In anticipation of the launch of Sony's Torne digital TV tuner, Buffalo Japan has introduced two new PS3 certified external hard drives. The HD-AV500U2/SC and HD-CL500U2/SC are designed to be used as external recording devices for Torne and add an additional 500GB of storage to the PS3.  The drives can also be used to backup the PS3's internal hard drive as well as store multimedia content and other files.

buffalo hd-av500u2.jpg

The main difference between the two drives is the design. The 14,800 yen ($164) HD-AV500U2/SC sits horizontally and has a piano black finish and front-panel LED capacity indicator. The 11,800 yen ($130) HD-CL500U2/SC stands vertically and sports a matte-black finish. Both drives are expected to hit retail in time for Torne's launch in March, 2010.

Add a comment

I-O Data Japan has announced yet another 8x Blu-ray Disc writer. Based on the LG BH10N, the BRD-UH8LE features 8x BD-R, 8x BD-R DL, 2x BD-RE and 2x BD-RE DL writing speeds and can read both single and dual layer BD-ROMs at 8x. What makes the BRD-UH8LE unique though is its power saving feature. The drive senses when your computer is turned on or off and will automatically do the same. The BRD-UH8LE will ship some time in February and is priced at 24,200 Yen ($265US).

i-o data brd-uh8le.jpg

 

Add a comment

Following on the announcement of a broad range of Full HD 3D TV products, from VIERA consumer 3D TVs to a Prosumer Full HD 3D camcorder, at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Panasonic is now unveiling its fully operational Blu-ray 3D™ Advanced Authoring Center located at Panasonic's R&D facility, Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory. The Advanced Authoring Center was recently upgraded and equipped with the latest 3D technological innovations, based on standards developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association. The Center now offers studios and filmmakers Blu-ray 3D™ image processing, interactive programming, as well as authoring and disc certification services, which are capable of making Blu-ray 3D™ Discs commercially available as early as Spring 2010.

Long before the Blu-ray 3D™ specifications were finalized within the Blu-ray Disc Association, Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory collaborated with studios and the creative community in Hollywood to conduct Blu-ray 3D™ encoding as well as menu and subtitle authoring trials. This type of early collaboration and research has given the Advanced Authoring Center expertise in guiding and advising companies during the key early planning stages of a Blu-ray 3D™ title.

Add a comment

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology today announced the F3EG, its new high-performance environmentally-friendly HDD (hard disk drive) for the desktop market. The EcoGreen™ F3EG, a higher capacity model from its predecessor the F2EG, features 2TB capacity with 500GB per disk that is capable of storing up to 880 hours of DVD video or 500,000 or more songs in MP3 format. With increased recording density, the EcoGreen F3 drive is more power efficient by supporting a capacity up to 2TB with four disks.

“Storage-hungry multimedia professionals, gamers and home PC users continue to increase the amount of video, music, photo and other personal data they store and back-up,” said In Cheol Park, vice president, Storage Sales, Samsung Electronics. “The F3EG delivers all the benefits of a low-power drive yet features high performance and is environmentally friendly.”

The F3EG utilizes Samsung’s EcoTriangle technology to provide eco-friendly components, low-power and low-noise operation technology to its ‘EcoGreen’ hard drives.

Add a comment

Intel Corporation and Micron Technology, Inc.today announced the world's first 25-nanometer (nm) NAND technology, which provides a more cost-effective path for increasing storage capacity in such popular consumer gadgets as smartphones, personal music and media players (PMPs), as well as the new high-performance class of solid-state drives (SSDs).

NAND flash memory stores data and other media contained in consumer electronics products, retaining information even when the power is turned off. The drive toward smaller NAND processes enables the continued development and introduction of new uses for the technology. Not only is the 25nm process the smallest NAND technology, it is also the smallest semiconductor technology in the world – a technological accomplishment that continues the advancement of more music, video, and other data in today's consumer electronics and computing applications.

Manufactured by IM Flash Technologies (IMFT), Intel and Micron's NAND flash joint venture, the 25nm process produces 8 gigabytes (GB) of storage in a single NAND device, creating a high-capacity storage solution for today's tiny consumer gadgets. It measures just 167mm2 -- small enough to fit through the hole in the middle of a compact disc (CD), yet packs more than 10 times the data capacity of that CD (a standard CD holds 700 megabytes of data).

Add a comment

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world class NAS servers, NVR Video Surveillance Systems, and Network-based Video Players today expanded its Turbo NAS lineup with two new mid-range NAS servers targeted at SMB and corporate customers. The new TS-239 Pro II (2 drive model) and TS-439 Pro II (4 drive model) incorporate the new Intel® Atom™ D410 single-core processor, which delivers up to 8TB of high performance, highly reliable networked storage coupled with the business-essential features of QNAP's ultra-high performance Business Series NAS servers.

qnap ts-439 pro ii turbo nas.png

The TS-239 Pro II and TS-439 Pro II NAS servers are compatible with VMware's vSphere4 (ESX 4.0) virtualization platform, ideal for departmental file sharing, storage, and advanced server applications in the office environment. VMware's vSphere is the industry's first cloud operating system that offers a way to reduce IT costs and increase responsiveness. Shared networked storage is an essential component of a Cloud Computing infrastructure. SMB and corporate users are able to enjoy the interoperability between VMware virtual machines and QNAP high performance, low power consumption certified storage.

Add a comment

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the release of the DataTraveler® 5000 USB Flash drive. The DataTraveler 5000 is FIPS 140-2 Level 2 certified with Level 3 pending, and features 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption. It uses XTS cipher mode and also uses elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) algorithms to meet Suite B standards approved by the U.S. government.

kingston datatraveler 5000.png

"The DataTraveler 5000 delivers unsurpassed levels of security and encryption to government and enterprise customers," said Mark Akoubian, business manager, Secure USB Products, Kingston®. "This portable data solution represents state-of-the-art data protection while providing end users with the simplicity of plug and play."

The DataTraveler 5000 utilizes patented Secured by SPYRUS™ technology which supports hardware-based 256-bit XTS-AES and Suite B cryptography, including ECC. Suite B algorithms were specifically selected and approved by the U.S. government and the Department of Defense for use in multinational data sharing environments including both classified and unclassified applications. XTS-AES mode is a cipher mode for encryption that is much stronger than CBC, ECB and other modes. SPYRUS, Inc., is the leader in the development of advanced hardware-based encryption, authentication and digital content security products.

Add a comment

Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today the OWC Mercury Extreme Enterprise SSD(tm) as the fastest, most reliable, and longest endurance 2.5" SATA Solid State Drive (SSD) available on the market for Macs and PCs in single or multiple drive use including all RAID configurations. Designed and made in the U.S. from imported parts, the OWC Mercury Extreme Enterprise SSD is available for immediate ordering in capacities up to 200GB priced starting at $229.99.

owc mercury extreme enterprise ssd.jpg

Ordinary SSDs offer fast read/write performance during first initial uses, but then experience significant write speed degradation over repeated usage. The OWC Mercury Extreme Enterprise SSD with its SandForce Processor is able to provide sustained and consistent read and write times over 260MB/s with 0.1 ms latency and experience virtually no reduction in data transfer rate over the five year warranty life of the drive. This type of consistent, long term performance makes the OWC Mercury Extreme Enterprise SSD able to withstand demanding, mission critical enterprise level deployment, but the drive is also priced affordably so consumers can add the pinnacle of internal drive performance to their Mac or PC for near instantaneous data access.

Add a comment

Enhancing the award-winning solutions line, LaCie today announces the new Enterprise Class range of storage solutions with LaCie d2 Quadra Enterprise Class, LaCie 2big Quadra Enterprise Class, and the LaCie 4big Quadra Enterprise Class. The LaCie Enterprise Class range is among the most sophisticated offerings on the market, and provides six data protection levels, robust performance, data encryption, superior connectivity, RAID protection, a professional backup offer, and an advanced service package.

lacie enterprise class.jpg

Designed for superior performance, the new product range comes with true internal SATA Enterprise Class disks, featuring 7200RPM and 32MB of cache memory. These high-quality internal disks target an ambitious 1.2 million MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) and have been optimized for RAID towers with a vibration resistance technology. Professionals will get the ability to reach more than 700MB/s of transfer speeds through a RAID 50 array with four LaCie 4big Quadra Enterprise Class. LaCie’s Enterprise Class Product range features the most advanced service package on the market, consisting of a 5-year warranty and a 5-year advance product replacement plan.

Add a comment

LSI Corporation today announced a collaboration with Seagate Technology to deliver robust, PCI Express® (PCIe®)-based solid-state storage (SSS) solutions for data center and cloud computing environments. Through this joint effort, LSI is expected to deliver board-level products that integrate LSI™ SAS and PCIe technology with Seagate solid-state drive (SSD) technology. The products are designed to provide enterprise OEMs and channel partners with new levels of performance, reliability and ease of use while addressing architectural challenges that have limited SSS adoption. Product samples are expected to be available to OEM customers in the second quarter of this year.

"LSI is uniquely positioned to execute a broad solid-state storage strategy," said Jeff Richardson, executive vice president and general manager, Semiconductor Solutions Group, LSI. "We're already deeply engaged in delivering solid-state storage technologies, from custom silicon to storage systems. Entering the emerging PCIe-based SSS market segment is a natural extension of our core competencies. By building upon the industry's most widely deployed SAS software stack, OEMs and system builders will gain a proven, lower-risk path to market and continuity across technology generations."

Add a comment