Richard Davies wrote: The UK has a good crop of technology pioneers in cloud computing - for example ElasticHosts, FlexiScale, Flexiant, OnApp - and also some strong government initiatives such as G-Cloud.
We will have to see whether this kind of technical leadership converts into swift mass-market adoption or not.
Toshiba’s
Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America
Information Systems, Inc., today announced the introduction of its first
3D-ready laptop for the U.S. market.
The Satellite® A665 3D Edition laptop features a 15.6-inch
diagonal TruBrite® widescreen LCD display1 with
LED backlighting and a 120Hz refresh rate. NVIDIA® 3D Vision™
software and hardware technologies2 drive the stereoscopic 3D
experience, delivering out-of-the-box compatibility with hundreds of PC
games, as well as videos and photos. Equipped with a rewriteable Blu-ray
Disc™ drive3, the A665 is also ready to support content
playback in the Blu-ray 3D format as it becomes available in the
marketplace4.
Encased in the all-new Fusion® X2 finish in Charcoal, the
Satellite A665 laptop delivers enthusiast-class performance and features
with the processing power of the Intel® Core™ i7 quad-core
processor5 with TurboBoost technology, plus the NVIDIA®
GeForce® GTS 350M graphics processing unit6 (GPU)
with 1GB of GDDR3 video memory7. The NVIDIA 3D Vision kit,
which comes standard with the Satellite A665, includes software, a pair
of wireless active shutter glasses and an emitter, enables users to get
in the action quickly with easy set-up and intuitive conversion of
supported content for stereoscopic 3D viewing.
“With this active shutter 3D technology, we are able to provide
consumers with dynamic, high-quality stereoscopic images right from the
laptop screen,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development,
Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division.
“We designed this system to support functionality that will become
available in new drivers and software enhancements, so early adopters of
3D technology will be able to take advantage of new capabilities such as
the ability to play Blu-ray 3D content and more.”
“3D Vision technology is for more than just PC gamers,” said Phil
Eisler, general manager of 3D Vision technology at NVIDIA. “We are
working closely with our partners to ensure a wealth of 3D content,
including games, photos, movies and even the Internet can be fully
enjoyed on a 3D laptop.”
The Satellite A665 is also packed with premium multimedia features.
Built-in harman/kardon® speakers deliver impressive sound
while Dolby Advanced Audio™ further optimizes audio quality so games,
movies and music sound more vivid and true to life. Toshiba’s unique new
Sleep-and-Music technology is also included, enabling users to play
music from their MP3 players through the laptop’s speakers – even while
the laptop is powered down. For movie lovers, the laptop includes
Toshiba’s Resolution+™ DVD upconversion technology, which improves the
quality of standard definition DVD content by boosting contrast,
sharpness and saturation to near high-definition quality.
Rounding out the list of premium features is an LED backlit keyboard
that provides convenience in low-light conditions, while raised-tile
style keys deliver a comfortable typing experience. A wide TouchPad™
also offers multi-touch control for easier navigation, allowing users to
pinch, swipe or zoom through files, applications and webpages.
“3D technology has captured a tremendous amount of mindshare in the
display industry. Flat panel makers and graphics chip makers are
developing next-generation technology to provide consumers with a
rewarding 3D experience,” said John Jacobs, director of notebook market
research at DisplaySearch. “While much of the discussion has centered on
the TV market, the notebook PC stands to become the next major platform
for consuming 3D content. Toshiba’s new Satellite puts them at the
forefront of the 3D adoption curve.”
Features available on the Toshiba Satellite A665 3D Edition include:
15.6-inch diagonal HD TruBrite™ LED Backlit widescreen display with
120Hz scan rate1
Intel® Core™ i7-740QM quad core processor5 with
TurboBoost technology
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTS 350M with 1GB DDR3 discrete
graphics memory6
NVIDIA 3D Vision™ kit with active shutter 3D glasses and emitter
Blu-ray Disc™ Rewriteable (RE) and DVD SuperMulti drive with LabelFlash3
Premium audio with harman/kardon® stereo speakers and Dolby
Advanced Audio™
Windows® 7 Home Premium operating system
4GB DDR3 RAM7
640GB hard drive8
802.11b/g/n wireless9 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet
Bluetooth® V2.1 + EDR10
Toshiba Hard Drive Impact Sensor
TouchPad™ with Multi-touch Control
12-cell battery
One eSATA/USB combo port with Toshiba USB Sleep-and-Charge11
and three USB 2.0 ports
HDMI port
Built-in Webcam with Toshiba Face Recognition
Microphone input port with Toshiba Sleep-and-Music
5-in-1 Memory Card Reader and ExpressCard slots
Pricing and Availability
The Toshiba Satellite A665 3D Edition laptop will be available on June
20, 2010 at select retailers, e-tailers and directly from Toshiba (www.toshibadirect.com)
with a starting price of $1,599.99 MSRP12.
About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business
units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage
Device Division, and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these
divisions provide mobile products and solutions, including industry
leading portable computers; imaging products for the security, medical
and manufacturing markets; storage products for automotive, computer and
consumer electronics applications; and telephony equipment and
associated applications.
TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of
information products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an
independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a
subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. Toshiba Corporation is a world leader
and innovator in high technology, a diversified manufacturer and
marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products. These products
span from information & communications systems; digital consumer
products; electronic devices and components; as well as power systems
including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems;
and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a
global network of more than 740 companies, with 204,000 employees
worldwide and annual sales surpassing $68 billion (6.3 Trillion Yen).
For more information on Toshiba visit www.toshiba.com.
1 Display. Any small bright dots that may appear on your
display are an intrinsic characteristic of the thin film transistors
manufacturing technology. See Display Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com 2
NVIDIA® 3D Vision™. Some individuals may experience health-related
complications when exposed to certain 3D images. Parents should monitor
and/or supervise their children's use of 3D Vision. If you or your child
should experience any problem, immediately stop using 3D Vision and
consult a physician. Carefully read safety instructions included with
the NVIDIA 3D Vision kit and take the “User Vision Test” in the setup
wizard before you or your child use 3D Vision. If you see excessive
flicker in your peripheral vision, change the refresh rate of your
display. 3 Blu-ray Disc™ Player Technology.
Compatibility and/or performance issues are possible. See Blu-ray Disc
Player Technology Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com 4
Playback of 3D Blu-ray content will require future driver and software
upgrades from NVIDIA and Toshiba, which can be downloaded via the web at http://support.toshiba.com. 5
Processor. CPU performance may vary. See Processor Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com 6
Graphics. GPU performance may vary. See Graphics Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com 7
Memory. Memory size may vary. See Memory Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com 8
Hard Disk Drive Capacity. Hard drive capacity may vary. 1 Gigabyte (GB)
means 109 = 1,000,000,000 bytes using powers of 10. See Hard Disk Drive
Capacity Legal Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com 9
Wireless-N. The wireless adapter is based on a draft release version of
the IEEE 802.11n specification and may not be compatible with, or
support all features (e.g., security) of, certain Wi-Fi® equipment. 10
Wireless. May require purchase of additional software, external
hardware, or services. Transmission speeds may vary. See Wireless Legal
Footnote at www.info.toshiba.com 11
The "USB Sleep & Charge function" may not work with certain external
devices even if they are compliant with the USB specification. In those
cases, turn the power of the computer ON to charge the device. 12
Price. Reseller prices may vary. MSRP means “Manufacturer's Suggested
Retail Price.”