Acer Unveils Creator-Worthy Swift X Duo with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series Laptop GPUs

Acer announced new models in its Swift X laptop series, the Swift X 14 AI and Swift X 14, designed to offer professionals and content creators reliable performance and a suite of AI tools to enhance their creative endeavors.

Powered by AMD Ryzen™ AI 300 Series processors, the Swift X 14 AI enables seamless on-device rendering, modeling, and real-time visualization. This new Copilot+ PC is equipped to handle demanding AI workloads and offers exclusive AI experiences such as Recall (preview), Click to Do (preview), and improved Windows search, Cocreator, Live Captions, Image Creator, and Windows Studio Effects[1]. The new Swift X 14 creator laptop ensures responsive performance for demanding creative workflows and all-day battery life powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2).

Both laptops are powered by NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5070 Laptop GPUs with NVIDIA Blackwell architecture and also feature Calman-verified 3K OLED touch displays that are calibrated to produce captivating and accurate colors right out of the box.

Creators now have two new model options from the award-winning Swift X line, ideal for creative professionals such as graphic designers, video editors, and photographers who need a powerful system in a portable form factor. The Swift X 14 AI (SFX14-61G) is powered by up to an AMD Ryzen™ AI 9 365 processor with advanced “Zen 5” cores to provide fast responsiveness and endurance to run heavy AI workloads, while the Swift X 14 (SFX14-73G) is powered by up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 285H to handle multitasking and demanding applications smoothly. Swift X 14 also supports the Intel® AI Assistant Builder, that provides building blocks to help developers create their own AI-centric content. Both devices have plenty of storage space for saving work files and content with up to 32 GB LPDDR5X system memory and up to 2 TB PCIe Gen 4 storage.

These premium creator laptops both feature NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPUs, powered by NVIDIA Blackwell, to drive AI-accelerated workflows for live streaming, video editing, and 3D rendering, enabling new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity. Both systems are NVIDIA Studio-validated and optimized with pre-installed NVIDIA Studio Drivers for out-of-the-box performance. Additionally, the Swift X laptops support NVIDIA DLSS 4 technology to multiply performance and provide access to NVIDIA NIM Microservices – state-of-the-art AI models that let enthusiasts and developers build AI assistants, agents, and workflows with peak performance. ​

Creators and professionals can visualize their designs in lifelike color and stunning clarity on the Swift X 14 AI and Swift X 14’s Calman-verified 14.5-inch 3K OLED displays. With full DCI-P3 color range support, creators will experience impressive color accuracy in animation, photos, and video. The 16:10 displays deliver an immersive experience with edge-to-edge glass and VESA DisplayHDR™ TrueBlack 500 certification. Acer Light Sensing technology vividly adapts color temperature and brightness to reflect lighting conditions. Both laptops’ displays are protected by smudge-resistant Corning® Gorilla™ Glass and are available with touch-screen options for intuitive controls.

Made for makers, the new Swift X models feature extra-large haptic touchpads that deliver exceptionally precise feedback and smooth navigation. Support for an MPP 2.5 tilt-enabled stylus[2] adds to the device’s usability, empowering users to freely draw, design, edit, and take notes with ease. Their sleek and versatile build can be laid flat, providing greater flexibility for creative projects and collaboration.

Advanced thermal technologies include two TwinAir stereo ring fans, dual copper heat pipes, and dedicated air inlet keyboards to dissipate heat efficiently and help keep both new laptops cool for reliable performance.

Ready to Connect, Sustainable Design

The new Swift X 14 and Swift X 14 AI laptops are outfitted with a 1080p FHD IR webcam that supports biometric login through facial recognition with Windows Hello. Acer PurifiedVoice™ 2.0 works in tandem with the triple microphone array on each new laptop to minimize background noise so users sound their best on conference calls. The laptops also feature the latest connectivity options, supporting Wi-Fi 6E and have a range of ports.

These new Swift laptops continue Acer’s Earthion initiative and commitment to sustainable practices; they utilize post-consumer recycled plastic in the device, ship with 100% recycled packaging, and are EPEAT Gold-registered

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Kingston IronKey D500S: World’s First TAA-Compliant, FIPS 140-3 Level 3 Hardware-Encrypted Drive with Trusted Supply Chain

Kingston announces today its award-winning Kingston IronKey™ D500S hardware-encrypted USB flash drive has received NIST FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation. Designed and assembled by Kingston in California, D500S is the world’s first and only FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validated drive with a TAA-compliant and trusted supply chain.

When the IronKey D500S was being designed in 2020, the business goal was to make it a best-in-class hardware-encrypted drive with XTS-AES 256-bit encryption and the newest NIST security standard, FIPS 140-3 Level 3. But, an additional goal was to also go beyond TAA-compliance, which only verifies the legally-declared Country Of Origin (COO). The D500S was designed to ensure that all its critical components and assembly processes fully meet TAA and CMMC compliance requirements. 

Critical drive components include the following:

- Secure Microprocessor managing all encryption and authentication processes

- Digitally-signed firmware for the Secure Microprocessor

- Drive software launcher, which includes multi-password authentication and feature setting

- NAND Flash storage chips

- Assembly of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) with all critical components 

- Encasing the PCB assembly and injecting epoxy in the rugged casing to comply with FIPS 140-3 Level 3 anti-tampering protection

All critical drive components were directly sourced by Kingston from TAA-compliant and trusted suppliers, and stocked in the secured Kingston Manufacturing Center in California, USA to ensure drive assembly is done in tightly controlled, engineering supervised processes. D500S will also have matching internal and external serial numbers for asset tracking and endpoint management.

“We went over-and-above competitors in the USB data protection industry to ensure that the IronKey D500S is an unrivaled best-in-class FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certified drive for securing data-at-rest and meeting stringent government and military standards worldwide,” said Kingston. “With a trusted supply chain supporting CMMC and TAA compliance, along with design and assembly at Kingston’s USA headquarters, D500S stands out as the most security-focused USB drive on the market—delivering unmatched assurance for customers who require the highest level of trusted data protection.”

D500S also has the industry’s first dual-partition option on a hardware-encrypted USB drive with multiple passwords. This allows Admin to create two custom-sized secure partitions for Admin and User, for a Hidden File Store that can be used to provision files to the User partition as needed. When using untrusted systems or sharing the drive, the Hidden File Stores keep data secure and invisible unless accessed through proper authentication.

Other advanced features include the capabilities of an Admin to set a Global Read-Only mode until reset, as well as to enter a Crypto-Erase password that will destroy the data and reset the drive to prevent unauthorized access in compromising situations. D500S also features a rugged zinc casing which meets military-grade shock, vibration and drop test specifications1 with IP67 dust and water resistance rating.

D500S offers fully customizable features and functionality to meet your organization’s specific needs, with capacities up to 512GB3 and backed by a 5-year warranty and free technical support. 

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LG Begins Global Rollout of StanbyME 2, Designed to Offer Enhanced Portability and Flexibility

LG Electronics (LG) announced the global rollout of its latest companion, LG StanbyME 2 inherits the versatile design of the existing StanbyME and offers added flexibility by being completely detachable from its wheeled docking stand. Impressively, StanbyME 2 offers enhanced portability and higher resolution to cater to varied ways of living and individual tastes, delivering an engaging entertainment experience, whether from the comfort of home or on the go.

LG’s New StanbyME presents a new detachable screen that can be removed from its stand with one click, delivering enhanced portability and flexibility placement options. It also transforms into a wall piece, allowing it to be used as a framed wall clock or a decorative display paired with its strap accessories.1 Supporting both landscape and portrait orientations, the StanbyME 2 adapts seamlessly to any environment and lifestyle. In recognition of these distinctive capabilities, the StanbyME 2 was honored with the iF Design Award and the Red Dot Design Award.

Adding to its portability, the StanbyME 2’s screen features a built-in battery that allows for up to 4 hours of continuous video playback,2 enabling convenient use both indoors and outdoors without being plugged into a power source. The battery can be easily recharged via the docking stand or by connecting a USB-C cable to an external charger or power bank,3 providing reliable power options.

The StanbyME 2 also ensures user interaction is easy and intuitive, enabling users to enjoy smooth and comfortable operation in everyday use. With hands-free voice recognition, users can effortlessly control this TV and navigate content without needing a remote in hand.

Equipped with the award-winning webOS TV platform, the StanbyME 2 offers access to a wide variety of content streaming options, including LG Channels – LG’s exclusive free streaming service. For greater flexibility, it also supports Apple AirPlay and Google Cast for wireless content sharing, and integrates with LG ThinQ and Google Home for seamless smart home control. Unique features such as Mood Maker and the sketch app Let’s Draw provide an emotionally engaging and pleasing experience, further elevating the value of portable entertainment solutions available on the LG StanbyME 2.

Coupled with its enhanced portability and versatility, the LG StanbyME 2 offers a compelling entertainment experience that enriches both visual and audio enjoyment. It features a 27-inch QHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution display, providing enhanced clarity and rich details that make visuals more engaging with a sense of sharpness and vibrancy. With built-in speakers on each side, the sound can be optimized through EQ settings that automatically adjust based on the screen’s orientation – whether in landscape, portrait or table mode – delivering clear dialogue and well-balanced audio in any screen position.

LG’s proprietary α (Alpha) 8 AI Processor, integrated into the StanbyME 2, intelligently optimizes picture quality based on ambient lighting and enables immersive virtual 9.1.2 surround sound through the built-in speakers. With support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, the StanbyME 2 delivers cinematic visuals and audio, enriching the viewing experience with greater depth and clarity.

The LG StanbyME 2 will be launched sequentially in major countries around the world, starting with Hong Kong and Türkiye this week, followed by the U.S., Canada, Vietnam and Singapore in July, and the UK, Germany, France and Spain in August. Discover how the StanbyME 2 enhances on-the-go entertainment experiences by visiting the official LG Electronics website.

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Kingston Adds New Form Factor to NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD for laptops and handheld consoles

Kingston Technology today announced today announced it has added a new form factor, to join the previous 2280 model, NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2230 SSD for users looking for a high-speed, low power NVMe storage upgrade for compatible laptops and handheld gaming consoles.

The Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe 2230 SSD is a compact single-sided M.2 2230 (22x30mm) design that provides storage expansion up to 2TB2 for systems with limited space. Powered by a Gen 4x4 NVMe controller NV3 2230 delivers read/write speeds of up to 6,000/5,000MB/s3, creating a more responsive system able to handle a wide range of workloads.

“We are happy to expand our offerings with the NV3 2230 SSD allowing users to upgrade not just their devices but their experience, whether for work or play,” said Kingston. “NV3 2230 delivers speed and reliability making it ideal for creators and gamers ready to see improved performance.”

Available in capacities from 500GB – 2TB, NV3 2230 provides users storage for an array of applications, files, games and more. NV3 also includes 1-year free Acronis® True Image for Kingston software, alongside the Kingston SSD Manager application, enabling users to monitor drive health and disk usage, update drive firmware, and securely erase data.

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Rest Easy with Garmin’s Index Sleep Monitor

Garmin announced the Index™ Sleep Monitor, an ultra-comfortable and lightweight smart sleep band that tracks sleep for a more comprehensive view of overall fitness and recovery. Featuring up to 7 nights of battery life with continuous Pulse Ox tracking, the Index Sleep Monitor is worn on the upper arm and tracks sleep stages, heart rate variability (HRV) status, breathing variations, skin temperature and more to calculate a sleep score for users and provide valuable insights about their health1. After a night of sleep, the data seamlessly syncs to the Garmin Connect™ smartphone app and can be combined with metrics from a compatible Garmin smartwatch to fill in gaps in data for users who don’t wear their watch at night or are looking to better understand how well they recovered.

Throughout the night, the Index Sleep Monitor tracks the following sleep and recovery metrics, which can then be viewed in Garmin Connect:

• Sleep score: Every morning, receive a personalized score (0-100) for last night’s sleep based on sleep duration, stress, sleep stages and more. 
• Sleep stages: View light, deep and REM sleep stages and when they occur during the night.
• HRV status: See last night’s average HRV and status (balanced, unbalanced, low or poor). After several nights of wear, the smart sleep band will establish a personal baseline to help provide a better understanding of recovery and overall wellness.
• Pulse Ox: Track blood oxygen saturation during sleep1.
• Breathing variations: Used in conjunction with Pulse Ox, view and better understand shifts in breathing patterns while sleeping1.
• Respiration: View respiration rates throughout the night.
• Skin temperature: Track skin temperature changes, which can be related to recent activity, sleep environment, potential illness and more.
• Women’s health tracking: Using skin temperature, women can get more insights into their menstrual cycle, including improved period predictions and past ovulation estimates2. Women can also track their menstrual cycle or pregnancy and get exercise and nutrition education in the Garmin Connect app.
• Body Battery™ energy monitoring: View energy levels to see if the body is charged or needs more rest. Users who wear a compatible smartwatch while awake can get a more complete picture of their energy levels—day and night.
• Stress tracking: See if last night’s sleep was calm, balanced or stressful.

When it’s time to wake up, the smart wake alarm feature looks at lighter sleep stages during a pre-selected window of time to gently wake users with a light vibration so they feel more refreshed.

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