Samsung reveals the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus tablet

Samsung added the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus to its tablet lineup. This new 7-incher features a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution and packs a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus is available in 16GB and 32GB variants and runs Android 3.2 "Honeycomb". Other features include a 3MP digicam with 720p video recording, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 3G with 21Mbps HSPA and GPS support. The tablet will ship in late October but pricing is still unknown.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a leading mobile device provider, today announced the launch of the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus. Offering a portable, rich multimedia experience on a 7-inch display, the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus packs power and productivity into a chic lightweight design. The GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus runs Google Android Honeycomb, enabling an easy and intuitive user experience.

"Samsung pioneered the seven-inch tablet market with the launch of the GALAXY Tab, marking an innovation milestone in the mobile industry. Building on the success of the GALAXY Tab, we're now delighted to introduce the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus reloaded with enhanced portability, productivity and a richer multimedia experience" said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business. He added "GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus is for those who want to stay productive and in touch with work, friends and content anytime, anywhere."

Enhanced Portability
With 7-inch display, GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus provides enhanced portability, weighing just 345g and measuring at just 9.96mm thin. Enhanced portability ensures that it fits easily into an inside-jacket pocket or a handbag, making it an ideal device for those who need to stay productive and entertained while on-the-move.

Advanced Productivity
GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus delivers a smooth and intuitive user experience with powerful performance powered by 1.2GHz dual core processor. Mini Apps allows seamless multitasking by consolidating 7 applications easily accessed from a bottom-side tray on main screen. Users can launch favorite features such as music player or calendar as pop-ups over full screen applications. Not only that, users can design an individualized up-to-the-minute interface through Live Panel.

Web browsing is also enhanced by Adobe Flash and super-fast HSPA＋ connectivity, providing download speeds up to three times faster than a conventional HSPA connection. On top of that Wi-Fi Channel Bonding bonds two channels into one for improved network connection and data transfer at up to twice the speed.

Furthermore, the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus offers voice and video call support, with no need for a headset. Users can see friends and family from anywhere in the world in high quality thanks to the device's larger screen.

Rich Multimedia on-the-move
Full HD videos can be enjoyed on the 7-inch WSVGA PLS display, with DivX & multi codec support ensuring the device is capable of supporting a variety of different formats. An improved virtual clipboard, which stores text and images enabling easy copy and paste, further adds to these capabilities.

Additionally, the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus features Social Hub, Readers Hub and Music Hub services. Social Hub aggregates the user's contacts, calendar and email along with instant messaging and social networking connections all within one easy-to-use interface. Readers Hub provides e-reading content such as e-books, newspapers and magazines. Music Hub enables access to over 13 million songs even when out and about.

GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus will be available starting in Indonesia and Austria from end-October and gradually rolled to globally including Southeast and Southwest Asia, US, Europe, CIS, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Japan and China.

Samsung reveals the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus tablet - More news at DV Hardware

The Difference Between Half and Full Duplex Explained

type="html">The Difference Between Half and Full Duplex Explained
by Paul Wotel
"Duplex" simply means you're able to send and receive data (most often the human voice) from the same device whether that be with your phone, 2-way radio, or PC.
Half-duplex devices let you send and receive, but only one-way at a time. If you've ever used a walkie-talkie, then you know what half-duplex conversations sound like. You have to push the TALK button to send your message. But as long as you are holding the TALK key, you can't hear what anyone else is saying. You must release the button to receive.
That's the big problem with the old-fashioned speakerphone: it's only a step up from a walkie-talkie. In essence, it pushes a virtual TALK button every time you start to speak and cuts off the person on the other end. When you've finished speaking, the speakerphone then transmits what the person on the other end is saying. Those cut-off sentences and stop-start conversations can be frustrating to say the least. Two-way radio etiquette has you saying "over" when you're finished speaking so whoever's on the other end knows they can begin speaking. Can you imagine having to do the same on all your business calls?
Enter full duplex
Actually, full duplex is nothing new. In fact, you already know exactly what it sounds like. Your corded or cordless phones are full-duplex devices letting you and your caller speak simultaneously without any dropouts in either one of your voices.
It's when you use a hands-free speakerphone that you really appreciate full duplex. Conventional speakerphones must shut the speaker off when the mic is activated so as not to pick up your caller's voice and transmit it along with yours causing an echo effect. When you speak, you can't hear what your caller is saying. This problem is really compounded if both of you are using conventional speakerphones. A full-duplex device digitizes the signal coming out of its speaker (your caller's voice). It then edits this info out of the signal it's transmitting (your voice) using a built-in digital processor similar to those found in PCs. This eliminates echo effect and more importantly, does away with the on-off mic/speaker dilemma. Full-duplex devices do all of this virtually instantaneously so your calls sound natural and free-flowing. It's this technology that differentiates high-end conferencing systems from ordinary, half-duplex speakerphones.
What's "digital duplex"?
Panasonic is trying to rectify the sometimes awful, always annoying half-duplex sound quality typical of conventional speakerphones by using what they call Digital Duplex technology. While it doesn't quite deliver the same sound quality as full duplex, the special digital circuitry does help reduce the echo and dropout effects.
What about talking on the internet?
If you're using your PC to talk on the internet, it's best to install a full-duplex sound card in your PC. Because internet talk has a host of obstacles specific to the medium it must overcome—bandwidth, internet traffic, connection speed—why add the frustration of stop-start, half-duplex conversations? The time and cost of a full-duplex sound card are worth it.

USB 3.0 TO SATA ADAPTER Review

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As the capacities and prices of hard drives drop it becomes so very tempting to replace existing hard drives with something bigger, and perhaps faster. But what to do with the old drives? External drive cases, let’s face it, are passé--and in some instances will cost you more than the drive they’ll house is worth. Docks are a nice idea, and definitely offer more flexibility. But what if you’ve a hankering to go portable? Unitek’s got you covered: a USB 3.0 to SATA adapter that will get your ‘old’ drive running and on your desktop in no time.

The Unitek adapter, available over at Brando for $48, has a USB 3.0 compliant connector for the PC side, and a SATA Gen2i (3 Gbps) and Gen1i (1.5 Gbps) compliant connector for a 3.5-inch drive at the other. Th econnector will support ATA/ATAPI devices, and drives up to 2 TB. USB 3.0 will allow a theoretical data transfer rate of 5.0 Gbps, but the actual rate will be governed by SATA’s slightly lower data throughput.

The only drawback to the connector is USB 3.0, which isn’t yet mainstream. The initial round of USB 3.0 equipped motherboards are supposed to be hitting the streets about now. And for the rest of us languishing in USB 2.0 purgatory, we’ll be needing to invest in an add-in card.

USB 3.0-to-SATA Adapter Gives HDDs SuperSpeed

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Now here's a nifty little device for those old hard drives stacking up and collecting dust like old nudie magazines. USB peripheral manufacturer Brando has devised of a way to connect those SATA HDDs by way of USB 3.0. via its new Unitek USB 3.0 to SATAadapter (Y-1034). The device can even be used with older IDE-based drives using an extra IDE to SATA docking converter.

What's even better is that not only can the old drives toss around data a "theoretical" speeds of 5.0 GB/s, but they're instantly turned into external HDDs. "Now you do not have to worry about the data in your old hard disk because the he UNITEK USB 3.0 to SATA Adapter (Y-1034) helps to transfer data from IDE/SATA HDD to other devices," the company said.

Of course, the drawback here is that--in addition to paying a meager $48 plus shipping costs--you'll need a USB 3.0 compliant motherboard or PCI-e card installed to use the SuperSpeed connection. The specs reveal that it's still compliant with USB 2.0, so it seems possible to use the new adapter in current, USB 2.0 machines.

According to the company, the adapter supports Windows XP, Vista, the new Windows 7, and Linux. The device also handles HDD capacities up to 2 TB.

Apple closes in on own GPU design

Once upon a time, Apple was in the habit of developing an armada of hardware itself. Jobs and Co loved the idea of being full-blown designers where each and every component could be unique, stylised and better than everyone else�s bits. Apple�s drive to mass market status saw that strategy dumped. KitGuru ponders whether the future will look a lot like the past.

Read more at KitGuru.

Apple closes in on own GPU design - More news at DV Hardware

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