Seagate today announced channel and OEM shipments of the Momentus® XT drive, the world’s fastest 2.5-inch laptop PC hard drive, combining SSD-like performance with the massive capacity and much lower cost of HDDs. The Momentus XT drive also features Adaptive Memory™ – a groundbreaking new technology from Seagate that learns and optimizes the drive’s performance to each user by moving frequently used information into the flash memory for faster access. The Momentus XT solid state hybrid drive boots up to 100 percent faster than traditional 5400RPM drives, the mainstream spin speed for laptop PCs, and sets new benchmarks for real-world system performance for laptops and gaming systems.
Today’s high-performance SSDs for mobile computing cost as much as 10 times more than hard disk drives of the same capacity, with the price of a 250GB SSD outstripping even the cost of many laptop PCs. As a result, most consumers and system builders are unwilling or unable to pay the high price for the greater speed and quiet operations of SSDs. Additionally, SSDs offer fewer capacity options than hard disk drives.
The Momentus XT drive is a best-of-both-worlds solution that combines a 7200RPM spin speed, 4GB of solid state memory and Seagate’s Adaptive Memory technology to deliver unprecedented hard drive performance. The unique Adaptive Memory technology works by identifying patterns in how often certain digital data is used, and then moving the most frequently used information to the embedded solid state memory for faster access – effectively tailoring hard drive performance to each user and their applications.
Transcend Information today launched a new USB 3.0 external storage device, the StoreJet 25M3 2.5-inch rugged portable hard drive. The USB 3.0 model combines the advantages of Transcend's award-winning shockproof StoreJet M series and the next-generation SuperSpeed transfer rates of USB 3.0, allowing users to enjoy ultra-fast file transfers and the highest level of anti-shock protection.
Gearing Up for The SuperSpeed USB Revolution As more and more notebook and desktop computers are shipping with USB 3.0 compatibility, Transcend's StoreJet 25M3 serves as an outstanding way for users to experience first-hand the improvement of USB 3.0 over USB 2.0. Featuring blazing fast real-world transfer speeds of up to 90MB/s (in USB 3.0 mode), the StoreJet 25M3 enables users to copy large files without having to waste precious time waiting for the transfer to complete.
MXI Security, the leader in encrypted USB and biometric USB drive markets, today introduced the new Stealth HD Series of encrypted USB hard drives.
Replacing the well-known Outbacker MXP Series, the Stealth HD Series is powered by MXI Security’s Bluefly Portable Security Processor. Bluefly recently received FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validation (Certificate number 1269), making the Stealth HD Series the first and only USB hard drives to offer this level of security.
The Bluefly Portable Security Processor offers unmatched security in any environment, foreign or familiar. Bluefly’s anti-malware features, including its read-only mode of operation, protect the Stealth HD® Series from all attackers. With the optional ACCESS Antivirus Scanner, user data and host systems are shielded from all forms of malware.
Accessory specialist Sharkoon has upgraded another product from their product line to USB 3.0: The QuickStore Portable for 2.5" SATA hard drives is also available with a SuperSpeed interface, which enables a transfer rate of up to 5 GBit/s.
The QuickStore Portable USB 3.0 is a stylish external enclosure for 2.5" SATA hard drives with a height of up to 9.5 millimeters. The frame is made from sturdy, black plastic with shapely rounded corners. Concerning the top of the case, the buyer has the option between black brushed, silver brushed, or silver aluminium mirror finish. Thanks to the slim dimensions of 135 x 85 x 14 millimeters (L x W x H), the mobile box fits into almost any pocket. The weight without the hard drive is only 55 grams.
A-DATA Technology today released a new 2.5” portable hard drive SH02. Stylishly crafted in 3-dimensional chic imprint patterns with special surface finishing, SH02 is an in-style digital accessory for the fashionistas.
“We search for any possibility of applying new technology and combine with the latest design elements and details to come up with innovative storage products that differentiate ours from other competitors,” said C.K. Hung, Vice President of A-DATA Technology Product Planning Group. “SH02 is a perfect example of combining new surface finishing technology with a designer look, creating a practical yet trendy portable HDD to the market.”
Seagate today introduced the next evolution of the company’s award-winning FreeAgent® external hard drives—its new GoFlex™ storage solutions. This new family of external drives and accessories introduces a new level of flexibility to traditional USB 2.0 storage that will change the way people store, access, enjoy and share their digital content. The FreeAgent® GoFlex™ storage family includes easy, plug-and-play portable and desktop drives, with an array of interchangeable cables and desktop adapters that allow each drive to adapt to the interface or device being used. GoFlex hard disk drives are also specially designed to provide interoperability between operating systems in order to work with both Microsoft® Windows® and Mac® OS X computers.
“GoFlex™ interface cables are about providing the speed, performance and connectivity people need to support their interaction with their digital content. The explosive growth of video capture and multimedia collecting is expanding personal digital libraries to terabytes worth of content within the home,” said Dave Mosley, executive vice president, Sales, Marketing and Product Line Management at Seagate. “These trends are driving demand for high-capacity, high-performance storage. The GoFlex™ family of storage products meets this need by delivering simple, USB 2.0 storage and backup devices, with the flexibility to adapt as interface technology advances by using the various GoFlex™ cables and accessories to access content stored on the same drive.”
Addonics Technologies today announced the CipherChain ExpressCard, which uses a “Cipher” key to provide notebook computer users the ability to secure their external hard drive/SSD with bullet proof encryption.
Designed to be installed into a notebook’s ExpressCard 34/54 slot, the CipherChain ExpressCard instantly adds an eSATA port with AES 256-bit hardware encryption capability. The eSATA port is a hybrid port so it can provide USB power to operate low power devices.
The eSATA port encrypts any external eSATA hard drive or SSD with the simple insertion of the Cipher key. There is no software to run or password to remember. Built on a certified AES 256-bit crypto engine (NIST & CSE certified), the CipherChain ExpressCard ensures superior read/write speed with no noticeable performance impact on the external storage.
Today LaCie announced the latest addition to its Rugged family of mobile hard drives – the LaCie Rugged USB 3.0, combining the super speeds of USB 3.0 and LaCie's award-winning Rugged design. The LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 is one the most power-efficient and fast-performing mobile hard drives offered by LaCie.
The LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 provides speeds up to 110 MB/s – three times the speed of USB 2.0. The speed enhancement allows you to transfer one HD movie in less than 3 minutes (versus more than 8 minutes in USB 2.0). It offers improved power efficiency, so you only need one cable to be assured optimal performance.
Samsung Electronics today announced the fastest external hard drive yet in its STORY™ Station product portfolio – the Samsung STORY™ Station 3.0 with the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface. The top-of-line 3.5-inch external hard drive now offers 10 times faster speed compared to the previous USB 2.0 interface, making it the ideal storage solution for saving and retrieving crucial data in the blink of an eye.
“The Samsung STORY™ Station 3.0 has been built for advanced users who demand fast transfer speed and data security without sacrificing design,” said H.S. Lee, vice president, storage marketing, Samsung Electronics. “The STORY Station creates a seamless user experience that allows users to move large chunks of high-quality multimedia content with minimal wait time.”
The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface offers a maximum transfer rate of 5 gigabits per second (Gbps) compared to 480 megabits per second (Mbps) in USB 2.0. Users can now transfer 4 MB of music (equivalent of a 3-minute song) or image files (6megapixel camera in hi-resolution photos) in approximately 0.02 seconds and an HD movie in 2.3 minutes. The new interface is backward-compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 interfaces.
Verbatim is launching a new generation of smaller and lighter portable hard disk drives ideal for carrying with you in any pocket or handbag. Verbatim’s new Store `n` Go Portable Hard Disk Drives also feature GREEN BUTTON software which helps to reduce energy consumption and increase the drive’s life expectancy by automatically or manually switching the drive into energy-saving mode.
The new Verbatim Store `n` Go portable hard disk drives are available in USB 2.0 format, in 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, 640GB, 750GB and 1TB capacities. For those looking for enhanced data transfer performance the hard disk drives will also soon be available in eSATA/USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 format.