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Flash Memory

16 October 2008

Intel has begun to ship its new enterprise-class solid-state drives (SSDs). The Intel X-25E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive features 50nm single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory and is capable of 250MB/s read and 170MB/s write speeds. The 32GB capacity drive is in production and is priced at $695. A 64GB version is expected to go into production in the first quarter of 2009.

Intel Corporation has begun shipping its highest-performing solid-state drive (SSD), the Intel® X-25E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive, aimed at server, workstation and storage systems. Unlike mechanical drives, the SSDs contain no moving parts and instead feature 50nm single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory technology. Systems equipped with these drives will not suffer from the performance bottlenecks associated with conventional drives. By reducing the total infrastructure, cooling and energy costs, SSDs can lower total cost of ownership for enterprise applications by more than five times.

“Hard disk drive performance has not kept pace with Moore’s Law,” said Kirk Skaugen, general manager, Intel Server Platforms group. “Intel’s high-performance SSDs unleash the full performance of the latest Intel Xeon processor-based systems while increasing reliability and lowering the total cost of ownership for a broad range of server and storage workloads.”

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Optical Storage

15 October 2008

Plextor Europe sent out a press release earlier today, announcing its new external 20x DVD writer. Along with support for both FireWire and USB 2.0, the PX-830UF features 20x DVD±R, 12x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds.

Plextor launches the latest update to its external DVD Rewriter family – the high end Plextor PX-830UF. This fast 20x drive is ideal for all users looking for the latest optical speeds and with both USB2.0 and FireWire connectivity, it is compatible with both Mac and PC systems.

Rudy De Meirsman, Sales & Marketing Manager at Plextor, says: “Fast external drives, such as the 20x Plextor PX-830UF, are particularly useful for laptop users without optical drives, for example the latest small form-factor ultra-portable PCs and the MacBook Air. Plus anyone looking for a reliable drive in their home or office setup.”

Building on the success of the external PX-810UF 18x DVD ReWriter, the PX-830UF offers the latest burning speeds for professional and enthusiast users, through to anyone looking for a stylish addition or upgrade to their home/office set-up. Simply connect the unit using a USB or FireWire cable supplied, and you’re off!

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Other

15 October 2008

SanDisk announced today that the first slotMusic cards have begun to ship to retailers. These cards come pre-loaded with high quality (320kbps), DRM-free MP3 music from more than 40 top artists.  With 1GB of capacity, they can also hold liner notes, album art, videos, and whatever other content that an artist may choose. slotMusic cards will be available at retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart for a suggested retail price of $14.99.

The world’s four largest music companies and SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), a leading seller of MP3 players and flash memory cards in the United States, today unveiled the full list of artists joining the inaugural slotMusic line-up. Starting this week, music fans can purchase slotMusic cards—microSD™ cards with pre-loaded, high quality, DRM-free MP3 music—featuring new release albums from favorite artists like Coldplay, Katy Perry, Leona Lewis, Rihanna and Robin Thicke and catalog titles from Elvis, Abba and more. Within days of shipping, slotMusic cards will arrive on the shelves of Best Buy and Wal-Mart in the United States, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $14.99.

slotMusic makes today’s hottest music available on interoperable microSD cards that let fans instantly plug and play albums into their microSD slot-enabled mobile phones, portable media players, computers, and an increasing number of car stereos

More than just your typical music albums or single downloads, slotMusic cards boast 1GB (gigabyte) of capacity to offer artists a compelling new way to express themselves to their fans. In addition to songs, slotMusic cards may hold liner notes, album art, videos and other creative content that an artist may choose.

In support of the new format, SanDisk has also launched its new Sansa slotMusic Player. This $19.99 player will play back slotMusic cards as well as MP3 and WMA files from any microSD card.

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Network Storage

14 October 2008

NETGEAR has announced the availability of the industry’s first six-bay desktop network-attached storage solution (NAS). Designed for small and medium-sized businesses, the ReadyNAS Pro is available in 1.5TB, 3TB and 6TB capacities and offers support for RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6 and NETGEAR's auto-expandable X-RAID2 technology.

NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking solutions, today announced worldwide availability of the industry’s first six-bay desktop network-attached storage solution (NAS) for small- and medium-sized businesses. Designed specifically to meet the centralized network storage needs of up to 200-user SMBs, NETGEAR’s ReadyNAS® Pro Gigabit Desktop Storage family delivers high availability, high performance, expandability, and serviceability in a cost-effective unit that is easy to use and quick to deploy. The ReadyNAS Pro product line is available in storage capacities of 1.5TB (RNDP6350), 3TB (RNDP6310), and 6TB (RNDP6610) – broadening the company’s already successful, award-winning ReadyNAS product portfolio that has established NETGEAR as one of the fastest-growing players in the NAS market.

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Home Entertainment

14 October 2008

DivX, Inc.  and Warner Bros. Entertainment announced today that they have signed an agreement that will enable retailers to offer Warner Bros. titles in DivX format. The agreement covers Warner's entire catalogue, including current and back-catalogue movies and television programs. The first titles will be available in DivX standard definition format later this month, with high defintion coming in September 2009.

DivX, Inc. (NASDAQ:DIVX) and Warner Bros. Entertainment today announced an agreement that will enable online retailers to offer Warner Bros. titles in the high-quality DivX® standard definition format in October 2008 and high definition format in September 2009 for playback on DivX Certified® consumer electronics devices.

The wide-ranging agreement covers all titles available for digital distribution in the Warner Bros. catalogue including current and back-catalogue major motion pictures and television programs. All titles offered in the DivX format are compatible with a variety of DivX Certified devices from major consumer electronics brands, including DVD players, Blu-ray devices, gaming consoles and more. The agreement allows retailers who sign additional agreements with DivX and Warner Bros. to offer Warner titles in the DivX digital media format.

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Optical Storage

14 October 2008

Pioneer Electronics sent out a press release this morning, announcing its first Qflix-enabled DVD writers. With the DVR-2920Q and DVR-X162Q, consumers can purchase and download movies directly from the Internet and then create a permanent copy that can be played back on standard DVD players. The two drives also offer 20x DVD±R writing speeds as well as support for features like Pioneer's Optimal Write Speed function.

Advancing the current state of digital downloading for entertainment fans everywhere, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today introduces two DVD/CD computer writers featuring Qflix™ DVD Download & Burn technology, enabling users to download their favorite movies directly from the Internet to DVD. As personal computers become media centers for many consumers, the new Pioneer® internal DVR-2920Q and external DVR-X162Q DVD/CD writers allow users to take advantage of this exciting technology while expanding their entertainment collections with a tangible, familiar media that will maintain into the future.

Jointly developed by Pioneer and Sonic Solutions®, Qflix is an emerging DVD technology that gives consumers the opportunity to purchase licensed Hollywood films, and eventually TV shows, from CinemaNow, some of which have previously been unavailable at retail.

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Optical Storage

14 October 2008

Lite-On announced today that its new 6x Blu-ray Disc Combo drive will ship to the U.S. market in late October. Along with support for LightScribe, the iHES206 reads single layer Blu-ray discs at 6x and is capable of 16x DVD±R, 8x DVD±R DL, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds.

Lite-On proudly introduces its 6X internal Blu-ray Disc Combo, iHES206. The new Blu-ray Disc Reader plus DVD writer provides consumers an innovative way to playback high definition content, while maintaining the capability of archiving personal data files onto CD or DVD.

The iHES206 is a great solution for enthusiasts who wish to enjoy the advanced technologies of Blu-ray in home entertainment. It will not only allow them to play high-definition content such as Blu-ray movies, it will also provide users the ability to share with family & friends personal creations of data files, presentations, home videos and other image files on DVDs or CDs.

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Flash Memory

14 October 2008

Patriot Memory recently announced its Lite Series SSD storage solutions. These new solid-state drives are available in 32GB and 64GB capacties and are designed specifically for the ASUS Eee PC.

Patriot Memory, a global provider of premium quality memory module and flash memory solutions, today announced the Lite Series SSD storage solutions. Available in both 32GB and 64GB capacities, these upgrade solutions are designed specifically for the ASUS® Eee PC's™.

"Small form-factor mobile PC's are becoming extremely popular among consumers," says Meng Jay Choo, Flash Product Manager for Patriot Memory. "Patriot's new Lite Series SSD solutions offer consumers the perfect storage upgrade to store their important music, video and data files without worrying about running out of space on their ASUS® Eee PC™."

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