gigabyte z68 msata ssd.jpgGIGABYTE INC., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today launched their highly anticipated Z68 series motherboards, based on the Intel Z68 Express Chipset and supporting the new 2nd generation Intel Core processors. Delivering the very best that Intel 6 series chipsets have to offer, including a significant performance boost with Intel Smart Response Technology, the first ever mSATA drive connectors on a standard desktop PC motherboard,and GIGABYTE's proprietary Touch BIOS technology, GIGABYTE Z68 series motherboards put users in the driver seat, allowing them to take total control over how their system operates and performs to best match their individual computing needs. 11 models are available now, with more than 9 additional models, including at least 4 mSATA versions, to be introduced in June, 2011.

"GIGABYTE is excited to introduce a complete range of Z68 Express Chipset enabled motherboards that deliver exceptional performance and a multitude of unique features like Touch BIOS and onboard mSATA that help them stand out from the crowd," commented Richard Chen, VP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at GIGABYTE. " Intel has really raised the bar with the performance potential and rich feature set of the Z68 chipset, and as such, we fully expect the Z68 chipset to be the number one choice for users wanting to build their next Intel 6 series-based system."

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OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, announces the Talos series, a line of Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) SSDs designed for enterprise applications that require ultra-fast, high capacity solutions equipped with multi-level cell (MLC) NAND. Talos brings new strength to the Company's storage lineup by expanding the availability of OCZ's proprietary Virtualized Controller Architecture™ (VCA) technology to storage OEMs.

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"We have experienced considerable demand for our high-capacity VCA-enabled SAS products, both with and without enhanced power fail protection," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology Group. "The new OCZ Talos SSD series delivers the ultimate combination of performance, scalability, and reliability. Talos series drives are tailored to meet the needs of most enterprises in a non-customer specific format, including balanced compressed and incompressible data performance and balanced read/write IOPS, all in the highest capacity SAS 6Gbps drive available today."

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I-O Data Japan sent out a press release this morning, announcing a new external 3D-enabled Blu-ray Disc writer. The USB 2.0 equipped BRD-U8S is capable of 8x BD-R, 8x BD-R DL, 6x BD-R LTH, 2x BD-RE and 2x BD-RE DL writing speeds and a maximum BD-ROM read speed of 8x. Using an optional USB cable, the drive can also be connected to one of JVC's Everio HD camcorders so that video can be transferred directly to Blu-ray Disc.

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The BRD-U8S comes bundled with WinDVD BD3D as well as Nero 9 Essentials and are expected to cost 18,900 Yen ($234US) when it hits stores in early June.

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pqi traveling disk u281v.jpgPQI, the world's first major manufacturer to release a full USB 3.0 personal storage device product, recently unveiled the Traveling Disk U281V, featuring a USB 3.0 interface. With sharply defined, three-dimensional sections, the exterior's smart, simple lines carve out a profoundly refined sense of quality with special use of ultrasonic construction to create a meticulously particular cover and a bright, polished surface with a smooth and level tactile feeling.

The end conceals a pendant loop design that can be used with the free customized hanging accessory featuring an ingenious transparent square shape that uses a soft, flexible rubber material. In addition to being a mobile phone accessory, it also adds distinctive creativity when hung from the end of the USB frame. While using the Traveling Disk U281V, the transparent rubber accessory can be inserted into the removed cap, giving it a handy secure-cap design along with its understated yet fully abundant characteristics.

The PQI Traveling Disk U281V comes in deep graphite black and offers a range of capacity options from 8GB to 64GB for consumers to choose from. This new model uses single chip and dual channel technology in its manufacturing processes to allow consumers to easily enjoy the outstanding performance of USB 3.0. With transfer speeds 10 times faster than USB 2.0, data transfer times are greatly reduced while retaining backward compatibility with USB 2.0. While increasing transfer speeds, it can simultaneously reduce power consumption. Large capacity image data and video files are easily and rapidly saved while effectively saving time. What’s more, its stable electrical current can help avoid data loss brought about by unstable current, making it both power-saving and eco-friendly.

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Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that it has started the industry's first production of a high-performance toggle DDR 2.0 multi-level-cell (MLC) memory chip. The new NAND flash chip features a 64 gigabit (Gb) density, made possible by using an advanced 20 nanometer (nm) class process technology. The chip is designed to support the high-performance requirements of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and solid state drives (SSDs).

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Equipped with a toggle DDR (Double Data Rate) 2.0 interface, the new 64Gb MLC chip can transmit data at a bandwidth of up to 400 megabits per second (Mbps). This provides a 10-fold increase over the 40Mbps Single Data Rate (SDR) NAND flash memory in widespread use today, and a three-fold boost over 133Mbps toggle DDR 1.0, 32Gb NAND flash memory, which Samsung was first to produce in 2009.

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Facing global changes in the memory storage products industry, despite the technical threshold of industrial class and military class memory products are higher; they have the advantages of steadier market demand and supply when compared with their consumer class counterparts. As a result, products of industrial and military applications have become a very competitive field for major module manufacturers. Team Group Inc. has been actively cultivating industrial class products, taking advantage of its strong research and development abilities and its keen grasp of market trends. Using IFM (Industrial Flash Module) SATA SSD as a pioneer, Team Group Inc. is committed to increasing the performance of integrated system products, and will further move towards to the more stringent industrial specifications in the future. Team Group Inc. aims to provide integrated solutions of more competitive embedded platforms and storage devices for telecommunication, transportation, automation and tablet system developers.

Complying with JEDEC MO-297A and MO-300B standard specifications, Team Group Inc. designs its products specifically for industrial applications and has released three new IFM SSDs - P52M01, A22V01, and S25AI1, corresponding to mSATA, Half-Slim and standard SATA, respectively. The three new SSDs come in 8~32GB of capacity and support system boot-up, NCQ and Trim command technologies. They can be applied to various development environments and support multiple operating systems with advantages include high customization, high stability and high durability. The three new models are ideal products for application development and integration of industrial computers, embedded systems, netbook computers and tablet PCs.

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emphase mil-spec s5 ssd.jpgEmphase, a trusted provider of Industrial and Military solid state storage for embedded systems, has launched a new series of rugged Military-grade storage with MIL-STD-810F compliance. The new Emphase MIL-SPEC S5 Series SSD is engineered to withstand the severe conditions encountered in the line of duty while delivering comprehensive data protection.

An SLC flash device available in a 2.5” footprint and SATA (3 Gb/sec.) bus interface, the MIL-SPEC S5 SSD has one clear objective: Secure data. This level of reliability hinges on endurance as well as overall performance. This vault-like device can process data with read speeds up to 170 MB/sec. and write speeds up to 90 MB/sec. write. Mission critical applications have no room for error, which is why the MIL-SPEC S5 SSD is designed to meet the environmental requirements of MIL-STD-810F.

The Emphase MIL-SPEC S5 SSD is loaded with options for handling data in breach of security scenarios including data write-protection, secure and quick erasure, and data destruction. With these defense-grade triggers, data can be eliminated in less than two seconds through an ATA command or with the push of a button. Should the drive lose power during a protect, erase, or destroy command, the device will resume the command as soon as power is restored.

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VIA Labs, Inc., a leading supplier of USB 3.0 integrated chip controllers, announced the certification of its VL701 Low-Power USB 3.0 to SATA Bridge Controller by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) while adhering to strict power-consumption criteria for bus-powered devices. The comprehensive suite of tests conducted as part of the USB-IF Compliance and Certification Program ensures that certified products are interoperable with existing USB devices while also offering all the speed and power enhancements of the USB 3.0 specification. VIA Labs is currently the first and only company to achieve USB-IF Bus-Powered certification using a traditional hard disk drive, which draws more power than flash-based devices.

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Featuring an industry-first fully-integrated 5V switching regulator, the VIA Labs VL701 Low-Power USB 3.0 to SATA Bridge is a single-chip solution that achieves the highest power efficiency while offering users transfer rates up to 10 times that of USB 2.0.

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Today, Aleratec launched its new PortaStor Secure family of 256-bit AES encrypted USB flash drives. These highly secure flash drives feature hardware encryption for fast, dependable performance and superior ease-of-use.

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The USB flash drive is one of the most widely used tools for transporting important data and multimedia files due to its size, convenience and near-universal compatibility. However, these same strengths make flash drives vulnerable to loss, theft and other potential breaches in security. Financial data, business proposals, research, development plans and any other confidential materials stored on flash drives are at high risk of falling into the wrong hands and being compromised.

The PortaStor Secure family of USB flash drives addresses this risk by providing a secure partition for confidential files. All information in this secure partition is encrypted using a time proven, always-on hardware encryption method known as 256-bit AES that was approved by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) in 2001. This encryption method has become a worldwide standard. It renders all data in the secure partition useless to anyone without authorized access. For even greater security, this secure partition is automatically formatted after six invalid login attempts.

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OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today unveiled the Agility 3 and Solid 3 SATA III SSD product lines. The Agility 3 and Solid 3 are designed to cater to speed-seeking enthusiasts in search of the best value for performance. Using the latest technology, these new series deliver nearly double the performance of the previous generation and offer a more cost-effective alternative to current SATA 6Gbps SSDs on the market.

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“With increased availability of SATA III platforms, the demand for the latest generation SSDs has grown rapidly,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ technology Group. “We are addressing this demand with new products that offer both the best performance and value for consumers. The new Agility 3 and Solid 3 SSDs make it easier than ever for consumers take advantage of the new SATA III interface. When coupled with the speed and reliability benefits that our SSDs offer over traditional hard drives, it makes the two new series the ideal choices for mobile and desktop applications.”

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