Epson has unveiled milestone 3.8 and 3.9-pound LCD projectors with the PowerLite 740c and the Wireless/PC-Free PowerLite 745c. Light these projectors are, but they are still packed with high-end features including XGA resolution and 2,500 ANSI lumens, high-speed wireless 802.11g connectivity and the ability to view MPEG-2 videos and High-Resolution Digital Photo Slide Shows from USB “Thumb Drives.” All this is packed in a small size (7.6”D x 10.9”W x 2.7”H) which is slim and compact enough to carry in most briefcases or shoulder bags.

The higher-end PowerLite 745c takes advantage of the industry’s only 802.11g internal WiFi technology for projectors, enabling users to upload or run presentations wirelessly at frame rates up to two to five times faster than 802.11b. Whether transferring data via 802.11 “b” or “g,” Epson’s unique and proprietary algorithm allows for faster wireless streaming of video content. The PowerLite 745c comes with an 802.11b/g card, and is the industry’s only projector to offer wireless compatibility with Apple’s Keynote software. This projector is also the only one of its kind to offer both LEAP-authentication and WEP/WPA for secure, encrypted wireless transmissions. Epson’s proprietary firmware also gives presenters the ability to run PowerPoint presentations and MPEG-2 videos without a PC using the projector’s built-in PCMCIA and USB slots.

The combination of the projector’s 3LCD image quality, light weight, compact size and PC-free operation is also designed to give photographers and other high-end digital artists a valuable presentation tool. The PowerLite 745c’s built-in software enables digital images such as high-resolution jpeg photos to be projected in slideshows, via PC-less storage devices such as USB memory, external hard drives or directly from digital cameras. Furthermore, slideshows can be controlled by the projector either manually or with automatic/timed advancement, and individual settings for red, green and blue can be adjusted to the user’s personal preferences. The EPSON PowerLite 745c is available for $2,899.

First Wireless Connectivity Solution

SYSTIMAX Solutions has introduced to the Middle East the SYSTIMAX AirSPEED Solution, an Enterprise Wireless LAN (WLAN) Solution. The AirSPEED enables SYSTIMAX customers to deploy a wireless system at the same time they install the general LAN infrastructure.

The SYSTIMAX AirSPEED Solution combines enterprise-class access points with Signal Enhancing Antennas (SEA) and rack-mounted Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices. The SYSTIMAX AirSPEED AP542 and AP541 access points overlay rich features to the 802.11 standard. The AP542, the solution’s premier access point, is a dual-band, tri-mode device that simultaneously supports 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g clients for greater deployment flexibility. SYSTIMAX believes both access points offer the highest performing wireless technology available on the market and support the most advanced security protocols to include an easy software upgrade path to the recently ratified 802.11i standard. Additionally, the AirSPEED access points incorporate unique cable management design features to ease installation.

SYSTIMAX AirSPEED Signal Enhancing Antennas are designed to provide a clear RF signal where coverage is critical and in environments that might obstruct signal transmission. Inserting power over the existing Ethernet cable, the solution’s 802.3af standard-compliant, midspan PoE injectors are a cost effective alternative to electrical wiring to the access point. The PoE solution maximizes the cost efficiency by typically requiring only one installer for both power and the WLAN, and is a natural addition to SYSTIMAX Structured Connectivity Solutions (SCS).

Pogo Linux Brings Out 64-Bit Linux Notebook

Those wanting to escape the Microsoft environment can now turn to Pogo Linux’s AMD64 Linux notebook. The Pogo Linux KonaBook 3100 notebook is one of the first notebooks built from the ground up for Linux. Because Pogo Linux (pogolinux.com) has control over the hardware and software, the notebook can be configured to customer specifications. The KonaBook 3100 notebook includes a 15” XGA LCD display, embedded wireless, sound, power management and a DVD/CD-RW drive. The notebook runs on Linux preinstalled with the 2.6 kernel as well as portable 64-bit Linux computing with Suse Linux or Fedora installed. Street price for the KonaBook 3100 is $2,299.