AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced professional graphics users can access several new ATI FirePro™ graphics driver features designed to accelerate application performance and enhance reliability. Available for download, version 8.702 of the ATI FirePro™ graphics driver incorporates tremendous application tuning efforts, resulting in significant performance improvements − more than 20 percent –for Dassault Systèmes CATIA, Autodesk® 3ds Max® and PTC® ProENGINEER® users, for example1.

“With more than 20 percent performance improvement for many industry leading applications, this new performance driver increases the value for both existing and new ATI FirePro users,” said Janet Matsuda, senior director, AMD Professional Graphics. “Certified on more than 90 professional applications, ATI FirePro graphics drivers provide the right combination of application performance, reliability and feature support today’s professional need.”

Key features of the ATI FirePro graphics driver:

* Compared to previous drivers, version 8.702 provides Dassault Systèmes CATIA users more than 25 percent performance improvement, and Autodesk 3ds Max and PTC Pro/Engineer users more than 20 percent performance improvement1.
* Adobe® Photoshop® CS4 users can now render images with 10-bit2 per component color, helping provide exact representation of colors
* between Photoshop and their 10-bit display, as well as the ability to maintain an enhanced end-to-end 10-bit color workflow.
* In addition to current support of numerous active, passive and autostereoscopic displays, blue-line stereo3 for synchronizing 3D glasses is now supported.
* DisplayPort audio is now enabled on select ATI FirePro professional graphics cards, with support for 5.1 Dolby Digital and 5.1 DTS surround sound as well as 8-channel and 2-channel uncompressed audio4.

Later this year, AMD plans to issue reliability, application performance and feature enhancements in bi-monthly driver updates for notebooks that feature ATI FirePro™ professional graphics. AMD is working closely with workstation notebook manufacturers to ensure support for this initiative.
Resources

* Download: ATI Catalyst™ display driver version 8.702
* Certification page: ATI FirePro graphics have received more than 90 application certifications
* More information: ATI FirePro™ professional graphics
* Twitter: Follow AMD professional graphics updates @ATIFirePro
* Facebook: Become a fan of AMD technology on Facebook

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

1. Based on SPECViewperf® 10 benchmark scores as tested by AMD performance labs for Dassault Systèmes CATIA, Autodesk® 3ds Max® and PTC® Pro ENGINEER®, using ATI FirePro™ V3750, V5700, V7750, and V8700. Testing compared ATI FirePro™ graphics driver version 8.603 vs. version 8.702. Testing performed with the following configurations: HP Z400, Intel® Xeon® quad-core 1xW3570 @ 3.2 GHz, Intel® X58, 3GB DDR3, Microsoft® Windows® XP 32-bit SP3.
2. Requires 10-bit monitor for true 10-bit color display; only on Microsoft® Windows® XP.
3. Blue-line stereo: Blue-line stereo support is available on following Operating Systems: Microsoft® Windows® XP, Windows Vista® and Windows 7.
4. Available on the following ATI FirePro™ professional graphics: ATI FirePro V3750, V5700 and V7750. Audio formats achieved will depend on what audio formats the DisplayPort display supports, as well as which audio driver is used.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, the ATI logo, FirePro, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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“The demand for the HTC HD2 has exceeded our expectations, and the HTC HD mini fulfils a desire from some customers to bring the capabilities and experience of the HTC HD2 to a more compact design,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. “The integration of HTC Sense and Windows Phone on HD mini and HD2 gives customers an additional choice for an advanced Windows mobile phone that is sleek, well crafted and easy to use.”

The HTC HD mini sports a high degree of usability along with its own unique and beautiful design. Precision fasteners used to assemble the phone are externally visible, displaying a high level of craftsmanship rarely found in mobile phones. And the strong design ethos continues under the battery cover where a bright yellow internal structure, offers an unexpected surprise when the phone is opened.

The HTC HD mini utilizes HTC Sense, a user experience focused on putting people at the centre by making the phone work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were developed by observing and listening to how people live and communicate. These core tenets of Make It Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected continue to be the key to the new HTC Sense experience.

Like the HTC HD2, the HTC HD mini continues the same focus on people-centric communication with complete Outlook integration. It helps you stay close to the important friends and colleagues in your life by providing a single contact view that displays individual communication snapshots of your conversations, regardless of whether it was a call, text, status update or email. HTC’s Windows-based Twitter application, HTC Peep, enables you to tweet and follow your twitter stream.

HTC HD mini includes capacitive touch for viewing, zooming and resizing websites, Microsoft® Office files, PDF documents and pictures with just a pinch of your fingers. Leveraging its 3G broadband connectivity, the HTC HD mini also offers personal Wi-Fi anywhere for your computer or other devices. The HD mini can also be further enhanced to reflect your needs and style by downloading a variety of applications from the Windows® Marketplace for Mobile.

HTC HD mini Key Specifications

Availability & Suggested Retail Price
The HTC HD mini™ will be available by end of March with a suggested retail price of HKD$3,898.

Any customer who pre-orders HTC HD mini at HTC authorized dealers* will be entitled to get a 8GB micro SD card for free. Limited stock of gifts will be given on first-come-first-served basis.
*Authorized dealers include CSL, PCCW, Broadway, Chung Yuen, Citicall, Fortress, Leading, Wilson and CTM.

Source: htc.com

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“We published these latest enhancements to support the market need for broadcast 3D content,” said Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing, LLC. “When we launched 1.4 in June of 2009, we deferred the selection of mandatory 3D format(s) for broadcast content until the market direction was more clearly defined. The market has spoken and the HDMI Consortium has listened and responded to accommodate those market needs.”

The specification includes, as you would expect, hard core information about frequencies, resolutions, bits and bytes, pixel alignments, and other minutia for engineers.

Here are a few implications for consumers.

You need an HDTV, obviously. The lowest grade “Primary Format”, as it’s referred to in the spec, for 3d is 720p all the way up to 1080p.

You need a *new* HDTV, not so obvious. Part of the upgrade for 3D is the requirement for two color pixels for every one 2D color pixel. According to the spec there are three ways HDMI allows pixels to be arranged but any way you order it, it will require twice as many dots.

The most popular format implied by the 3D specs are, a you might guess, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. Although 4k is supported by the HDMI spec no mention of it was made in the extract.

HDMI 1.4 was released with features such as an integrated data channel (internet access), integrated bi-directional audio (in and out), 4k, a micro and automotive interface, and expanded color depth. 1.4a was release specifically to address implementation details of 3D.

You can download the spec at http://www.hdmi.org
See the full press release at http://www.hdmi.org/press/press_release.aspx?prid=120

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So if you’re in the market for a Windows netbook with HD video, lucky you.

“AMD recognizes that small form factor PCs are becoming more popular and low profile graphics upgrade options have been limited to date,” said Matt Skynner, vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics Division. “Customers purchasing small form factor PCs are looking for improved performance while gaming, watching HD video or working with the latest productivity applications. The ATI Radeon HD 5570 graphics card delivers all of this at a price that won’t break the bank.”

See the press release for more

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