Tech Watch

CANON RAISES BAR FOR COLOR MFPs

Canon has expanded its line of multifunction color-laser printers and copiers with the Color imageRUNNER C Series, which includes the C4580, C4080, C3380 and C2880. The devices join the Canon Color imageRUNNER C5180 Series that debuted earlier this year. Targeted at both large and small office environments, the new C4580/C4080 Series delivers speeds of up to 51 pages per minute for black-and-white output or color.

The Color imageRUNNER C3380/C2880 Series has a small-office footprint and delivers output speeds of up to 33 ppm in monochrome and up to 28 ppm in color. The devices also feature imageCHIP system architecture with a dual-CPU design and increased memory capacity of up to 1.5 GB of RAM and 80 GB of hard-drive space, allowing for simultaneous processing of documents.

Canon Color imageRUNNER Series, Price: Ranges from $9,000 to $25,000

IT'S THE SYSTEM, STUPID

Why settle for just a VoIP-enabled phone when you can have an entire system? Toshiba has released its Strata CIX40 IP business-communication system for small companies, a device that supports up to 16 station ports and eight IP channels. The new system also has Toshiba's FeatureFlex adaptability functions and can be enabled for Time Division Multiplexing, or TDM, or networked with other CIX40 or larger Strata CIX systems for big companies in remote offices. With the TDM features, users can run a pure IP system or a mix of IP and digital TDM, allowing them to choose how they will maximize their systems and migrate existing equipment. The Strata CIX also works with SIP telephones.

Toshiba Strata CIX40, Price: Starts at $400

SAMSUNG SHOWS OFF its TRUE COLORS

Samsung Electronics America's latest 19-inch TFT LCD, the SyncMaster 931C, displays 97 percent of the National Television System Committee's color gamut for Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp, or CCFL. Compare that to the 82 percent displayed by most current LCDs and you've got yourself some vibrant images indeed. Although the display is a natural fit for gamers--it's the official monitor of the 2006 World Cyber Games in Italy--it's a lower-end alternative for digital photographers and artists. The SyncMaster 931C also includes PrintViewer, which gives a more accurate view of how images will appear when they're printed.

Samsung SyncMaster 931C, Price: $300

A PRETTY FACE ADDED TO ACTIVE DIRECTORY

Administering Microsoft's Active Directory is not for the timid, which helps explain the bevy of tools for systems administrators. The latest from CNS eliminates the need for scripting and provides centralized management through a unified front end. CNS WinRadar v2 also lets admins remotely manage individual clients and can be used to install service packs, adjust display settings, uninstall software and perform remote reboots.

CNS WinRadar v2, Price: $595 (lifetime maintenance: $149)

INTEL REDEFINES JBOD

Systems builders looking to add storage solutions to their portfolios can now offer a turnkey system targeted at small and midsize businesses from Intel. The company's Storage System SSR212CC provides the basic infrastructure for integrators to build NAS or SAN appliances. The system, built around Xyratex's 2U chassis enclosure, is based on Intel's low-voltage Intel Xeon processor and supports up to 6 terabytes distributed across a 12-disk SATA array. The storage system runs on Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0, and supports hardware-based RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10 and 50.

Intel Storage System SSR212CC, Price: $3,000

SYMBOL, VUE TEAM UP FOR RFID

Vue Technology and Symbol Technologies have paired up to deliver two item-level RFID bundles aimed squarely at the retail space. The pair is rolling out both a cost-effective handheld offering for item-level RFID and an integrated handheld/smart-shelf solution. Both run on Vue's TrueVUE RFID Platform and use Symbol's RFID hardware. The goal, according to company executives, is to increase same-store sales, employee productivity and the accuracy of inventory data and replenishment capabilities. The RFID handheld offering is an ideal solution for small-scale applications and provides retailers with an introduction to the benefits of item-level RFID with minimal investment. Meanwhile, the handheld/smart-shelf combo provides a balance of continual, real-time inventory visibility for high-value items, along with inventory snapshots for slower-moving items. Both solutions will be available for purchase in October.

Vue-Symbol RFID bundle, Pricing: Handheld-only, $35,000; integrated handheld/smart-shelf, $75,000