Dropbox: two times more storage for the same price

Dropbox feels visibly threatened the market online storage and synchronization "cloud" where these new efforts...

The online storage market is increasingly competitive and one of its players the most, Dropbox, has announced a significant decrease in the rates charged to its pay-TV offerings. Or rather, it doubles the storage capacity proposed for unchanged rates, which is not quite the same thing, since the amount levied on bank card by the service remain, it, unchanged.

Thus, to be more competitive Drive of Google services, Microsoft SkyDrive, Hubic of OVH, Cloud Drive of Amazon and others, Dropbox offers now not 50 but 100 GB for $ 9.99 per month and 200 GB for $ 19.99 per month. And synchronization specialist was also able to launch a new offer of 500 GB of online storage space, charged $ 49.99 per month.

Despite these efforts, Dropbox is more expensive than most of its competitors. The 100 GB being charged $ 4.99 a month in Google, and $ 4.16 per month at Microsoft. But with the principle of sponsorship of Dropbox (500 MB earned by recommendation), it is possible to significantly extend the limit of 2 GB for free available up to 18 GB. Good, of course, until there is little time, Microsoft offered on SkyDrive 25 GB to a Windows Live account holders...

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HDD: a price decline? Not before two years...

A study of iSupply indicates that trays hard drives prices still remain quite high and this until 2014.

According to the recent study of IHS iSupply, prices of hard drives trays should not fall before 2014! The rates indicated in the press release correspond to an average unit price, regardless of the sold disc storage space. In the third quarter of 2011, the average price of a hard disk was established around $ 51. With a bond of $ 10, it had risen to $ 61 in the fourth quarter to continue momentum and achieve $ 66 for the first quarter of this year. Between March and June, the average price is stagnating and loses $ 1 to $ 65.

For your information, the study also gives the figures for the number of units delivered worldwide for this year. In the first quarter of 2012, he was taken primarily from manufacturing plants in Thailand not less of 145 million hard drives and about 159 million for the second quarter and forecast for the third quarter about 176 million units.

The floods in Thailand are passed and plants are distributed, but prices fell so far. The study explained in part this state of affairs by the concentration of the two leading manufacturers of hard disk drives, Seagate and Western Digital, but also by the contracts in the long run to high prices when the plants had not yet fully resumed their activities. These contracts are signed at this price because OEMs fear a problem of supply for the manufacture of their products. With all these conditions, it seems difficult to quickly lower the price of hard drives trays and says iSupply, it is not close to arrange...

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Intel pushes new batteries to reduce the price of the Ultrabooks

To lower the price of the Ultrabooks, savings on all components are being considered. Intel think this time in the batteries...

Yesterday, we return a series both on the issue of the cost of returns to Ultrabooks, under the prism of storage, since it is learned that the part of SSD equipped Ultrabooks would fall in the coming months. Today, Intel is the support by continuing to help builders partners to find the right solutions to lower the price of the Ultrabooks, in attacking this time in batteries. Intel therefore attempts to push two manufacturers new types of batteries, models known as the cylindrical batteries 16650 and prismatic lithium-ion batteries. However, since 16650 cylindrical batteries are produced in small quantities, prismatic Li-ion batteries are more likely to be selected. However talking about solutions that can be adopted by mass as from next year, since these models of batteries must be certified and small problems of ability to persist and must be resolved.

Left A, cylindrical batteries 16650. At right, a prismatic Li-ion battery.

16650 Cylindrical batteries have a diameter of 16 mm and can therefore a priori be used in portable computers to the design purposes. Provided exclusively by the Sanyo Japanese and Chinese BAK for the moment, they earn in interest among assemblers who worry however see this market be controlled only by two suppliers. To them, the prismatic lithium-ion batteries are more expensive to purchase but have an advantage: fineness of only 5 to 6 mm for blocks of 6 x 8 cm. Proposed by more providers, they are available in greater numbers and could receive certifications necessary for their use in the Ultrabooks more quickly.

Note that, despite everything, some manufacturers are beginning to work with these batteries on all small series. This is Acer that performs tests on its Ultrabooks with 16650 cylindrical batteries, and Lenovo IdeaPad 530 of which adopts a prismatic Li-ion battery.

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Wii U and 3DS: games for download at the same price as the box

If logically a paperless game should be cheaper to purchase than a box version, Nintendo not that ear means it.

It is secret, the video game industry slide gently over the years toward digital sale in download, dematerialised games. To the great despair of those who have had the chance to know the 1980s game boxes and as complete books that interesting to read (before embarking on the adventure, always...), the video game will soon be more form and to purchase only on Steam, Xbox Live and other PlayStation Store. As such, it must be recognized that Nintendo has accumulated a certain delay in the matter, its platforms online is not be entered in the habits of players such as those of its main competitors.

Of course, the nippon consolier knows and is committed to do better in the future. This is why it has just announced that it intends to strengthen the distribution of games dematerialized for its console, the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U future. At first, only larger productions will be affected through a sale that will be on the same day in the trade box and download online. This is particularly the case for New Super Mario Bros 2.

But then the sale of games for download is an opportunity for publishers to bypass intermediaries, saving manufacturing the holder of packaging and transport costs, and thus increasing profitability, it is also often the opportunity for players to purchase games at a preferential price. In Nintendo, this is not the case.

Indeed, Nintendo has indicated that prices in her shop online in trade for box versions will be the same. A decision which will be logically criticized by players, but Satoru Iwata - CEO of Nintendo - held to explain: "We realized that the publishers on the tariff for the sale of digital versions views." Some editors believe that the dematerialised versions should be sold cheaper than others, when others want to be they sold exactly the same price (...) We have decided and chosen the latter for the time being. "What no limitation specialty stores sell download codes to preferential prices".

This will not help Nintendo to stuck his popularity while it comes to post for the first time in its history annual losses, but should reassure strings video game shops heavily threatened by the growth of paperless. As players, they would of course prefer that publishers make an effort instead of wanting to maximize their profits. Especially as Satoru Iwata may hide behind the wishes of publishers, Sony succeeded well, for its part, to sell the games PS Vita on average €5 for less on the PlayStation Store on stick memory in shops... It is certainly not great, but at least the effort is there.

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Sandy Bridge: price declines expected

The Core i3 and i5 of second generation should see their prices down a few weeks, according to Asian sources...

Intel has recently informed its partners of its intention to reduce the price of its Core i of second generation Sandy Bridge processors. Some references to the Core i5 and i3 ranges could even lose between 10 and 15%, according to some actors in the mobile market, we learn the DigiTimes. Necessarily, it promises the arrival of the Ivy Bridge, Core third generation i engraved 22 nm which are expected for April 2012 and whose features were unveiled by a leak of a large scale. The idea being to stimulate the demand for Sandy Bridge until these new chips arrive on the market.

Manufacturers such as Acer, Asus and Lenovo already offer laptops with Core i3 from €400 and Core i5 from approximately €500. Remains to be seen if they will benefit from these price declines to increase their margins or prices of finished products. Also, this should help ultrabooks manufacturers to lower prices of their first models in Core i5 from January 2012, the sources of the DigiTimes evoking a rebate that could rise to $ 100 to sell stocks, clarify inventories and prepare for the arrival of the second generation ultrabooks.

In conclusion, remember that the Ivy Bridge - as the Core i5-3450 and Core i7-3370 - are expected at prices wedged between 322 and 184 $, that is only 10-15 dollars more than the Sandy Bridge on some references to "equivalent" models. More the Sandy Bridge will be passed quickly, faster market will keep the head to the Ivy Bridge, and it is therefore in the interest of Intel to assist this transition to be as short as possible.

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HP Slate 2: price and availability date

As expected, HP will soon commercialize Slate 2, a Tablet for the professional market and based on a platform Atom running under Windows 7. The constructor has precisely put on line on a mini site dedicated to this tablet, the price and dates of availability of a 32 GB SSD-equipped version. Will it be thus 518 euros HT (or 619,53 euros TTC) to acquire this tablet by the end of the month.

For this price, you will be entitled to a touch screen of 8.9 inches diagonal (1024 x 600 pixels), a 1.5 GHz, an integrated graphics chipset GMA600 Z670 Atom processor and 2 GB memory DDR2. A SD card reader is also present, even that a whole audio HD Audio SRS, a USB 2.0 port, a TPM 1.2 chip and a built-in microphone. A VGA webcam and photo 3 Mpixel sensor are also of the part. Controller WiFi 802 .11n ready and Bluetooth 4.0 complete the whole. Delivered with 2 battery cells - not replaceable - ensuring maximum autonomy of 6 hours, 2 Slate is finally delivered with Windows 7 Professional (32 bit).

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It is the re-entry of the SSD price

Back on a point on the price of SSD, upon re-entry. In our new point on the SSD prices, we have changed our panel products. We decided to restrict the products to a single capacity: 120 GB (or 128 GB according to the marks). The reason is simple: it is sufficient capacity for many people and the average price is correct. This type of DSS is perfect for a mid-range machine. 256 GB models and more are still too expensive for the majority of buyers and the 64 GB SSD and less limited the interest of the technology allowing to install the OS and a few programs. In addition, they distort the comparison with a prices go higher because of the incompressible costs (controller, etc.).

Our comparison is therefore restricted to six models: the C400 of Crucial, Vertex 3 ofOCZ Vertex 2 and Intel 320 and 510. These are five models well distributed, representative of their generations. Other manufacturers offer "clones" of these DSS, as Corsair, G.Skill, Kingston (recently), etc. but prices are sufficiently close that it is no problem. Other manufacturers, such as Samsung, offer balanced products that can be interesting if found at a good price. The Korean brand should quickly propose an SSD SATA 6 GB/s, which was announced recently.

Our six SSD offer a capacity of 120 GB about and use either 34 nm - some Vertex 2, Intel 510 - memory or memory in 25 nm - Vertex 3, Intel 320, C400 and some Vertex 2-. Preferred builders interface is obviously SATA 6 GB/s, to exceed the limit of 300 MB / s. Attention, to benefit fully from this interface, a motherboard that handles the standard "natively" - directly in the chipset - is necessary, external controllers often limited by the bus PCI-Express less than 500 MB / s.

If you have a machine in SATA II (3 GB/s), based on SandForce 1 K models are adapted, in other cases we recommend Crucial M4, a very balanced and sold SSD at a correct price. There is also the moment a good case: the Vertex more. This model is a classic (in Indilinx Barefoot) Vertex with a new firmware (a little) more efficient. But it mostly has an advantage: a fairly low price, approximately €120 for the 120 GB version. For a machine in SATA 3 GB/s, it is a good choice, unlike practice having little noticeable between very high and this models Vertex more.

Note, for lovers of ultraportables, mSATA models are beginning to arrive, even if prices remain high a nothing: it exceeds the price of the 3 Vertex closest performance of Vertex 2 of the 3 version.

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SFR increases the price of its "unlimited to mobile" option

A small increase of €2 which should push customers to offer access Evolution...

Our colleagues of DegroupNews noticed a change in fee options offered by SFR customers access. Indeed, the famous "unlimited to mobile" option, introduced after Free presented its offer Revolution including calls to mobiles in unlimited from the box, is increased from €3 to €5 per month.

An increase which, however, concerns only the invoiced standard offer €31,90 per month, knowing that the unlimited to mobile is already included in the Evolution offer, charged it, €37,90 per month. If for some clients remain on the standard offer and take the "unlimited to mobile" option to €3 (either €34,90 total) could be interesting, with only €1 difference now, better opt for the Evolution offer which gives right to the "new" box of the operator.

Of course, this price change does not apply to existing customers, but to new subscribers of the option in question.

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Drop in price at INTEL for the fall collection!

INTEL has just delivered to the press a table detailing a significant price decrease of nine of its most representative processors, down which will intervene later in October of this year.

Current CPU being for the less sluggish lately and to his advantage, INTEL prepares its way back. New processors, therefore, see their price wholesale (it is customary to give fares for thousand copies) lower in two successive waves. The first, scheduled for next September, will be down the rate of the processor dual-core INTEL i5-2390T and 5 quadri-core processors: 2400S-i5, i5-2405S, i5-2500S, 2500T i5 and i7-2600S.

The second, scheduled for the month of October, will be lower the price of the dual-core processors of entrance of range i3-2120 and PENTIUM G630 G680.May be surprising the more sellers of the mark (the i5 - 2500, i5 - 2500K and i7-2600 and 2600K) conspicuous by their absence and especially the coincidence, very certainly accidental, between the entry into force of this price decline and the imminent release of the new architecture CPU BULLDOZER of AMD, exit certainly fail to revive the eternal rivalry between two American skiers.

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The price of the next CPU Sandy Bridge-E d�voil�, but without Heatpipe!

The succession of the Core i7 is running, prices come to be informally revealed by our colleague VR-Zone.

Reliable source, prices were not surprising and it switches just the price of the Sandy Bridge ancient on the new Sandy Bridge-E (reminder: E for enthusiast, or French, amateur performance.) so to replace the Core i7 990 X by 3960X, the Core i7 980 by the 3930K and finally the Core i7 960 by the 3820.

We are thus left with a Core i7 3820, the smallest of the three, with a frequency of 3 database, GHz (Quad-Core / 8 Thread with 10 MB of L3 cache) and a maximum of 3, 9GHz with the Turbo mode, all for a price of 294USD...
The second Core i7 3930K is a hexacore with 12 Thread running at 3 GHz base and 3, 8 GHz with the Turbo mode and equipped with 12Mo of L3 cache at a price of 583USD.
And the third, the most powerful of the three, is the the 3960X sold to 999USD (model 6 hearts / 12 Thread with Schoolhouse of L3 cache) with frequencies ranging from 3, base to 3 GHz, 9GHz in Turbo mode.

All three are mounted on Socket LGA 2011 with the Chipset X 79, worthy successor of the couple LGA1366 / X 58, and have a TDP of weighing, they will be engraved in 32nm.Small detail, the constructor calls well feed its processors with a certified feed 80 + minimum.

However, Intel has decided not to sell the Sandy Bridge-E processors with a heatpipe. This is due to the fact that these processors are destined for a certain category of persons, which of course has a heatpipe with efficiency, both in terms of cooling and noise from a stock version. With a TDP of weighing it fully understands that the heatpipe of Intel will struggle to keep the fresh configuration.

 

 

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Sony: new PSP and PS3 price drop

It yesterday evening that held the press conference of Sony in the opening of the GamesCom in Cologne in Germany. The Japanese manufacturer took the opportunity to announce its PS3 price drops, as well as a new PSP sold at the price floor of 99 euros.

The price of the PlayStation 3 is therefore to 249 euros for the 160 GB version, while the 320 GB version in 299 euros. It's the first true price drop console Sony show since the release of the PS3 Slim, lightened version, two years ago. Effective as of now, this reduction should allow Sony to its console, over 22 million copies in the European market more competitive.

Sony also took to announce, once more, a new PSP. This model adopts a design even more refined than previous versions. It still has a size disadvantage, since it will have WiFi and will thus deprived of the network game, but also any catalogue of downloadable games for Sony. Intended only for the European market, this entry-level PSP however has a weight argument: its price of only 99 euros, making it the cheapest portable console market. It should be available for this fall according to Sony.

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The price of SSD Intel 710 Series

The Intel SSD for professional announce very expensive.

Fondeur Intel will launch its new line of SSD for professionals during the month of August. Our colleagues from VR Zone laid their hands on the characteristics and prices of these new SSD Intel 710 Series. Operator interface SATA II (3 Gb/s), the Intel SSD 710 will be declined in 100, 200 and 300 GB version. They have memory Paoc engraved 25 nm and a House with 64 MB cache controller. At the level of performance, the 710 series displays 270 MB/s read, 210 MB/s write, 38 500 4 K random read IOPS and 2400 4 K random write IOPS. They are announced with a MTBF of 2 million hours and a three year warranty.

The SSD Intel 710 of 100, 200 and 300 GB will be sold respectively $ 650, 1250-1900, is almost as much in euros with taxes. At first glance, Intel models are not really interesting since the SSD controller based on SandForce SF-2500/2600 display much higher performance: 500 MB/s read and write, read and write 4 K random 60,000 IOPS and a 10 million hours MTBF.

But Intel has not said its last word because the caster will also propose a DSS 720 Series PCI Express format. Declined in 200 and 400 GB version, these models will use memory chips SLC engraved 34 nm and a controller House operator 512 MB cache. Performance have nothing to do with the models 710 since the 720 Series will reach a 2200 MB/s read throughput, 1800 MB/s write, 180 000 read 4 K random IOPS and 56 000 4 K random write IOPS. 720 Range prices have not yet been announced.

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Wii U: no date nor price before 2012

Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo, has just announced that Nintendo will not unveil the price or the date of release of the Wii before 2012. This announcement sounds like a first possible delay to the console, which recovered later in the year.

"Since the Wii A that we've shown you at E3 in June is still in development without specific level projects games, we will announce the release date and price next year, when we present these specific titles" . Wii U did so far not game, and Nintendo cannot possibly not submit, and let alone out in trade, a console without games. Another problem: Nintendo must take into account the reactions of the public, mixed at this E3, and somewhat review its communication, and perhaps even the concept of its console.

Of course, the first estimates, who wanted that the console is available for the spring of 2012, likely to be somewhat chamboulées. Nintendo did not leave his console before April 1, 2012, but it appears now that nearest exit from the end of the year is likely.

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Apple unveils the price of 1 enclosure Thunderbolt by accident

We found exclusive leak on the British version of the Apple online sale site asserting that Pegasus R4 Promise RAID storage unit will be sold at £ 949, approximately 1 €100 applying the exchange rate. The price seems to include four hard drives for 2TB spinning at 7,200 rpm. The page has been removed from the site of Apple, but remains available in the Google cache. Today, there are such a hard disk for €130 on average, making the price of housing to more than €600, promised taking advantage of discounts on magnetic media that it delivers to its customers. In short, it remains expensive. In comparison, is found, the RAID eSATA enclosures four bays for less than €200. The price approximates therefore professional solutions high-end.

If it is difficult to predict the price in euro, Apple is never exactly following the exchange rate, we bet on a sale price of 1 €100 in Europe, mainly because Apple Store Philippines has also been victim of an identical flight and he proposed the Pegasus R4 to 68,000 ?, or £ 970 1 €100 taking into account the current exchange rate. The price of 1 €100 seems to be on the two sites.

The Pegasus R4 of Promise was presented at the presentation of the Thunderbolt by Apple last February. Promise was one of the first to have announced support this format (see "Thunderbolt: hard disks to the Nikon reflex") and it has recently shown a functional model for the last Taiwanese salon (cf. "Thunderbolt shows at the Computex"). The performance of the R4 are still unknown. The version presented on the site of Apple is that integrating hard drives. The price of the model comes with an Intel SSD was not available on the site. It will also highlight Thunderbolt devices output seems to be falling behind. They were originally announced for the second quarter of this year, but they should not go out before July.

The leak thus confirms fears concerning the price of the Thunderbolt devices. Rumors say that controllers would be very expensive and the price of 1 €100 will limit the device to professionals who really need support offering 600 MB/s to 700 MB/s to work on videos. At that price, those who do not need flows very important will prefer a NAS that provides much more functionality, such as the possibility of creating a web server or FTP and sharing more advanced on a local network.

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