D-Link has released the DI-804V, a VPN router with analogue/ISDN backup. It supports eight VPN connections to remote sites and has 168-bit security. Users will pay AU$434 (NZ$487) for the machine.
IBM has released WebSphere Portal-Express, portal software that IBM claims has been specifically designed for the SOHO market. The software has features to allow companies to create Web portals, according to IBM. A sister product, WebSphere Portal-Express Plus, has the same features and adds on Instant Messaging, Virtual Team Rooms and so on. Pricing is in US dollars and a bit complicated, with the WebSphere Portal-Express going for US$77 per intranet user or US$30,000 per processor for extranet use. The 'Plus' version is US$122 per intranet user, and US$47,820 per processor for extranet use.
Canon Australia is anticipating Christmas with a heaving sack of products that become available in November. First up, the imageCLASS MPC 200 combines a Bubble Jet colour printer, high-resolution scanner, colour copier and direct memory card printer for AU$499. Colour printing runs at 10 pages per minute, and can get a resolution of up to 1200 dpi on plain paper, according to Canon. Scanning is at 600x1200 dpi resolution, with the ability to enhance up to 9600 dpi.
Canon has also hit the market with three digital cameras, all in the PowerShot range. The AU$1799 PowerShot G3 is aimed at the advanced amateur or semi-professional photographer, according to Canon, and has a 4x zoom lens and 4 megapixel CCD sensor.
The PowerShot S45 retails at AU$1399, and has 13 shooting modes and a 3x zoom lens. For a bit less, AU$999 if you want to know, you can get the PowerShot Digital IXUS V3, which has a 2x zoom and 3.2 megapixel CCD. It weighs in at 180 grams.
To go with the digital cameras, Canon has released a couple of Bubble Jet Direct Photo Printers. The S530D costs AU$599 while the S830D will set you back AU$899. The extra money gets you six colour printing instead of four colour, and the ability to print 8" by 10" as well as 4" by 6".
Finally, the MVX2i Digital Video camera has four recording modes: Digital Video, 1.33 megapixel High Resolution Photo for printing, Motion-JPEG and Digital Photo suitable for Web sites. It can be connected directly to a range of Canon photo printers, including the ones mentioned above. It'll set you back AU$2999.
Sony Corporation have added a new VAIO to its line, the AU$4,299 PCGR505TFP (what's with the name?). Anyway, its main claim to fame is that it's WiFi enabled, using 802.11b connections. Other stats include a PIII 1.2 GHz processor and 256MB of RAM.
Palm has introduced its high-end PDA, the Tungsten T, and are so excited they flew out a couple of US Palm Evangelists to put on a live infomercial. The Tungsten is small, has a 320x320 pixel screen and has Bluetooth built into it. It can play movie clips quite well, to give you an idea of its processing capabilities. The Tungsten slides open when you want to use the graffiti feature, and includes slots for SD Cards and the Palm Universal Connector. A whole heap of peripherals are on offer, but the unit itself costs AU$1,099. Quickly following will be the Tungsten W, which will include mobile phone functionality with GPRS. We'll do a full review as soon as we get our hands on a unit.
Canon just can't be stopped. For business printing, it's introduced two wide-format printers. The BJ-W7200 costs AU$11,130, and prints 36 inch AO pages in two minutes. The BJ-W7250 goes for AU$7,500 and prints 24 inch A1 pages in 90 seconds. Both printers have 64MB expandable memory, and print at a resolution up to 600 x 1200.
The TS-4400 Thermal Transfer Sealer uses heat and pressure to form a soft, transparent and protective layer over wide-format prints. It can handle A3 printouts up to 44 inches wide and three metres long. It'll set you back AU$17,000.
Dell has released its 'smallest ever desktop', the OptiPlex SX260. The chassis weighs only 3.5 kgs and is 50 percent smaller than the existing OptiPlex small form factor chassis (by volume). Price depends on configuration, of course, plus the AU$99 delivery fee.
Trellian, a software company headquartered in Melbourne, has been busy with three releases this week. The suspectly named BeOnTop is a search engine optimisation program, going for US$95 (US$45 for SubmitWolf owners). MetaEditor is a free meta tag generator, which has the ability to drag and drop meta tags from HTML pages so you don't have to waste time entering the same information multiple times. Meanwhile, for those who want cool Web pages but don't know the code, ImageMapper allows you to divide up images into clickable regions for US$19.95. All the programs have free trials available, and the charge on your credit card will show up in Australian dollars.
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