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Flash Memory

23 September 2008

SanDisk announced today that it has added a 16GB model to its Extreme IV series of CompactFlash cards. Developed for the latest UDMA-enabled readers and cameras, the 16GB SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash card  is capable of 45MB/s (300x) read and write speeds.

SanDisk today announced that it is now shipping an upgraded family of SanDisk Extreme^® IV CompactFlash^® (CF) memory cards to better meet the needs of professional digital photographers. The entire series of SanDisk Extreme IV high-performance memory cards has received a 12.5-percent speed boost up to 45 megabytes per second (MB/s)¹ and the newly-released 16-gigabyte (GB)² card is twice as large as previous capacities. The announcement was made at the Photokina trade show where SanDisk is demonstrating products in Hall 5.1, Stand A20.

SanDisk Extreme IV CompactFlash 45MB/s (300X) memory cards offer advanced technologies that are fully compatible with all CompactFlash cameras including the latest UDMA-enabled cameras. SanDisk Extreme IV CF cards have undergone internal testing with many leading manufacturers’ cameras and DSLRs, such as Canon’s EOS series, Nikon’s D300 and D3 cameras, the Sony Alpha A700, and the Olympus E500 and E3 cameras. Depending on the camera used, the increased performance of the SanDisk Extreme IV memory card line may help reduce the delay between shots, enabling photographers to take more photos overall. The high-speed cards let all photographers save time and improve their workflow with faster card-to-computer data transfer speeds.

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Optical Storage

23 September 2008

Verbatim recently announced its new PhotoSave DVD. This recordable DVD-R media features integrated software that automatically launches when the disc is inserted into a drive. The software can then be used to find and burn photos located on a user's computer or digital camera.

Verbatim® Americas, LLC, a global leader and innovator in the digital storage industry, announced today Verbatim PhotoSave™ DVD, a recordable DVD that makes finding and saving photos absolutely effortless—even for consumers who have never burned a disc before.

Verbatim PhotoSave DVDs feature integrated software that launches automatically when the disc is inserted into a DVD-R drive. The process of searching for photos is also automated so users only need to click on the record button to save their memories from a PC.  In the manual mode, PhotoSave DVDs also support “search and burn” from a digital camera connected to a PC.  In addition to offering a long lifespan, each DVD disc provides a useable capacity of 4.5GB (1GB = 1 billion bytes) and can store approximately 2,000 photos.¹

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Optical Storage

23 September 2008

Sony sent out a press release this morning, announcing its third generation Blu-ray Disc writer, the BWU-300S. The new drive can write to both single and dual layer BD-R media at 8x and, according to Sony's claims, can burn an entire 50GB disc in as little as 30 minutes. To showcase the capabilities of Blu-ray, the BWU-300S also comes bundled with a  copy of “Men in Black”.

Sony Electronics today announced its third generation internal Blu-ray Disc™ (BD) writer for the computer aftermarket, which at about $400 achieves a new level of affordability for BD enthusiasts.

The new BWU-300S model burns single and dual layer BD-R media at up to 8X speed, recording a full 25GB disc in about 15 minutes and a full 50GB disc in about 30 minutes.  The 8X recording speed is achieved using 6X compatible BD-R media.  The drive also records DVDs at up to 16X, CDs up to 48X, and supports DVD-RAM recording, with an eye towards data backup, making it an excellent replacement burner for a standard DVD drive while offering all the benefits of Blu-ray Disc technology.

To provide consumers with the opportunity to experience high-definition movie playback first-hand, the new drive comes bundled with a “Men in Black” Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  “Men In Black” stars Will Smith (“Hancock”) and Oscar®-winner Tommy Lee Jones (“The Fugitive”) saving the world from a total intergalactic disaster in Barry Sonnenfeld’s smash-hit sci-fi action comedy.  The “Men In Black” high-definition Blu-ray Disc boasts advanced BD-Live enabled bonus features, including a multiplayer trivia game, an interactive Frank the Pug advice generator, an alien subtitle track and much more.

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Hard Disks

23 September 2008

Toshiba announced this week that it has expanded its line of portable external hard drives to include a 400GB model. Like previous versions, this pocket sized hard drive is protected by an internal shock sensor and ramp-loading technology  and can be powered off a computer's USB bus.

Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the industry pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today added a 400GB(1) model to its line of personal storage devices for consumers seeking high-capacity storage and backup for music libraries, home videos, personal data and other digital memories.

The new 400GB Toshiba USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive can store up to either 114,000 digital photos, 105,000 MP3 music files, 177 hours of DVD videos or 47 hours of high-definition videos.(1)

Designed for all consumers, Toshiba's personal storage line makes it easy for even digital novices to easily back up their digital content libraries with a hassle-free solution featuring award-winning NTI Shadow(TM) software. The user-friendly solution enables consumers to set back-up parameters a single time and enjoy peace-of-mind in knowing critical and cherished digital files and personal memories are protected.

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Optical Storage

23 September 2008

Advanced Media, Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of the popular Ridata brand of recordable DVD and Blu-ray Disc media, electronic storage products, and digital media accessories, is pleased to announce the addition of Qflix™ DVD media to its product line. Used in conjunction with Qfflix services and hardware including recordable drives, the new media allows digitally distributed entertainment to be recorded to disc in a secure format. The media is manufactured by RITEK®, a Sonic Solutions® (NASDAQ: SNIC) certified Qflix licensee.

"Advanced Media Inc. is pleased to announce it is an official distributor of RITEK manufactured Qflix DVDs. Home entertainment is a heavily targeted market for DVD and Blu-ray media. Now Sonic has taken DVD technology to the next level with Qflix," said Harvey Liu, president of Advanced Media Inc. "RITEK's strong global reputation for producing DVDs of uncompromising quality and compatibility ensures a great consumer entertainment experience regardless of whether content is manufactured on-demand to fulfill an online order, purchased through a retail kiosk, or produced in the home."

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Optical Storage

22 September 2008

As we reported last week, Plextor has partnered with Lite-On for one of their upcoming DVD writers. Plextor China has released some details on this new drive on their website. While it looks like they simply copied and pasted the specs from PX-810SA, the picture on the page gives us another clue to the PX-806SA's capabilities. If you look closely, you can see a logo for Qflix below the drive's tray. Developed by Sonic, Qflix gives consumers the ability to download and burn movies to DVD with Content Scramble System (CSS) encryption.

There has been a lot of speculation regarding the price of the PX-806SA. Plextor is known for charging a premium for their drives, including those based on otherwise affordable designs from other companies. With its support for Qflix, I wouldn't be surprised if the PX-806SA was priced at $70 or more.

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Hard Disks

22 September 2008

Along with its new 8x Blu-ray Disc writers, Buffalo Technology unveiled its latest portable hard drive, the MiniStation Shinobi. While measuring a mere 5mm thick, this super-slim drive offers up to 60GB of storage and features a self-contained cable management system. The MiniStation Shinobi also utilizes Buffalo's TurboUSB technology which promises to improve data transfer rates by up to 20%.

Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking, storage and memory solutions today unveiled the super-slim MiniStation Shinobi. At a mere 5mm (.2 inches) thick and weighing in at just 2oz, the robust MiniStation Shinobi is a lightweight in size but a heavyweight when it comes to features. Designed for the active professional, Buffalo’s new ultra-portable includes easy-to-use backup and sync software, mobile applications such as Firefox and Thunderbird for on-the-go email and web browsing as well as Buffalo’s SecureLockMobile software to prevent unauthorized access in the event the drive is lost or stolen. 

Featuring a unique, self-contained cable management system, the sleek, new MiniStation Shinobi offers users the ability to backup and take their favorite music, videos, photos or mission critical files in an ultra-slim drive that can withstand the trials and tribulations of the road.

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Flash Memory

22 September 2008

SanDisk announced today that it has partnered with leaders in the retail and music industries to bring consumers a new physical music format. slotMusic microSD cards will come preloaded with high quality (320kbps), DRM-free MP3 music of artists from EMI Music, SONY BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. With 1GB of capacity, slotMusic cards can also hold liner notes, album art, videos, and other creative content that an artist may choose.

Leaders in music, retail and flash memory technology today announced they’re bringing consumers an innovative, new physical music format, dubbed “slotMusic™.” microSD™ cards will soon be made available with pre-loaded, high quality, DRM-free MP3 music of top artists from EMI Music, SONY BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. A selection of slotMusic cards will first be available at brick-and-mortar and online stores throughout the U.S., including Best Buy and Wal-Mart, with Europe to follow. A complete list of slotMusic albums, availability and pricing will be announced in time for the coming holiday season. SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), inventor of the ubiquitous microSD format, is leading the technology development behind slotMusic.

slotMusic cards enable consumers to instantly and easily enjoy music from their favorite artists without being dependent on a PC or internet connection. Users simply insert the slotMusic card into their microSD-enabled mobile phone or MP3 player to hear the music – without passwords, downloading or digital-rights-management interfering with their personal use.

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Optical Storage

22 September 2008

Buffalo Technology sent out a press release today, announcing its new MediaStation 8x Blu-ray Drives. The external BR-816SU2 and internal BR-816FBS feature 8x BD-R and 2x BD-RE writing speeds as well as a maximum BD-ROM read speed of 8x.

Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking, storage and memory solutions today announced its new Blu-ray DVD Combo drives, the MediaStation 8x External Blu-ray Drive and MediaStation 8x Internal Blu-ray Drive. Offering unsurpassed 8x Read/Write speeds, these new MediaStation drives are the fastest on the market. They are ideal for "power PC" users who want optimal playback performance of Blu-ray discs, DVDs, or CDs on their PCs or notebooks or for those who want to archive content to optical discs.

The external MediaStation connects conveniently via USB 2.0 or eSATA, and the internal drive can be easily installed into your PC via SATA. Both devices also include CyberLink software suite for Windows with DVD Up-Sampling, which allows you to view DVDs in near HD quality. The MediaStation is a great solution to periodically backup and archive your data, preventing content from being altered or erased in the event your system is attacked by a virus or other malware.

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