comes with USB Type-C support as well. Calling it the WD My Passport SSD, the company has made it available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants, and the price of these starts at $100 (roughly Rs. 6,500).

WD, known for its external hard drives, has finally decided to foray into the portable SSD market, to compete better with competitors like Seagate and LaCie. This is the first portable SSD from WD, and to make up for the delay, the WD My Passport SSD offers sequential read speeds of up to 515MBps using the USB Type-C port.

Asus ROG GX800 Liquid-Cooled Gaming Laptop Launched at Rs 7,97,000

 

Asus has launched its latest ultra-high-end laptop, the Republic of Gamers GX800, in India. Priced at Rs. 7,97,000, the GX800 will only be available on request, and is targeted at those who absolutely have to have the latest and greatest hardware no matter the cost.

The GX800 is the followup to last year's GX700, which raised eyebrows around the world for its massive size, incredible specifications, overclocking capabilities, and outlandish price tag of Rs. 4,12,990. While the GX800 is similar in concept, its spec sheet is even more impressive and its price has nearly doubled to Rs. 7,97,000.

Those who choose to spend this much will get a quad-core 2.9GHz Intel Core i7-7820HK processor, dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs, 64GB of RAM, and an array of three 512GB PCIe SSDs. The GX800 has an 18.4-inch LED backlit 4K screen which supports Nvidia's G-sync variable refresh rate standard for stutter-free gameplay.

Asus has developed a mechanical keyboard with individually controllable RGB LEDs for each key, and says that the depth and tactile feel are more comfortable for typing and gaming. The laptop has four speakers and a mic array, plus an ESS Sabre DAC for headphones.

There's Thunderbolt 3.0 and 10Gbps USB 3.1 (Gen 2) for high-speed connectivity and to drive external displays. In addition, there are three standard USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and HDMI and Mini-DisplayPort video outputs.

Razer's new Blade Pro is the world's first THX-certified gaming laptop

 

It's not the highly buzzed about triple-screen Project Valerie, but there is a new Razer gaming laptop coming soon. Razer's flagship 17-inch gaming laptop is getting a handful of 2017 upgrades. Most notable among them is a move to new seventh-gen Intel Core i7 processors; specifically the one used here is an overclocked Core i7-7820HK. The 32GB of RAM gets a small speed boost, from 2,133MHz to 2,667MHz.

Razer is also claiming this is the world's first THX-certified laptop, which means it gets a stamp of approval from the audio/video standards company. Founded in 1983 by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, THX has been owned since 2016 by Razer, so it's no surprise that the two brands are collaborating.

To become THX certified, which means it meets THX standards for excellent audio and video quality, Razer says, "the Razer Blade Pro screen is calibrated and tested for resolution, color accuracy and video playback performance ... [and] the audio jack on the new Razer Blade Pro met THX requirements for voltage output, frequency response, distortion, signal-to- noise ratio, and crosstalk that guarantees clear sound through headphones."