Corel Draw, the graphics software made by Canadian based technology company Corel, is now being used by more than 100 million people in over 75 different countries.

It is quite a monumental achievement when you consider the usual dominance of Adobe in these classic design areas. Corel’s continued growth marks a step in a new direction for design software and, of course, competition can only be a good thing in such an industry.

The versatile graphic design software has gradually built a solid reputation amongst design professionals for offering a solid platform for delivering ideas across multiple media.

The news comes on the back of a good week for Corel after publishing giant Autotrader was fined $400,000 after it was discovered that employees had been using unlicensed software in their offices, a practice that costs the software industry over $2 billion every year.

Corel Draw Graphics Suite X5 has been designed for both aspiring and professional designers and provides users with a fast and intuitive platform capable of delivering vector illustration, page layout, photo editing, tracing, web graphics and animation.

On the 16^th August Intel, the world’s largest semiconductor chip maker, shocked the technology industry in its bid to acquire McAfee for $7.68 billion ($4.9bn).

This would mean a purchase of all of McAfee’s common stock for £48 per share in cash and McAfee will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary, reporting into Intel’s Software and Services Group.

Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO said:

“The addition of McAfee products and technologies into the Intel computing portfolio brings us incredibly talented people with a track record of delivering security innovations, products and services that the industry and consumers trust to make connecting to the Internet safer and more secure.”

This merger will ultimately better protect consumers, corporations and governments with security software and hardware from one company as billions of devices – and the server and cloud networks that manage them – go online.

Intel and McAfee will jointly explore future product concepts to help strengthen security in the cloud network and countless computers and devices people use day-to-day.

Renée James, Intel senior vice president, and general manager of the group, said:

“McAfee is the right security partner for us. Our current work together has impressive prospects, and we look forward to introducing a product from our strategic partnership next year.”

Image credit: huangjiahui

This sleek new line of all-in-one PCs consists of the ET2400E, ET2400I, ET2400A, ET2400EGT, ET2400INT, ET2400AGT, ET2400XVT. These PCs are the height of entertainment with Super Hybrid Engines and the ASUS SonicMaster Technology teamed with a 23.6-inch Full HD widescreen.

The SonicMaster Technology ensures a crisp sound through a wide audio spectrum between 80Hz and 12 KHz, and minimizes distortions. The unique Super Hybrid Engine works alongside the latest Intel® processors and increases system performance by up to 15 per cent.

Selected models in the series feature USB 3.0 which makes file transfers 10 times faster compared to USB 2.0, as well as Bluetooth 3.0 which syncs mobile devices up to 8 times faster than normal.

All models in the series come with a 16:9, 23.6-inch Full HD display but the top of the range ET2400XVT, goes that extra bit further. It comes with NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ technology, meaning you get 3D movies and games in Full HD.

Other components on offer in selected models include a built-in TV tuner, Blu-ray drive, and HDMI-in, meaning it is compatible with games consoles, cameras and laptops.

These PCs will have a very strong media focus and are versatile enough for the whole family. No details on pricing have been released as of yet.

Specs

ET2400E

Intel®Pentium® dual-core E5500

2Gb RAM (DDR3 800 MHz)

1Tb/750Gb/500Gb/320Gb SATA II 7200rpm

Super Multi DVD optical drive

Display: 23.6 inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution

Graphics: on board

ET2400I

Intel® Core™ i5 -650 /

Intel® Core™ i3 -540

2Gb RAM (DDR3 1066 MHz)

1Tb/750Gb/500Gb SATA II 7200rpm

Blue-ray reader / Super Multi DVD optical drive

Display: 23.6 inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution

Graphics: on board

ET2400A

AMD Athlon II X2 220

Graphics ATI Radeon HD5470, ATI Radeon HD4570, UMA

2Gb RAM (DDR3 1066 MHz)

1Tb/750Gb/500Gb/320Gb SATA II 7200rpm

Super Multi DVD optical drive

Display: 23.6 inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution

ET2400EGT

Intel® Pentium® dual-core E5500

Graphics: ATI Radeon HD5470, ATI Radeon HD4570

2Gb RAM (DDR3 800 MHz)

1Tb/750Gb/500Gb/320Gb SATA II 7200rpm

Display: 23.6 inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution

Touch screen

Super Multi DVD optical drive

ET2400INT

Intel® Core™ i5 -650, Intel® Core™ i3 -540

Graphics: NVIDIA G310M

2Gb RAM (DDR3 1066 MHz)

1Tb/750Gb/500Gb SATAII 7200rpm

Display: 23.6 inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution

Touch screen

Blue-ray reader / Super Multi DVD optical drive

ET2400AGT

AMD Athlon II X2 220

Graphic:ATI Radeon HD5470, ATI Radeon HD4570, UMA

2Gb RAM (DDR3 1066 MHz)

1Tb/750Gb/500Gb/320Gb SATA II 7200rpm

Display: 23.6 inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution

Touch screen

Super Multi DVD optical drive

ET2400XVT

Intel® Core™ i7 -740QM

Grapics: NVIDIA Geforce GTX Fermi

2Gb RAM (DDR3 1333 MHz)

1Tb SATAII7200rpm

Display: 23.6 inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution (120Hz 3D)

Touch screen

Blue-ray reader optical drive

Samsung has released a new series of notebooks aimed at the mobile business user, the Q530, Q430 and the Q330.

The Q530 is the most powerful of the three, designed to meet the needs of heavy mobile users. It sports a glossy 15.6 inch HD LED display with a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution and a 16:9 contrast ratio.

It can be powered by either an Intel i3 or i5 processor with a 320Gb, 500Gb or 640Gb hard drive and weighs just 2.39kg.

Next up is the Q430 which comes with the same features as the Q530 but is smaller – it has a 14 inch screen and weighs just 2.09kg. This model is for someone who wants a powerful laptop that is that much more portable.

Last but not least we have the Q330 notebook, the featherweight of the Q Series. It comes with a 13.3 inch HD LED display and weighs 1.97kg, making it the lightest of the three but by no means sacrifices all its power for it.

It comes with an i3 or i5 processor and a hybrid graphics features automatically alternating graphic modes between the Intel HD Graphic card and the nVidia GeForce 310M, saving on power consumption – the battery life is up to seven hours.

Yonghwan Park, senior vice president, Samsung IT Solutions business said:

“We’ve designed the Q Series to offer the most exciting, powerful and stylish mobile computing experience on the market. Each model in the range will maximize mobile productivity through a combination of state-of-the-art features and ergonomic design. The Q series line-up realises the perfect IT experience, delivering both portability and performance without compromise.”

The Q Series is available now for purchase.

Toshiba has just announced its latest technology development, called Wipe, which has been developed for Toshiba Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) models.

Wipe is the first of its kind in the world and is designed to prevent sensitive user information from being stolen off borrowed or leased devices. It has a special security capability that allows sensitive user data to be securely erased when a system is powered-down.

This unique technology was created to go hand-in-hand with Toshiba’s Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) hard disk drives, the latest of which was announced in July this year.

Toshiba said in a press release:

“Designed to the Trusted Computing Group “Opal” Specification, Toshiba’s SED models provide advanced access security and on-board encryption for client systems such as notebook computers.”

It is not only notebooks that Wipe can protect, and that need protection more to the point. Copier and Printer systems vendors can now use Toshiba’s Wipe Technology to securely invalidate sensitive document image data by automatically erasing the SED’s internal encryption key.

Image credit: Collins110 DeclanTM

The new Dell Inspiron M101z has been released here in the UK. Weighing in at less than four pounds it packs up to 8Gb of RAM and boasts a new hinge forward design for extra durability.

From the look of it this is one hell of a tough little machine, with sleek good looks to boot. Dell promises a full sized keyboard, powerful AMD Athlon II Neo Mobile processors and a visually spectacular 11.6 inch True Life HD display.

Prices start at a very reasonable £379 (inc. VAT), which is remarkable for a laptop that looks this high-spec. You will be able to fit this into a handbag or backpack and with its brushed metal chassis it’ll look the part when resting on the coffee table too.

Tech specs:

• Speedy AMD Athlon™ II Neo single and dual core mobile processor options with integrated ATi graphics
• Dazzling 11.6-inch TrueLife™ HD glossy WLED display (1366×768)
• Up to 8GB of fast DDR3 memory at 800MHz
• Up to 320 GB SATA hard drive, built-in 1.3 megapixel Webcam, SRS Premium Sound with two 1.5W speakers, three USB 2.0 connections with one USB Powershare to support sleep and charge, and a 7-in-1 media card reader
• Integrated 10/100 Ethernet, Wi-Fi (b/g/n) and Bluetooth 3.0 wireless
• Full-width ergonomic keyboard with raised individual keypads
• Selection of colours and finishes including Lotus Pink, Peacock Blue and Tomato Red with an intricate patterned finish on the cover, as well as a Clear Black option
• Standard 6-cell battery with available 9-cell battery optional later this fall
• Choice of operating systems, up to Windows® 7 Home Premium
• Pre-installed applications include Syncables Desktop, Skype and Microsoft Office Starter
• Available external DVD/RW drive

Acer has impressed audiences at the Taipei Computer Applications Show with a new netbook capable of booting up in either Windows XP or Android operating systems.

The new D255 netbook, which is not yet on sale in the UK, gives you the choice of running it in Android – which has a very fast boot up time so is perfect for quick access to the Internet or for playing a movie – or Windows for when you want to run Windows software.

The dual-OS system is a smart concept as it gives you the flexibility to work on Windows software such as MS Office, but let’s you get online fast when you need to without the tiresome wait that comes with booting up Windows.

The Acer D255 is reported to be going on sale at around the $375 mark and comes with a 10.1 inch screen, 1 Gb RAM, 160 Gb of storage and runs on an Intel Atom processor.

The release of this netbook gives us an idea of how personal computing is heading off much more towards Internet functionality and speed of access, as the Smartphone generation become accustomed to getting their Internet fix faster and faster. Similar trends can be seen elsewhere, such as the Sony Vaio E Series which already has a fast Internet button so you can go straight online without booting up first.

These new business desktops have been created for growing companies that are looking for that extra boost of power, without the extra costs.

The ThinkCentre M70e (above left) and A70 (above right) models both come in small form factors and in a tower form and are accented with new style features such as a new red eject button, a silver-lined raised power button, a raised USB, mic and headphone jacks and a new vent design.

Both stations come with Intel Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, Pentium and Celeron processor choices but the Intel Core 2 Quad processors are only available with the M70e. They come with NVIDIA GeForce FX380 Quadro or Intel integrated GMA X4500 graphics and high speed DDR3 memory up to 4 Gb.

The large hard drives go range from up to 500Gb for the A70 and up to 1 Tb in the M70e. They have a Gigabit Ethernet, DVD burner and ThinkVantage Tools with Rescue and Recovery to protect against data loss.

The M70e also sports an 8-in-1 card reader and up to eight USB slots. These models with be available from this month, prices starting at around £300 for the A70 and £380 for the M70e.

Following the recent release of the Acer S1 series LED displays, Apple has unveiled yet another beautiful machine – the perfect accompaniment to a MacBook or Mac desktop.

This 27-inch beast of a cinema display comes with built-in MagSafe charging, iSight camera, speakers, built-in Mini DisplayPort connectivity for video and audio input and three USB 2.0 ports.

It has a crystal clear 16:9 edge-to-edge glass screen that is held upon a classic aluminium stand – it also has an adjustable hinge for effortless tilting. This stunning LED-backlit screen gives you greater control over the brightness

This model also boasts an EPEAT Gold status, it meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements, and is made with mercury-free LED technology, arsenic-free glass, highly recyclable materials. It also contains no brominated flame retardants and the cables and components are all PVC-free.

This display is expected to be in store in September this year and prices will start from $999 (around £640).

These S1 displays come in four sizes, the 18.5, 20, 21 and 23 inch models and have beaten title holders Samsung for the label of thinnest LED monitor.

Not only do these display look stylish and streamlined, they are even eco-friendly, all sporting an EnergyStar 5.0 rating and are made without any hazardous substances such as halogen gases, mercury, PCV, BFR. They also consume up to 68 per cent less compared to traditional LCD screens.

The S1 Series offer up to full HD 1920×1080 pixel resolution and a contrast ratio of 12,000,000:1. They also boast a 5ms response time and have Acer’s eDisplay Management which provides advanced colour calibration and display management options.

These monitor are available now and prices range from £119.99 for the S191HQL rising to £169.99 for the S231HL.