Toshiba to Launch the World’s Fastest SDHC Memory Card
Toshiba today announced the launch of 8GB. 16GB and 32GB SDHC UHS-I cards compliant with the SD Memory Card Standard Ver. 3.0 (SD 3.0), UHS104. These new SD cards offer the world’s fastest SDHC data read and write speeds. Toshiba also extended its industry leadership in memory card solutions by unveiling the world’s first 4GB, 8GB and 16GB microSDHC UHS-I cards compliant with (SD 3.0), UHS50.
Mass production of the new SDHC UHS-I cards and sample shipments of the new microSDHC UHS-I cards will start this November.
The new SDHC UHS-I Memory Cards are the world’s first memory cards compliant with SD 3.0, UHS104. With a maximum read speed of 95MB per second and a write speed of 80MB per second, the products introduce a new level of ultra-fast read and write speeds to NAND flash based memory cards.
Toshiba’s new microSDHC UHS-I cards are the world’s first microSDHC memory cards compliant with SD 3.0, UHS50. They, too, offer the world’s fastest read and write speeds in their class: a maximum read speed of 40MB per second and a write speed of 20MB per second.
The specifications of the new cards combine increased data capacity with the fast data transfer rates essential for applications such as high speed continuous shooting of high resolution digital still cameras, video, and high speed transfers of HD content.
The high performance specifications announced by Toshiba will enable developers to use HD content in future generations of consumer products. By further enhancing the performance of its SD Memory Card line-up, Toshiba continues to lead the NAND flash memory market in removable card storage.
The expanded new card series will be featured at IFA 2010, in Berlin, Germany from September 3, and Photokina 2010, in Koln, Germany from September 21.
Iomega Offering Portable USB 3 Hard Drives at USB 2 Prices
August 24, 2010 by Doug
Filed under Hardware, Mac Hardware, PC Hardware, Storage
Iomega toady announces that it is moving to the new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface for all Iomega USB 2.0 portable hard drives, beginning with the award-winning line of Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drives. The new all-USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives will feature hardware encryption and super toughness, too, thanks to a drop spec twice the industry average – all at USB 2.0 product prices of the last generation of drives.
All of the new Iomega USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives come out of the box with 256-bit hardware encryption built-in (PC only), as well as the cables required to enjoy your drive right away, whether your desktop or laptop has USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 ports. The Prestige family of portable hard drives will also feature 256-bit hardware encryption built-in (PC only) with the transition to USB 3.0 models in the first quarter of 2011.
USB 3.0 Transition Timeline for Iomega Portable Hard Drives
Iomega plans to move all eGo Portable Hard Drives in 500GB and 1TB capacities to the new USB 3.0 interface by early October. Totally compatible with all USB 2.0 computers, the new USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives will include Iomega’s industry-leading Drop Guard Xtreme, which provides added protection from drops of nearly seven feet or twice the industry average.
In the first quarter of 2011, Iomega plans to move the Iomega Prestige Compact Portable Hard Drive line to USB 3.0 on all models. Shortly thereafter, Iomega will move the rest of its portable external hard drive models to the USB 3.0 interface.
The Iomega Protection Suite
Included free of charge with all of Iomega’s eGo and Prestige Portable Hard Drives is the Iomega Protection Suite, a portfolio of backup and anti-virus software giving users added protection for their photos, videos, music and other files.
Include Software
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v.Clone software, an Iomega exclusive, captures a complete virtual image of your PC — including the operating system, all applications, your settings, and all your files to your Iomega hard drive. Access the cloned copy and use it seamlessly on another computer, just as if you’re working from your own PC. When you reconnect, automatically sync your data to your primary PC, so that files are always up to date. |
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A complementary 12 month subscription to Trend Micro™ Internet Security for the PC, or Trend Micro Smart Surfing software for Mac. |
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Iomega QuikProtect: backup software for simple scheduled file-level backup of data to hard drives and network-attached storage devices (for Windows and Mac desktops and notebooks). |
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Roxio Retrospect Express software: backup all of your data plus applications and settings (for Windows and Mac desktops and notebooks). |
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MozyHome Online Backup service: Convenient online backup service with 2GB of online capacity for free (unlimited online storage for $4.95/month). MozyHome Online service allows you to restore your most important data from any computer with internet access, at any location in the world. |
Pricing, Availability and Warranty
For more information on Iomega’s complete line of portable hard drives, including current pricing, please go to www.iomega.com. Also be sure to see Iomega’s new USB 3.0 product video at YouTube.
The Iomega USB 3.0 Adapter for USB 2.0 laptops is available for $39.99, and the Iomega USB 3.0 PCI Express Adaptor for PC desktops is $39.99. (Pricing is U.S. suggested retail.)
All Iomega portable hard drives include a 3-year limited warranty (with registration). Iomega-branded portable hard drives are available from online retailers, VARs, resellers and select retailers, as well as at www.iomega.com.
Buffalo Updates DriveStation Products
Buffalo Technology has announced a refresh of the highly popular DriveStation Duo and DriveStation Quad, formerly DriveStation Quattro, representing the latest generation of high-performance direct attached storage solutions. Combining performance and reliability, these new multi-drive external hard drives, equipped with NovaBACKUP Business Essentials, are ideal for small servers, creative professionals, offices and consumers requiring redundant and high-performance external storage. Also announced today is the new DriveStation Axis, a single drive storage solution combining unique features and simplicity with Buffalo’s distinguished reliability for an exceptional value.
The DriveStation Quad is a 4-drive, RAID enabled storage solution for small servers, creative professionals, offices and consumers requiring large, redundant and high-performance external storage. Equipped with four hard drives, DriveStation Quad supports RAID 0, 5, 10 and Normal modes, but ships configured in RAID 5, for balance between data redundancy and available storage capacity. Additionally, DriveStation Quad supports USB 2.0 for compatibility with almost any computer and eSATA 3.0 for data transfer rates of up to 235 MB/s. A heavy-duty cooling system allows the unit to efficiently run cool and quiet while the snap-off front plate allows for quick and easy drive replacements with no tools required. Available in capacities up to 8 TB, the DriveStation Quad is designed to deliver unmatched performance at a great value.
The DriveStation Duo dual-drive storage solution features USB 2.0 support for universal compatibility and enhanced performance speeds up to 225 MB/s with eSATA 3.0, providing the necessary horsepower for even the most performance critical applications. Equipped with two quick swap hard drives, the DriveStation Duo supports RAID 0 and 1 offering data redundancy or the capacity required for demanding professional and server applications, along with simple user maintenance and tool-free drive replacements.
Buffalo’s new single drive DriveStation Axis is an easy-to-use external hard drive for the simple addition of external storage to any device via a USB port. DriveStation Axis features a sleek, attractive chassis that can be positioned vertically or horizontally, adapting to the location it is used in for efficient use of space. Equipped with the Buffalo Backup Utility, a component of Buffalo Tools, a feature-rich software suite designed to enhance computer performance and the day-to-day digital life of Windows PC consumers, the Buffalo DriveStation Axis is their solution for expanding storage or backing up any home or home office computer.
Pricing and Availability
- The DriveStation Quad is available in late August at estimated street prices of $624.99 for the 4 TB (HD-QL4TSU2R5) and $1134.99 for the 8 TB (HD-QL8TSU2R5)
- The DriveStation Duo is available in September at estimated street prices of $274.99 for the 2 TB (HD-WL2TSU2R1) and $454.99 for the 4 TB (HD-WL4TSU2R1)
- The DriveStation Axis is available in September at estimated street prices of $104.99 for the 1 TB (HD-LB1.0TU2), $124.99 for the 1.5 TB (HD-LB1.5TU2) and $169.99 for the 4 TB (HD-LB2.0TU2)
Buffalo products can be purchased through distributors, online resellers and Buffalo’s web site. For more information about Buffalo Technology and its products visit the company’s web site at www.buffalotech.com.
HP Changes the Game of Storage Area Networking, According to Dell’Oro Group
A recently published forecast report by Dell’Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the networking and telecommunications industries, predicts Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) will be the primary alternative to Fibre Channel as a storage area network (SAN) fabric.
According to the report, Cisco entered the server market in March 2009 and shook up the networking industry with an advanced set of products (named Unified Compute System [UCS]) that integrated the LAN and SAN onto one network using FCoE technology. FCoE has been off to a slow start, as many enterprises slashed lab testing budgets in 2009, and interoperability issues have persisted. Now with Emulex’s network adapter technology, HP has leaped forward with significant advances in streamlining the integration of FCoE in HP’s servers, including its flagship ProLiant BL400c and BL600c BladeSystems. In essence, HP has created a self-contained “FCoE-in-a-box” that eliminates the technical hurdles of interworking with multiple elements in the network, and this should accelerate the FCoE market.
“I have been monitoring HP for years, and never have I seen such a broad set of people at HP so focused and driven towards one goal,” said Tam Dell‘Oro, President of Dell’Oro Group.
The report discusses the challenges of FCoE, and how technology changes may affect storage networking market dynamics, including the relationship among servers, adapters, and switches.
About The Report
The Dell’Oro Group SAN 5-Year Forecast Report provides complete, in-depth coverage of the market with tables covering manufacturers’ revenue, average selling prices, and port shipments (by speed 1 Gbps (historical data), 2 Gbps (historical data), 4 Gbps, 8 Gbps and greater than or equal to 16 Gbps) for Fibre Channel switches and Fibre Channel host bus adapters, and 10 Gbps FCoE
SanDisk Ships Ultra Small USB Thumb Drive - Cruzer Blade
SanDisk today has shipped it smallest ever USB flash drive. The Cruzer Blade is about as long as a paperclip but holds as much as 16GB of storage inside.
The line also has 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities. Prices start at $15 for a 2GB drive and move up to $78 for the 16GB Blade. All of the capacities should be available today in both Canada and the US.
Seagate Debuts GoFlex Home
July 25, 2010 by Doug
Filed under Hardware, Networking, Storage
Seagate has unveiled the newest addition to its GoFlex family of hard drives—the GoFlex Home network storage system. When this device is connected to a wireless router, an entire household can centrally store, easily access and continuously back up files wirelessly from both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems on the home network1. The new centralized storage system simplifies the backup process by being compatible with Apple Time Machine, as well as including a version of the backup application for both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems.
With the GoFlex Home storage system, you can also wirelessly stream photos, movies and music to most network connected DLNA devices, such as game consoles or a GoFlex TV HD media player, from any room in the house.
Its modular design also enables the included drive to be upgraded when needed by simply removing the drive from the base (no tools required) and replacing it with a higher capacity GoFlex Desk hard drive. Families can also add more storage to the GoFlex Home system by simply connecting additional drives to the USB port. Additionally, this same USB port can be used to wirelessly share a USB printer with every computer on the network.
Using the included remote access and file sharing service on GoFlex Home system called Seagate Share service, you can easily access movies, music or photo files stored on their GoFlex Home system from any internet connected computer in the world. The Seagate Share service also allows you to share photo albums, home movies and documents with friends by simply selecting the files or folders they want to share and typing in an email address. Those friends will receive a notification with a direct link to a customized webpage where they can view the shared files.
The GoFlex Home system also offers a premium service option—the Seagate Share Pro remote access service—that allows families to access content stored on the drive from mobile devices such as an iPhone, iPad or BlackBerry, integrate photos or files with Facebook and Flickr, and keep friends and relatives updated with the latest shared files using Integrated RSS (Really Simple Syndication) notifications.
Plus the GoFlex Home network storage system has been designed with the cost and environmentally conscious households in mind. The GoFlex Home system also includes a power saving (idle) mode that automatically runs after 30-minutes of inactivity and a power switch that allows it to be shut off while families are away for extended periods.
The new GoFlex Home network storage system can be purchased on Seagate.com and retailers for a suggested retail price of $159.99 for 1TB and $229.99 for 2TB.
Five New Limited Edition My Passport Essential Drives
Western Digital has worked with design students at the California State University to create five new limited edition My Passport Essential portable drives. The limited edition designs are now available online through WD and in Best Buy stores. Boom Box, Black Hole, Cityscape, Fuchsia Leaf and Wave all have custom imprints instead of the usual solid colors.
Each drive has a capacity of 500GB and ships with WD SmartWare software for a simple, visual interface of the drive’s contents. The contents can be protected with a user-selectable password and 256-bit hardware-based encryption.
Each of the new design drives is priced at $120.
Hitachi GST and Cooliris Are Changing the Face of Personal Storagage
Cooliris and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) are working together to redefine the personal storage user experience with the launch of Hitachi’s new LifeStudio external hard drive family.
Hitachi teamed with Cooliris to provide an external storage solution that seamlessly protects and pulls digital memories together with online social content and entertainment into one 3D Wall powered by Cooliris.
Using Cooliris’ 3D Wall technology as the foundation of the LifeStudio user interface, Hitachi added additional features and functionality, such as automatic organization of content, integration of online and cloud backup in one solution, and the ability to pull in content from disparate sources, taking the hard drive to new levels.
How It Works
After a quick install of the LifeStudio software, the drive’s innovative technology instantly kicks in. User content – photos, videos, music, and documents stored on the computer, any connected USB storage device, or online sites such as Facebook, Flickr and Picasa Web Albums – instantly and automatically begins to appear in chronological order on the stunning 3D Wall powered by Cooliris.
The Hitachi LifeStudio drive also lets customers view and interact with photos from these top online sites all from within the 3D Wall. With content displayed and automatically organized in one location.
Corsair’s New Force Series SSDs Range from 60GB - 240GB
May 21, 2010 by Doug
Filed under Hardware, Mac Hardware, PC Hardware, Storage
Corsair has expanded its Force Series of 2.5-inch SSDs. The new models have capacities ranging from 60GB to 240GB. Each of the drives integrates a Sandforce SF-1200 SSD processor that supports 4K random write performance of 180MB/s . The drives are also claimed to sustain 15K IOPS and a maximum throughput of 285MB/s during read operations and 275MB/s while writing data.
The F60, F120, and F240 SSDs are expected to be available sometime next month. Pricing has yet to be announced.
New High Performance Memory Stick from Sony
May 11, 2010 by Doug
Filed under Hardware, News, News/Events, Storage
Even with its announcement of support for SD card format at CES, Sony has updated its Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX memory cards for faster transfer speeds. They are now capable of attaining 30MB per second write speeds, twice that of the older versions. The cards are said to be optimized to work with the latest Sony hardware and are the fastest on the market.
Each new card will be bundled with x-Pict Story software for online photo sharing and a data recovery program. The cards will be available this summer at major electronics retailers and www.SonyStyle.com in 8GB to 32GB capacities, with prices starting at $59.99.