With increased competition for OEM orders, the price of optical drives has dropped considerably over the last few years. According to DigiTimes, these price drops will soon be coming to an end. Due to the increased cost of materials and components, companies like Lite-On and Quanta plan to raise the price of optical drives by as much as 10% in the third quarter of 2008.
Lite-On IT and Quanta Storage, the largest Taiwan-based ODM/OEM makers of half-height and slim-type optical disc drives (ODDs), respectively, are planning to increase their ODM/OEM pricing by 3-10%, depending on the type of ODD, in the third quarter of 2008, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

The planned hike in pricing is because procurement costs for key materials and components have cumulatively risen to levels beyond Lite-On IT and Quanta Storage's tolerance, the sources explained.
With the price of oil going through the roof, we should feel lucky that manufacturers are raising prices by only 10%. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment
Panasonic announced today that it has developed a single-chip signal processing LSI for Blu-ray Disc players. The MN2WS006 offers support for the latest BD standards and includes functions such as dual-screen simultaneous video playback, high-quality audio playback and network compatibility.

Panasonic, the leading brand by which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, has developed the world's first Blu-ray Disc (BD) player-specific single-chip signal processing LSI (product number: MN2WS006), in response to the latest BD standards. This LSI combines a front end to read the signal from the BD, and a back end to convert this into AV data. Samples of this LSI will begin shipping in June 2008.

By using this product, Panasonic will be able to realize smaller sizes and lower power consumption in BD players compatible with the latest BD standards.
If you'd like to read more, Panasonic's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
I/OMagic announced this week that it has begun shipping its new Portable USB 2.0 DVD-RW drive. This slim and lightweight drive weighs less than half a pound and is powered through its USB port. It also features 8x DVD±R and 4x DVD+R DL writing speeds and is capable of storing 8.5GB of data onto a single DL disc.
I/OMagic Corporation (OTCBB: IOMG), a leading provider of data storage products, announced today that they are shipping their Portable USB 2.0 DVD ReWritable disk drive that comes in a sleek, sturdy, black enclosure. This attractive and easy to use Portable USB 2.0 DVD-RW is powered by the USB port making it a very easy to use add-on to a personal computer or notebook for burning large amounts of music, photos and video, and data.

"The greatest demand for our Portable DVD burners are notebook users," says Tony Shahbaz, I/OMagic's CEO. "Most of the less expensive notebooks only have DVD readers and sub-notebooks have no DVD at all, so the need for Portable DVD burners is growing as the notebook market grows."
I/OMagic's Portable USB 2.0 DVD disk drive is available now for suggested retail price of $99.99. Full details can be found here. Add a comment

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Western Digital has announced a new series of portable drives, designed specifically for the Mac. The My Passport Studio portable drives come equipped with both FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 interfaces and are HFS+ formatted for use with Apple's Time Machine backup software.

Expanding on its popular portable storage offerings, WD (NYSE: WDC) today introduced its new Mac-formatted My Passport Studio Portable Drives. The newest members of the My Passport family are designed for Mac users on-the-go and are equipped with both FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 interfaces, a clever capacity gauge, and include a soft drawstring carrying bag for protection from scratches and dirt. Available now at select retailers and at WD's online store (www.shopwd.com), the My Passport Studio portable drives are offered in capacities of 320 GB and 250 GB.

Weighing in at less than 5 ounces, the My Passport Studio portable drives make it easy to securely carry office files, thousands of songs, videos or photos and back up a Macintosh laptop using Apple Time Machine backup software utility. With an elegant silver metallic finish that perfectly complements other Mac products, these portable drives feature a shock-resistant enclosure to provide protection from the bumps and jars of everyday life on-the-go. Ultra portable, these drives are USB-bus powered which eliminates the need for an external power adapter.
WD's My Passport Studio portable drives are available now in 250GB and 320GB capacities and are priced at $159.99 and $219.99, respectively. Full details can be found here. Add a comment
SanDisk recently announced the launch of its Mobile Ultra line of premium mobile phone storage cards. The Mobile Ultra microSD, microSDHC and Memory Stick Micro (M2) cards come bundled with a MobileMate Micro Reader and are available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities.

A must-have product for consumers who embody the digital lifestyle, the SanDisk Mobile Ultra high-performance cards are “best of breed” premium cards that provide fast side-loading speeds. This means that users will experience accelerated transfer rates of digital files to and from their mobile memory card and their computer. In addition to speed, SanDisk Mobile Ultra cards allow consumers to “wake up” the multimedia features of mobile phones by increasing the phone's storage capacity for maps, music, videos, photos, games and other essential applications. For avid mobile phone videographers, events and experiences captured by the phone's video camera can be quickly and efficiently transferred to social media or video-sharing websites. For added value and convenience, the card is bundled with a MobileMate Micro Reader that plugs directly into a USB 2.0 port to assist in this quick transport and easy management of digital content.
SanDisk Mobile Ultra memory cards will be available at various retail outlets in early June. More information, including pricing, can be found here. Add a comment
Traxdata sent out a press release this morning, announcing the availability of its new multimedia hard disk drive. The MultiMediaDrive gives users the ability to take the photos, music and video stored on their PC and play them back on their TV at resolutions up to 1080i.

With a huge 500GB storage capacity, users can create their own media library using Traxdata's MultiMediaDrive to watch movies, view holiday snaps, and play their favourite songs on their television instead of on a computer. Since the drive is equipped with a multitude of audio and video connections it is compatible with most TV sets.

The MultiMediaDrive is easy to use and works by transferring files stored on a computer to the drive, through the USB 2.0. It can then be plugged into any audio and video interface, including high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), allowing users to make full use of their HDTV (up to 1080i) without losing image and sound quality. To further enhance user experience Traxdata has included a remote control with the drive, allowing customers to control their entertainment from the comfort of their armchair.
If you'd like to read more, Traxdata's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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CyberLink announced today that ASUS has chosen to bundle CyberLink DVD Suite with its notebook PCs. The all-in-one suite includes applications such as PowerDVD, PowerDirector, Power2Go, PowerProducer, Medi@Show and LabelPrint.
CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), innovative solutions provider for the connected digital lifestyle, announced today the expansion of its cooperation with Asustek, to include CyberLink DVD Suite with ASUS notebook PCs.

CyberLink DVD Suite integrates powerful yet easy-to-use applications for working with all types of media content. Leading playback software PowerDVD gives advanced multimedia playback functions; PowerDirector allows users to create stylish home videos with magic video tools; PowerProducer provides disc production and personalized menus with ease; Power2Go allows quick burning of data and media files to DVDs. Medi@show enables the professional creation of multimedia slideshow, while LabelPrint creates personalized disc labels with LightScribe technology. With one intuitive interface, users can easily access to each of the applications in this creativity and burning suite.
If you'd like to read more, CyberLink's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment
IOGEAR sent out a press release today, announcing the availability of the USB Net ShareStation. This new device allows users to access any flash drive, hard drive, printer, speaker or Webcam on their network as if they were connected directly to their computer.

Workers can use the product to access external hard drives to save files that are readily accessible to other employees on the network. They can print, scan or fax from any connected computer, as the USB Net ShareStation supports Mutli-Function Printer sharing. Connecting the product to a wireless router also allows users to wirelessly share USB devices, while reducing cable clutter.

IOGEAR's USB Net ShareStation lets audio enthusiasts access USB speakers connected to the network and stream audio throughout the home or office. The product provides high throughput rates, ensuring that the sound transfers in optimal quality. Individuals can also use the device to access a connected Webcam as a low-cost surveillance solution if they want to monitor activity in an alternative room.
IOGEAR's USB Net ShareStation is available now for a suggested retail price of $79.95. Full details can be found here. Add a comment