All posts from TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide

Word has it that Apple will release a new version of high-end Mac Pro on March 16, 2010. The new Mac Pro will come with a “Hexacore” Core i7-980x processors clocked at 3.33GHz, TurboBoosting at 3.6GHz. However, there is no official confirmation from Apple so far. We will keep you posted. [Akihabara]

Western Digital has recently rolled out their latest portable media drive for the mass market called the My Passport AV. Designed specifically for video storage and playback, this plug-and-play media drive comes equipped with a 320GB of storage capacity, a USB 2.0 interface and works with any of your game consoles, Blu-ray Disc players, camcorders or media players, allowing you to play the multimedia content from the drive on an HD TV. No to mention, the drive also support Sony’s Direct Copy feature which enables users to offload and archive HD video directly to a My Passport AV portable media drive without a computer. The 320GB My Passport AV Portable Media Drive is now available for purchase in the US for $109.99. [WD]

Taiwanese computer case giant Lian Li has created their first PC case with USB 3.0 ports. Measuring 210mm x 460mm x 490mm and weighing approx. 5.8kg, the Lian-Li PC-8FU is an all aluminum Mid-Tower PC case that provides 6 internal 3.5-inch drive bays, 3 external 5.25-drive bays and two USB 3.0 ports on the top panel. The case can also hold ATX or mATX motherboards. No word on pricing so far. [TechEnclave via Fudzilla]

I-O Data is getting ready to launch its new 12x internal Blu-ray writer ‘BRD-SH12B’ for the Japanese market. Featuring a black bezel, the drive offers a 4MB of buffer memory, a SATA interface and provides write speeds of 12x for BD-R, 2x for BD-RE, 16x for DVD-R/+R, 12x for DVD-RAM, 8x for DVD-R/+R DL and DVD+R, 6x for DVD-RW, 48x for CD-R and 24x for CD-RW. The BRD-SH12B will become available in Japan later this month for about $315. [XTReview]

If you are looking for a highly-secure USB flash drive, then check out the new Kanguru Defender Elite USB flash drive that features FIPS 140-2 Level 2 Hardware Encryption. You can also managed the device using Kanguru Remote Management Console (KRMC), so you can remotely change passwords and delete important files on lost or stolen drives. Available in 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB of storage capacities, the Kanguru Defender Elite are priced at $119.95, $159.95, $229.95, $349.95 and $599.95, respectively. [Kanguru]

I-O Data is getting ready to launch its new 12x internal Blu-ray writer ‘BRD-SH12B’ for the Japanese market. Featuring a black bezel, the drive offers a 4MB of buffer memory, a SATA interface and provides write speeds of 12x for BD-R, 2x for BD-RE, 16x for DVD-R/+R, 12x for DVD-RAM, 8x for DVD-R/+R DL and DVD+R, 6x for DVD-RW, 48x for CD-R and 24x for CD-RW. The BRD-SH12B will become available in Japan later this month for about $315. [XTReview]

Barnes & Noble will release their version of the eReader app for the Apple iPad sometime near the device’s launch. The app will be available for free. It offers you access to all of the books, magazines and newspapers available in Barnes & Noble’s eBookstore. Stay tuned for more updates. [B&N Community]

The Mio S400 GPS navigation system has been released in South Korea. This Windows CE-powered gadget adopts SiRF GPS III chipset, a 4.3-inch touchscreen, a 2GB of storage space and a memory card slot (up to 16GB). Additionally, this gadget is also the winner of China’s ‘If’ design award. You can buy the Mio S400 for 139,000 Won or around $100. [AVING]

Still remember the OPPO Enjoy e-book reader? OPPO has finally unveiled the specs of this highly anticipated gadget. Powered by Android OS, the OPPO Enjoy features a 6-inch e-ink display at 800 x 600 resolution, a 2GB of storage space and supports a wide range of popular formats including TXT, HTML, HTM, CHM, EPUB, PDF, DOC, XLS, PPT, and ZIP files. The OPPO Enjoy also has a trackball, a flip button, and a touch-sensitive control for easy navigation. Stay tuned for more updates. [KingSoft]

If you are a frequent traveler, then the GPS Travelogue from Hammacher is a perfect gadget for you. The device is capable of tracking and recording virtually everywhere you go. All recorded data will be uploaded to online mapping applications such as Google Earth. The gadget has a built-in 64MB internal memory to store GPS data. You can also set it to record your position at intervals of between one second and 59 minutes, depending on your preference. Priced at $149.95 a pop, the GPS Travelogue is compatible with Microsoft Windows 7, Vista and XP. Its built-in battery will last for up to 30-hour of operating time. [Product Page]

Buffalo is about to release their newest portable hard drive ‘HD-PVRU2′ for the Japanese market. Adopting the Turbo USB technology, the drive features a rugged matte-finished exterior, a USB 2.0 interface and is bundled with eco Manager software for saving power. The Buffalo HD-PVRU2 will hit Japan at the end of March in two different versions 320GB ($100) and 500GB ($150). [TCM]

Available in three models, Jays’ new a-JAYS headphones feature an 8.6mm dynamic speaker drivers and flat/ tangle-free TPE cords. The One model provides a sleek black finish, meanwhile the Two model has a highly polished finish, a more bass-heavy sound signature, and an included stereo splitter and flight adapter.
The Three is a high-end model that adopts the titanium coated diaphragm (TCD) technology and a rubber coating, allowing these earphones to produce a wider frequency range than the One or Two models. There are also an included stereo splitter, flight adapter and protective case. Jays’ a-Jays high-performance earphones will be available in April 2010 for $40 – $60, depending on the model. [Jays]