Expresscard: memory, communication and other modules for your computer

FirmTek said that it is now shipping its SeriTek/2SM2-E ExpressCard SATA adapter card for the MacBook Pro, providing those users with a means to stream live video directly to their hard drives. Apple dropped the previous standard, PC Card, in favor of ExpressCard when it introduced the MacBook Pro in January.

TheStar review of the new Toshiba Satellite A100-P545: It is not just Apple that can design cool-looking notebooks. One look at the new Satellite A100-P545 and you will be convinced that Toshiba has hit a design breakthrough with this one.

With a wedge-shaped design, a lot more curves and an orange lid, you can bet that this notebook will not go unnoticed.

But the real highlight is located inside the notebook's belly – the A100-P545 is one of the new breed of notebooks to come with an “ultraslim” remote control which is stored in the ExpressCard slot. (I seriously hope this is not the best use they can find for the slot.)

The remote control works with Windows Media Player and InterVideo, which come pre-installed with the notebook.

We found it unusual that this laptop has an ExpressCard analog TV tuner as well as a PVR (personal video recorder). It is also not common to find midrange laptops running on Windows XP Media Center and shipping with their own remote controls.

Staccato Communications today announced that AboCom, a leading embedded WLAN solutions original design manufacturer (ODM), has chosen Staccato's Ripcord(TM) family of single-chip, all-CMOS solutions based upon Certified Wireless USB for its PC dongle and hub products. Staccato's reference designs will be the basis for these products. Additionally, AboCom will introduce an ExpressCard of its own design based on Staccato's Ripcord(TM) chip.

"We are pleased to again partner with Staccato Communications to provide high-quality wireless PC products to our customers, who are among the `Who's Who' of the consumer electronics industry," said Calvin Chang, special assistant to the chairman of AboCom. "These A-list customers will settle for nothing but the highest standards. We believe Ripcord offers us both the best design solution today and the best roadmap for the introduction of future products."

According to a recently published report by In-Stat Research, the estimated worldwide market for UWB-enabled products is expected to reach 289 million units by 2010.

Japanese OEM Mouse Computer has two new laptops for you to check out, the m-Book GW and SW.

The 17-inch WSXGA+ (1680 x 1,050) GW features a GeForce Go 7600, ExpressCard/54 slot, 3-in-1 card reader, FireWire, DVI, S-Video, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11/a/b/g, and, of course, a Core Duo processor (2GHz T2500, to be exact).

Lenovo updated the processor, but not much else with the ThinkPad R52, its latest entry into its R line of laptops. A thicker version of the thin-and-light T line, the R52 is virtually the same 7-pound corporate laptop as last year's R model, only faster and with a couple of new connections, including the new ExpressCard slot, which takes the place of a second PC Card slot.

At first glance, you could easily mistake the new 17-inch MacBook Pro (Best Current Price: $2675.00) for its predecessor, the legendary 17-inch PowerBook G4 (; January 2006). The new model has roughly the same dimensions—at 15.4-by-10.4-by-1.0 inches and 6.8 pounds, it’s a shade wider, but a tenth of a pound lighter—and it retains the familiar aluminum enclosure and sleek design.

Inside, however, the new top-of-the-line Apple laptop incorporates not only a completely different processor, but a slew of other changes you should consider before deciding whether—or when—this is a machine for you.

MSI just released its newest 4.5 pound laptop sporting AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual Core processors.

The MS-1058 is a 12.1-inch widescreen ultraportable equipped with Super-Multi Drive DVD burner, Gigabit LAN, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth, ExpressCard, Memory Card reader slot, and 8-cell battery.

Using the ATi RS485M chipset, you can upgrade the RAM at up to 2GB DDR2 533/667 SO-DIMM. You can also upgrade the Turion 64 X2 mobile processor at up to 2.0GHz.