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- Network Storage
QNAP Systems today expanded their popular Business Series Turbo NAS lineup with the addition of a new 5-drive desktop model, the TS-559 Pro. The TS-559 Pro provides up to 10TB of storage (using 2TB hard drives and single disk volume/ JBOD configuration), has been certified as compatible with VMware's vSphere 4 (ESX 4.0) virtualization platform, ideal for departmental file sharing, storage, and advanced server applications in the office environment.
The TS-559 Pro incorporates the Intel Atom D-510 1.66Ghz dual-core processor and includes 1GB of DDRII RAM, delivering exceptional performance and high reliability for multiple concurrent tasks and intensive data transfer with lower power consumption. Businesses of all sizes are able to enjoy the interoperability between VMware virtual machines and QNAP high performance storage to take the advantages of VMware cloud computing environments.
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- Hard Disks
WD announced today that it is now shipping WD VelociRaptor® 450 GB and 600 GB hard drives, the next generation of its 10,000 RPM SATA family of hard drives. The new WD VelociRaptor hard drive is designed for blade servers, high-performance PCs, Mac® computers, professional workstations, as well as 1U and 2U rack servers that require a balance of high performance and capacity. As the only 10,000 RPM SATA hard drive on the market today, and a favorite amongst enthusiast and enterprise groups, the WD VelociRaptor hard drive now comes packed with twice the capacity and up to 15% performance increase over the previous generation.
The most popular hard drive for high-performance enthusiasts who demand the ultimate SATA drive, the WD VelociRaptor hard drive is built with enterprise-class mechanics that provide 24x7 durability under high-performance demands and packs up to 600 GB of capacity into a 2.5-inch enterprise form factor. The WD VelociRaptor drive is also available in the IcePack™ enclosure, a 3.5-inch mounting frame with a built-in heat sink – a factory customization that fits the drive into a standard 3.5-inch system bay and keeps this powerful drive extra cool when installed in a high-performance desktop chassis and 3.5-inch HDD form factor enterprise chassis.
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- Optical Storage
Sony Optiarc America has released some details regarding its new slim external DVD writer, the DRX-S77U. This sleek and lightweight drive is capable of 8x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 6x DVD±R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 8x. The DRX-S77U does not appear to be USB powered. Hower, it comes bundled with Nero 9 and is available in a number of popular colors: black, white, pink and gold. No word yet on pricing or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know.
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- Optical Storage
NU Inc, the leading company in portable solution, has announced its latest external Blu-Ray writer, EBR240. It is the slimmest portable Blu-Ray writer with USB bus power support in the world together with a maximum recording and burning speed up to BD-R 6X and BD-RE 2X.
This new ultra-slim size Blu-Ray makes itself the best companion of laptop by offering at a weight only 380g with the dimensions of 155x141x18mm (WxHxD). It can be powered through an USB cable from the laptop instead of a traditional power adapter. This portability eliminates the trouble for power socket searching. Equipped with the latest Blu-Ray technology, EBR240 supports dual layer burning on storage and backup on BD or BD-RE disc and the capacity is five times compared to a dual layer DVD disc. In addition, the software supports recording and playback on DVDs and CDs
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- Optical Storage
The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced two new media specifications that use Blu-ray Disc technology to provide targeted functionality for commercial and consumer applications. The specifications for BDXL™ (High Capacity Recordable and Rewritable discs) and IH-BD (Intra-Hybrid discs) are expected in the next few months.
The BDXL specification, which is targeted primarily at commercial segments such as broadcasting, medical and document imaging enterprises with significant archiving needs, will provide customers with write-once options on 100GB and 128GB capacity discs and rewritable capability on 100GB discs. The discs reach these capacities by incorporating three to four recordable layers. A consumer version of BDXL is also expected, particularly in those regions where BD recorders have achieved broad consumer acceptance.
“Professional industries have expressed a desire to find optical disc solutions that enable them to transition away from magnetic media for their archiving needs,” said Victor Matsuda, Blu-ray Disc Association Global Promotions Committee chair. “Leveraging Blu-ray Disc to meet this need provides professional enterprises with a compact, stable and long term solution for archiving large amounts of sensitive data, video and graphic images using a proven and widely accepted optical technology.”
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inXtron has officially released their first SuperSpeed Hard Drive enclosure with USB 3.0. The device, which is called the SK-3500 U3 is designed to hold a 3.5" SATA hard drive and supports large drives over 2TB. The sleek aluminum enclosure features a large heatsink for passive cooling and is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems.
USB, the world’s best known and most commonly used computer peripheral interface has now been revamped to enable super fast data transfer speeds of up to 4.8 Gbps with the new USB 3.0 (aka SuperSpeed USB). That makes USB 3.0 approximately 10 times faster than USB 2.0. Check out this link for a look at how USB 3.0 compares to 2.0 and eSATA.
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- Flash Memory
Transcend today launched its JetFlash® 500 retractable USB flash drive. The stylish JetFlash 500 features a smooth sliding USB connector that eliminates the need for caps and effortlessly extends and retracts with a simple flick of the thumb. With its user-friendly capless design, various color and capacity options and smooth contoured shape, the JetFlash 500 is an ideal portable storage solution for users with busy and active lifestyles.
Losing USB end caps can be quite annoying, not to mention the inconvenience of taking the cap on and off every time the drive is used. For extra convenience and protection, Transcend’s JetFlash 500 flash drive is designed with an innovative extension and retraction mechanism that enables users to bring out or hide the connector with a single flick of the thumb. The JetFlash 500’s capless design not only keeps dust and debris out of the drive, but also ensures there is no cap to misplace or lose. For further peace of mind, the JetFlash 500 is solidly built to withstand a few bumps and falls, so users can be sure its USB connector will never become loose, fall out, or accidentally slip back into the drive when plugging it into a computer.
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- Software
CyberLink Corp. is pleased to announce that PowerDVD is the first Blu-ray 3D player software to achieve certification from the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), under the new Blu-ray 3D standard (Profile 5.0).
"Blu-ray 3D has to be seen to be believed. We have entered an exciting new era, where home movies are more immersive, and more real.” said Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink. "We are fully committed to leading the way with support for all of the latest 3D formats and display technologies on the PC. We are excited that PowerDVD is the first software player to be Blu-ray 3D certified, and we look forward to enabling this amazing home theater experience for all of our customers."
The certification ensures consumers that PowerDVD provides the full benefits of Blu-ray 3D on the PC. Consumers can enjoy the entire range of enhanced features in 3D including menus, subtitles, BD-J interaction and Blu-ray disc quality audio and video.
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- Hard Disks
World leading flash manufacturer Silicon Power announced today, the Tough Marine Warrior— Armor A70 Portable Hard Drive. Like previous Armor series of products, the Armor A70 is in compliance with US military grade MIL-STD-810F 516.5 procedure IV (Transit drop test).
In addition to its abilities to withstand most shock and vibration forces, it is also in compliance with IEC529 IPX7 waterproof tests! The test places the Armor A70 one meter under water for 30 minutes and yet, upon retrieving A70 submersion, it is not affected in any way and is still fully operation. Passing the two rugged tests mentioned above, the Armor A70 also features dust and pressure-proof characteristics. It is rock-solid inside and out just like a well trained military marine!
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- Network Storage
The 7-bay NAS is shaping up to be the go-to desktop NAS device for users who require both massive storage and blazing performance. Today, Thecus® Technology is pleased to introduce the N7700+, a seven-bay storage server that retains all of the robust functionality of the N7700, but ups the ante with a PCIe x8 slot suitable for 10Gb Ethernet cards.
Thecus® constantly engineers new ways to squeeze the maximum performance from existing technologies. The N7700+ one-ups its predecessor by including an internal PCIe x8 slot. Compared to the x1 slot found in the N7700, the N7700+’s PCIe slot offers up to eight times more bandwidth, which makes it perfect for 10Gb Ethernet cards. Outfitted with one of these cards, the N7700+ is fully compatible with the latest 10Gb networks, delivering unprecedented data transfer rates for the most demanding users.
