Microsoft Windows 8 introduced the innovative Windows To Go (WTG) feature, which enables people to enjoy their own applications and access their personal data via any smart display that supports the Windows operating system, as long as they have a thumb-sized flash disk with them. Etron Technology, Inc. today announces that its EV266W Flash Driver Controller has received Windows To Go certification from Microsoft. EV266W employs a dual-channel design and advanced 72-bit Error Check and Correction (ECC) functionality. It supports 8 CE (Channel Enable) pins per channel, with up to a total of 16 CE pins, in a 64-QFN (9x9 mm) package or an 88-QFN (10x10 mm) package. The EV266W Flash Driver Controller and platform enables system manufacturers of USB 3.0 flash drives to develop a new generation of USB 3.0 device end products and accelerate their technologies to market.

To end customers, Microsoft’s WTG delivers the convenience of smart living with Plug In, Boot and Go capabilities. This allows users to (1) travel light anywhere with their familiar Windows operating system, applications and personal data on a thumb-sized flash drive; (2) turn any display that supports the Windows operating system into a dedicated PC; (3) achieve hassle-free Windows usage without the need to sync programs and personal data across multiple devices; (4) stay fully productive despite computer hardware failure since people can connect to any PC of their choice; and (5) prevent data loss and compute securely and with privacy.

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IntelliProp, Inc., a leader in innovative semiconductors for Data Storage applications, announced today the availability of a new, SATA SSD (Solid State Drive) Flash Controller, the IPA-SA129-CT. The new device was developed at IntelliProp's Longmont design center using their internally developed cores (SATA, flash, ECC, AES) and logic. The first customer development is preparing for production.

The IPA-SA129-CT is an SSD (Solid State Drive) flash controller for Serial ATA (SATA) applications supporting SATA 6Gb/s speeds. The IntelliProp IPA-SA129-CT (code named "Apache") features enterprise class ECC:BCH error correction, True End-to-End CRC, AES-XTS-256bit encryption and supports both MLC and SLC flash. The data path for read and write IO's of the IPA-SA129-CT controller is managed by IntelliProp's proprietary hardware accelerator engines to provide consistent, low latency access to user data. This data path architecture focuses on maximizing IOPS and throughput while allowing the embedded processor cycles to be dedicated to garbage collection and background management tasks.

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adata_dashdrive_elite_he720.pngADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash application products, has made another advance in ultra-slim external hard drives with the launch of the DashDrive Elite HE720 in 1 terabyte capacity. The HE720 offers high speed data transmission through a USB 3.0 interface, and has a thickness of only 8.9mm.

The chassis of the HE720 is made of highly reflective stainless steel and provides 9H grade scratch resistance, which prevents damage and marring even after long-term use. A gleaming LED indicator indicates power and data transfer status, accentuating the modern metallic lines of the drive body. The USB 3.0 interface offers transfer efficiency up to three times that of older USB 2.0 devices, but retains full backward compatibility with earlier versions.

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Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO), the industry consortium dedicated to sustaining the quality, integrity and dissemination of Serial ATA (SATA) technology, today announced the ratification of its revision 3.2 specification. The latest specification includes SATA Express, a new specification that enables the coexistence of SATA and PCIe storage devices, as well as enhancements in power management, new SATA form-factors, and optimizations for solid state hybrid drives (SSHDs).

"SATA technology continues to evolve to accommodate ever-changing storage industry requirements," said Mladen Luksic, SATA-IO President. "The updates featured in the revision 3.2 specification, such as SATA Express and enhancements for emerging solid state hybrid drives, are driven by current market trends. These new features demonstrate SATA-IO's ongoing commitment to providing low-cost, high-performance storage solutions."

Initially introduced in January 2013, the SATA Express specification enables a client storage ecosystem that allows SATA and PCIe solutions to coexist. A host implemented to this specification will connect to and function with either a SATA or PCIe storage device. PCIe technology enables increased interface speeds of up to 2GB/s (2 lanes of PCIe 3.0), compared with today's SATA technology at 0.6GB/s (6Gb/s). The increased speed of PCIe provides a cost-effective solution for optimizing performance of Solid State Drives (SSDs) and emerging SSHDs. Storage devices not requiring the increased speed of PCIe, such as traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) and optical drives, will continue to be supported by SATA.

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PNY today introduces the sleek and durable SSD Prevail 5K, the latest in PNY's new line designed for the high-performance, enterprise market. Like its predecessors, PNY's SSD Prevail 5K delivers a solid combination of performance, price and endurance.

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The PNY SSD Prevail 5K, is equipped with high performance features such as eMLC NAND memory modules. This drive is designed for use in a professional environment such as CAD/CAM workstations or video editing, RAID server storage or cloud computing.

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plextor logo.jpgPlextor, leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital storage devices, is slated to give a sneak preview of their new M6 SSD at the Flash Memory Summit and Exhibition to be held August 13-15 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.

The M6 features the next generation of Plextor’s proprietary TrueSpeed technology that works in tandem with the Marvell 88SS9187 controller for enhanced performance and reliability. The new drive will also feature the latest generation of A19 Toggle NAND flash from Toshiba and an ultra-slim 5mm casing.  Additional product specifications and a formal release date are expected to be announced in the coming months.

In addition to the M6, Plextor will be displaying its complete lineup of storage solutions. Included are Plextor’s flagship M5 Pro Extreme and M5S series, the critically acclaimed M5M mSATA drive, and their much-anticipated M.2 form-factor drive. The M.2 (formerly New Generation Form Factor or NGFF) is the new industry standard form factor and is slated to replace drives such as the mPCIe, mSATA, and other versions of the blade SSD.

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virtium_decastor_ssd.pngVirtium, a leading provider of storage and memory solutions for industrial embedded systems, today introduced its DecaStor line of solid state drives (SSDs). Designed to help embedded systems OEMs rely on a ready supply of SSDs in hard-to-find capacities, Virtium DecaStor 2.5 and 1.8-inch SSDs are ideal storage solutions for applications designed around 80, 160 and 300 gigabyte (GB) capacity points. DecaStor SSDs also feature 10-channel controllers, which deliver compatible transfer speeds for a wide range of networking, industrial, in-flight entertainment, PoS terminals, gaming equipment and mobile monitoring systems.

“Most of our OEM customers design their applications around specific capacity points,” said Gary Drossel, vice president of product strategy at Virtium. “Migrating to different capacities is not as easy as it is in the client space and often creates the need for software changes that must be re-qualified. Virtium saves industrial embedded OEMs from this software effort with drop-in 1.8 and 2.5-inch SSD replacements previously offered by suppliers that are now opting to pursue the data center and client markets.”

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Memory and storage specialist Integral has launched the Fusion USB 3.0 Flash Drive. Measuring a tiny 21x12x4.5mm and weighing only 3g, Fusion 3.0 is one of the smallest flash drives in the world.

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The Fusion 3.0 Drive meets the demand for high-speed, high-capacity storage, in a compact and stylish flash drive. The low profile and non-protruding design makes the Fusion 3.0 ideal for “leave-in” multimedia environments such as Smart TVs, home and car audio, game consoles, laptops and tablets. The drive has been designed to fit easily and safely onto a key ring.

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Kingston Technology Europe Co LLP, an affiliate of Kingston Technology Company Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced a series of Na`Vi branded products , developed in collaboration with the world’s multiple champion eSports club Natus Vincere.

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The long and productive partnership of Kingston and Na`Vi has helped to create a series of bright & stylish branded products. Having won seven world championships and more than 2.5 million dollars in prize money, unlike anyone else, the professional players of Natus Vincere team, know which technical resources are necessary in order to become a champion.

The Na`Vi branded limited edition products are primarily aimed at gamers and enthusiasts, who require high performance and reliability, as well as all fans of Na`Vi and eSports, who want to own this unique product to show their support. The Na`Vi Limited Edition collection includes the SSD drives based on the high performance, award winning HyperX 3K model, available with a capacity of 120 GB or 240 GB, as well as top quality HyperX Genesis memory module kits.

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ASUSTOR Inc., a leading innovator and provider of network storage solutions, has announced that all of its NAS devices will be upgrading to the ASUSTOR Data Master (ADM) 2.0 operating system. ADM was the first NAS operating system in the world to be designed around the use of Apps and features an intuitive graphical interface that provides users with a familiar experience closely resembling the simplicity enjoyed on mobile and tablet devices. ADM also features the App Central App repository which contains over 100 unique NAS Apps. Users with needs ranging from business to SOHO to home and personal will all find Apps that they can use to create a customized NAS device for themselves.

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ADM 2.0 features a substantially optimized user interface that increases operational efficiency. Newly added features allow users to freely upload their own desktop wallpaper, pin frequently used Apps to the ADM menu bar and organize the order of their Apps, giving each user the ability to create their own customized desktop. Many new and original functions have also been added including the industry's first Searchlight search engine which can help users find required files in a large database, and Mission Mode backup which helps to ensure the completion of each backup job. Additional new features include FTP Explorer, the first FTP client designed for NAS use that offers an intuitive user experience similar to most file managers as well as SoundsGood Web music player and a VPN client. ADM 2.0 will also include App Central V2, the newly styled version of ASUSTOR's renowned App library platform. Furthermore, users of ASUSTOR's 3 series NAS devices will also get to enjoy the use of the new XBMC multimedia player App. 3 Series users can also use XBMC with ASUSTOR's exclusive infrared remote control to create a complete digital entertainment experience.

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