Archive for August 1, 2019

ASUS Showcases Comprehensive Lineup of Content-Creation Hardware Solutions at SIGGRAPH 2019

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 1, 2019 by itnerd

ASUS today opens its booth at SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques), an annual conference on computer graphics (CG) for tens of thousands of computer professionals. The booth showcases the comprehensive lineup of ASUS laptops, monitors, mini PCs and workstations, all designed to provide world-class content-creation experiences for professionals in the field of visual effects, 3D design, and animation. There are three main product demonstration areas where the dual-touchscreen ZenBook Pro Duo, NVIDIA®Quadro RTX™StudioBook laptops, E900 G4 4‑way graphics workstation, and ProArt PA32UCX monitor are deployed in a variety of professional scenarios.

Create stunning content with RTX Studio laptops

The latest NVIDIA Quadro RTX and GeForce RTX GPUs utilize the NVIDIA Turing™architecture and are the first to support real‑time ray tracing, capable of rendering beautiful scenes with more accurate light effects, shadows, and reflections. The AI prowess of RTX GPUs handles time‑consuming, repetitive tasks such as accelerating upscaling, photo enhancements, colour matching, face tagging, and style transfer. The latest ASUS laptops, including ZenBook Pro Duo, StudioBook W700G3T, and StudioBook W500, take advantage of RTX capabilities, catering to the needs of content creators and meeting the stringent requirements of the NVIDIA RTX Studio program. RTX Studio laptops are precision crafted to deliver dramatic improvements in productivity and performance across everyday creative apps.

World’s first dual-touchscreen laptop: ZenBook Pro Duo

ZenBook Pro Duo features the ASUS ScreenPad™Plus secondary full-width touchscreen that offers versatile creative possibilities for content creators, allowing productivity-enhancing workflows and easy multitasking. It integrates seamlessly with the primary display, and the built-in ScreenXpert software includes a wide selection of useful apps, tools and utilities that allow users to easily enjoy the efficiency benefits of ScreenPad Plus. ScreenPad Plus enables different creative scenarios — such as video editing with auxiliary split screens, intuitive controls with digital instruments and cross-screen 3D design and editing — that open up new possibilities for creators.

ZenBook Pro Duo is powered by up to a 9th Generation Intel®Core™i9 eight-core processor with up to an unprecedented 5GHz Turbo Boost frequency and 32GB of DDR4 RAM. The GeForce RTX 2060 is a game-changing GPU that offers users the power of ray-tracing for the ultimate visual realism. ZenBook Pro Duo also features a stunning 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) OLED touchscreen,an exceptionally wide colour gamut with 100% DCI-P3 coverage and HDRfor breathtaking visuals.

SIGGRAPH attendees can try out ZenBook Pro Duo to create their own artwork, and have them printed on their own custom tote bags.

Quadro on the go: StudioBook W700 and W500

ASUS StudioBook series laptops pack desktop‑grade performance into a sleek, portable chassis featuring the innovative NanoEdge display design for immersive visuals and a more compact footprint.

StudioBook W700 is one of the world’s slimmest laptops to feature NVIDIA Quadro graphics, packing the Quadro RTX 3000 GPU in an 18.4 mm‑thin chassis. This combination of cutting‑edge graphics and portability makes it perfect for creative professionals. Its 17‑inch NanoEdge display features slim bezels, effectively allowing a larger display to fit into a more compact chassis, as well as provide a more immersive visual experience. In addition, W700 offers the exclusive NumberPad, a 180° lay‑flat hinge, and additional hot keys.

The smaller 15‑inch StudioBook W500 features a 4K UHD panel, an Intel Core i7‑9750H CPU with up to 32GB of DDR4‑2666 memory, NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 graphics, and a dual‑storage design. With Quadro RTX graphics, creative and technical professionals can take advantage of the power of hardware‑accelerated ray tracing, deep learning, and advanced shading techniques to create amazing content faster than ever before.

Created for the studio: ProArt PA32UCX display and E900 G4 workstation

ASUS ProArt PA32UCX is the world’s first 32-inch 4K HDR monitor with a peak brightness of 1200 nits and mini-LED backlighting: this enables over 1152 zones of local dimming control and provides support for multiple HDR formats, including Dolby Vision, HLG and HDR-10, enabling the display to produce the deepest blacks and the brightest whites with sharper, more detailed visuals. PA32UCX has true 10-bit colour and quantum-dot technology that supports the DCI-P3, Rec. 709, Rec. 2020, sRGB and Adobe RGB colour spaces. To cater to studio workflows, PA32UCX also has a rich selection of connectivity options including dual Thunderbolt™3, DisplayPort and three HDMI 2.0 ports.

ASUS E900 G4 is an extreme-performance workstation for achieving excellence in a wide variety of fields, including architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), scientific research and design. Powered by up to dual 2nd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable Processors, for up to 56 cores, up to four NVIDIA or AMD®GPUs, and up to 1536GB of memory, E900 G4 is engineered for the most intensive applications, from AI and machine-learning configurations to real-time rendering, simulation and visualization scenarios. Itʹs built to last, designed to be easy to scale up or scale out, and benefits from multiple independent software vendor (ISV) certifications for total peace of mind.

Become an ASUS ambassador

Attendees to SIGGRAPH are invited to submit their portfolios on‑site or online for the opportunity to become an ASUS Ambassador. If chosen, they will be a part of a group of finest creative professionals selected for their diverse styles and expertise, and will have a chance to work with ASUS as a featured creator and ambassador, including having early access to the latest devices.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo (UX581) will be available in Canada in Q3. The StudioBook (W700 and W500), ProArt PA32UCX, and E900 G4 will be available in Canada in Q4. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

 

 

 

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ASUS 300 and 400 AM4 Motherboards Fully Support AMD Ryzen 3000 Processors

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 1, 2019 by itnerd

ASUS today reiterated that its complete lineup of 300 and 400-series, AM4-socket-based motherboards offer full-feature support for the latest AMD Ryzen™ 3000-series CPUs and APUs, via an easy UEFI BIOS update that’s available immediately.

Not content with creating the industry’s best X570 motherboards, ASUS puts the needs of its customers first, and is committed to providing the best possible BIOS support for both new and existing motherboards. Our engineers have been working to ensure that the both the interface and all key features of the acclaimed ASUS UEFI BIOS are available to users of existing ASUS 300 and 400-series, AM4-socket motherboards.

Consistent, dependable features and support, via the same award-winning UEFI BIOS interface

A significant benefit of the award-winning ASUS UEFI BIOS is that our engineers work carefully and methodically to ensure that both the popular graphical interface and all key features are still available to users of all ASUS 300 and 400-series, AM4-socket motherboards. For ASUS customers, regardless of the ROM size of their motherboard, there’s no need to purchase a new motherboard simply to access features that had been available prior to the update. The upshot is that those using ASUS 300 and 400-series, AM4-socket motherboards who wish to upgrade to 3rd Generation Ryzen 3000 APU or CPU can do so safe in the knowledge that their existing BIOS experience and feature set will remain intact. In addition, ASUS will ensure that older CPUs are still supported after the BIOS update. The full compatibility list is as follows: 

ASUS motherboards and AMD Ryzen 3000 processors: a perfect match

For the ultimate Ryzen 3000 platform, users need look no further than our flagship X570-series motherboards. But those who want a more budget-friendly way to enjoy the performance benefits offered by Ryzen 3000 processorsan choose from our wide range of 400 and 300-series motherboards. Popular models in this series include the ROG Strix B450-E Gaming, TUF Gaming B450 Pro Gaming and TUF B450M Pro Gaming, all featuring a beefy VRM design with extended heatsink, thermal pad and premium components that are ready to unleash the Ryzen 3000’s performance.

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Friendly and easy UEFI BIOS update for instant compatibility with AMD Ryzen 3000 processors

Updating an ASUS 300 or 400-series, AM4-socket motherboard for compatibility with the latest AMD Ryzen APUs and CPUs processors takes just moments, via one of two simple methods.

With the ASUS-exclusive USB BIOS Flashback™feature ― which is built in to selected ASUS motherboards ― users need only to download the latest UEFI BIOS to a USB flash drive and connect the motherboard’s power supply; then insert a FAT32-formatted USB drive and press the motherboard’s USB BIOS Flashback or Reset button. No AM4 processor or memory modules need to be in place, and the update will complete in a few moments.

Alternatively, users may update via the EZ Flash 3 utility that’s integrated with the ASUS UEFI BIOS. This tool allows the update to be applied via an inserted USB drive or downloaded directly from the internet.

The UEFI BIOS update is available from the relevant motherboard-support page, via the ASUS Support website at https://www.asus.com/support. 

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS 300 and 400-series motherboards are available in Canada. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

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Rumpl Announces Major Shift to Post-Consumer Recycled Materials

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 1, 2019 by itnerd

Rumpl, the leader in technical blankets, today announced its most significant evolution to date with the broad integration of post-consumer recycled materials into the company’s growing product line. Rumpl announces the shift with the launch of its innovative new NanoLoftTM Puffy Blanket and a full redesign of its Original Puffy Blanket. With the shift to recycled materials, Rumpl was able to virtually eliminate the use of virgin plastic in the supply chain of these products.

Each individual blanket is made from at least 60 discarded recycled plastic bottles reclaimed and respun into high-quality polyester thread. With the new NanoLoft, Original Puffy and other products, by the end of 2019, Rumpl will have recycled three million plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in landfills.

Rumpl’s 100% post-consumer recycled NanoLoft™ is a breakthrough in insulation technology and the company’s first-ever synthetic alternative to down. Unlike traditional synthetic fills, NanoLoft insulation is made up of tiny circular clusters of fiber that mimic the properties of down clusters. The proprietary NanoLoft technology traps warmth inside small pockets of air to efficiently preserve heat, regardless of conditions. As a result, NanoLoft offers the lightweight warmth and compressibility of down with the wet-weather insulating performance of synthetic insulation. The NanoLoft Puffy Blanket packs down small and rebounds back to its original loft twice as fast as down, making it perfect for the outdoors, travel, and whenever space, weight and warmth are important.

Redesigned from the ground up, Rumpl’s all-new Original Puffy Blanket features post-consumer recycled materials throughout. The new Original Puffy uses recycled synthetic fill that packs down into less space than the previous version without sacrificing warmth. The exterior is made from 100% post-consumer 30D ripstop polyester with DWR, offering increased durability and repelling dirt, odor, splashes and spills.

Despite the use of post-consumer recycled content and new features, the cost of the 1-Person Original Puffy Blanket drops from $129 to $99. Previously an additional cost, Rumpl print blankets are now the same price as solid colors.

The NanoLoft Puffy and Original Puffy blankets are available in a variety of new colors and prints, feature a new Cape ClipTM (1-person sizes only) to secure the blankets over the shoulders, and new Corner Loops for anchoring to the ground, hanging and other needs.

Rumpl’s new NanoLoft comes in 1-Person ($149), 1-Person Tall ($159) and 2-Person ($199) sizes. The new Original Puffy Blanket is available in Jr. ($49), 1-Person ($99) and 2-Person ($159) sizes.

Both the NanoLoft Puffy and Original Puffy blankets are available in a variety of new colors and prints, feature a new Cape ClipTM (1-person sizes only) to secure the blankets over the shoulders, and new Corner Loops for anchoring to the ground, hanging and other needs.

Learn more about Rumpl’s use of post-consumer recycled content and new products at https://www.rumpl.com.

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TELUS Recognized As Having The Best Mobile Network In Canada By Ookla

Posted in Commentary with tags on August 1, 2019 by itnerd

This afternoon, Ookla released the results of its Q1 and Q2 speedtest report, revealing that TELUS has won multiple awards, including Fastest Mobile Network in Canada and Best Mobile Coverage in Canada, making TELUS Canada’s Best Mobile Network.

The Speedtest Awards reinforce the strength of TELUS’ network across the country and marks the second consecutive quarter that TELUS has won Canada’s Fastest Mobile Network. Today’s announcement also reaffirms TELUS’ commitment to delivering the best network for all Canadians, with significant capital investments to earn us Best Mobile Coverage in Canada.

TELUS has been recognized for its network superiority by other industry-leading experts, including the top spot with Tutela’s Mobile Experience Award for the second consecutive quarter. TELUS also recently ranked first in Canada for Network Quality performance by J.D. Power in 2019. Additionally, the H2 OpenSignal Awards in 2018 awarded TELUS the top spot for 4G LTE network speeds in Canada for the second year in a row. Lastly in September 2018, TELUS was awarded Canada’s fastest mobile network from PC Mag, spotlighting its highly optimized core network.

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