greenliant_sata_nanadrive_ssd.jpgGreenliant Systems, a leader in energy-efficient, highly secure and reliable solid state storage products, has started volume production of its SATA interface NANDrive™ solid state drives (SSDs). The GLS85LS product family has the same pin-out across all capacities—2 GB, 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB and higher in the future—which simplifies system-level board design.

Measuring 14mm x 24mm x 1.95mm, in a 145 ball grid array (BGA), 1mm ball pitch package, SATA NANDrive devices are one of the smallest SSDs, giving OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) flexibility when designing data storage into their embedded products. The BGA package can be soldered directly onto the motherboard—no extra connectors are needed—providing added stability to the SSD.

Compatible with the latest generation chipsets, SATA NANDrive combines Greenliant’s proprietary high-performance NAND flash controller with up to eight NAND flash die in a multi-chip package. As a fully integrated SSD—when compared to using discrete NAND and a controller—NANDrive improves customers’ time-to-market by eliminating the need to procure and qualify multiple chips.

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Other World Computing announced today the addition of its lowest-cost- of-entry Solid-State Drive to its award-winning SSD line.  The new OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 3G SSD combines award-winning SandForce technologies and Tier 1/Grade A NAND to deliver data rates over 275MB/s in a noiseless, more reliable form factor over conventional magnetic hard disk drives. Designed and manufactured in the U.S. with imported parts, the new OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 3G 30GB SSD’s $67.99 MSRP makes it one of the lowest-priced, high-performance SSDs on the market.

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Consumers using a Mac or PC equipped with the Serial ATA data bus will find the OWC Mercury EXTREME Pro 3G 30GB is able to deliver near bus saturating speed. Independent tests have confirmed the OWC Mercury EXTREME 3G SSDs deliver sustained data rates over 275MB/s and provide significant benefits in overall system responsiveness and sustained workflow.

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Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced its Canvio® 3.0 portable hard disk drive (HDD) line featuring cloud-based backup capabilities. With storage capacities of 500 gigabytes (GB), 750GB or one terabyte (TB), the new Canvio 3.0 line also features simple plug-and-play operation, pre-loaded backup software, and is compatible with personal computers and other devices equipped with USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 ports.

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Designed to meet the needs of consumers who increasingly rely on the cloud for digital storage, the Canvio 3.0 drives are pre-loaded with Windows™-based NTI® BackupNow EZ™ software that provides step-by-step and fully-customizable backup capabilities to the cloud and to the drive. Users create a cloud account with NTI® BackupNow EZ™ where they can backup specific folders, certain file types, and conduct a complete system backup to the Canvio 3.0. The backup software also scans the user's system and files and recommends which files to backup to cloud-based or on-device storage.

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QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced three new Turbo NAS models: the TS-419P II (4-drive), TS-219P II (2-drive), and TS-119P II (single-drive), positioned to provide corporate workgroups, SOHO, and home users with budget-friendly network attached storage (NAS) solutions for efficient data backup and convenient file sharing. The new models can be upgraded to the latest, free to download QNAP NAS firmware (version 3.5), with many new features and enhancements, and are backed by a two-year warranty.

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The new models of the TS-x19P II series are equipped with a 2.0GHz Marvell processor, 512MB DDR3 memory and one or two Gigabit LAN ports. The products can be easily integrated into an existing network of workgroups, provide centralized storage with antivirus protection, cross-platform data sharing for Windows®, Mac®, Linux, and UNIX users, as well as secure connections for users to access data on the server via FTP, a web-based file manager, or WebDAV. With the MyCloudNAS service, the new models can also be converted into private cloud storage systems for remote access from the Internet.

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Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking and network and direct attached storage solutions, today announced the new MiniStation™ Extreme and DriveStation™ Axis Velocity storage solutions. These latest additions to Buffalo’s portfolio of innovative and performance-driven USB 3.0 storage solutions provide consumers with a fast and reliable way to store, back up and transport their content safely and securely.

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Because data protection is a priority, the new MiniStation Extreme offers a feature-rich portable storage solution in a rugged, lightweight package, designed to keep your files secure. Its attractive design and high-quality finish equipped with a unique wrap-around USB cable, a rubberized base, sophisticated shock protection elements and hardware encryption blend form and function to deliver uncompromising data protection and mobility. With USB 3.0 support and backward compatibility with USB 2.0, it works with nearly any PC or Mac® and provides interface speeds up to 5 Gbps. MiniStation Extreme features US Military Standard shock protection with a ruggedized chassis and specialized bumpers designed to absorb and transfer shock away from the hard disk due to accidental bumps and drops from up to 2 meters. Its convenient wrap-around cable hugs the body to ensure you’re always ready to connect while on the go. Simply plug it into any available USB port on your computer and instantly add capacity or store files to take on the road; with 256-bit AES hardware encryption, you can rest assured your data is safe, wherever you go.

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Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced the USB 3.0 DataGuardian, a password protected USB 3.0 flash drive that makes data security easy and affordable.

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By now almost everyone is familiar with USB flash drives. They are incredibly useful and have become an indispensible part of our computing environments. We all know that we should be using a secure solution, but the fact is security solutions are expensive, cumbersome and limit the usefulness of a flash drive. That is, until now.

The SuperTalent USB 3.0 DataGuardian offers a solution; password protection that is easy to use, requires no software installation and that runs in user mode. Simply plug in the USB 3.0 DataGuardian and an application, stored in the drives firmware (on-chip), is launched automatically. Simply enter your password and you will have access to your data; unplug the drive and the drive is secure once again.

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I-O DATA Japan sent out a press release earlier this week, announcing its new portable, BDXL compatible Blu-ray Disc writer, the BRP-U6XE. This USB-powered drive can write to triple- (100GB) and quad-layer (128GB) BD-R media at 4x and triple-layer (100GB) BD-RE media at 2x. The BRP-U6XE is also capable of 6x BD-R, 6x BD-R DL, 6x BD-R LTH, 2x BD-RE and 2x BD-RE DL writing speeds and a maximum BD-ROM read speed of 6x.

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The BRP-U6XE comes bundled with WinDVD BD3D as well as Nero Express Essentials and is expected to cost 17,800 Yen ($234US) when it hits stores at the beginning of October.

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wd_my_passport_studio.jpgWestern Digital today introduced its newest generation of My Passport® portable hard drives specifically designed for use with Mac® computers and Apple® Time Machine®, featuring compact, elegant Mac-inspired designs with high capacity storage options and exceptional security for today's active lifestyles.

My Passport® Studio™ boasts the all-metal design and performance needed for today's discerning Mac user, serving as an ideal companion for the on-the-go photographer, videographer, graphic artist, or creative professional that produces, shares and consumes massive amounts of digital content daily. Offering up to 1 TB capacity, the My Passport Studio also provides multiple connectivity options with two FireWire® 800 ports and a USB 2.0 interface. The dual FireWire ports provide blazing fast upload and transfer speeds while also allowing users to daisy chain additional drives or other peripherals such as HD camcorders. My Passport Studio also features encryption and password protection software, and an all-new design constructed of metal for a sturdy feel in your hand and scratch resistance.

Housed in a stylish yet durable slim enclosure, the My Passport for Mac® is designed for Mac users who need high capacity storage in an ultra-compact and lightweight design. Available in capacities up to 1 TB, My Passport for Mac remains a favorite among students and other Mac users whose work environments may include extensive travel or outdoor and adventure locations.

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QNAP® Systems, Inc. today released a new version of its NAS Management Software, embedded as firmware, in support of a few popular discontinued models. The new V3.3.2 firmware update adds support for the Mac® OS X Lion operating system, including full Time Machine support. This new firmware is available for download immediately for applicable models.

“Since V3.5 firmware has been launched for current Turbo NAS models, we received many requests from users who own previous generations of Turbo NAS units to support Mac OS X Lion,” said Jason Hsu, product manager of QNAP. “QNAP is renowned for being committed to bringing forth quality products and services to the customer, and for continuing to support product in the field. We are pleased to add support for these popular older models to work with the new Mac OS X Lion operation system.”

With the V3.3.2 firmware release, users who own an applicable QNAP Turbo NAS and have upgraded to Mac OS X Lion operating system can seamlessly store and share files on their Turbo NAS, and back up the Mac to the Turbo NAS using Time Machine.

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Micron Technology, Inc., today introduced a new version of its popular RealSSD C400, featuring self encryption for unmatched data security. The C400 SED (Self-Encrypting Drive) is based on the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) Opal specifications and provides a hardware-based answer for the increasing wave of data breaches that continue to impact computer users and enterprises worldwide.

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Security breaches caused by malicious attacks are on the rise, according to the recent Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report. While it's notable that the increase in small-scale external attacks doesn't rely on highly sophisticated approaches, encryption is widely credited as the first choice for the most affordable security solution for deterring such intrusions.

"Self-encrypting drives represent the future of data protection," said Dr. Joerg Borchert, 2011 president and chairman of the nonprofit Trusted Computing Group. "Hardware encryption provides the strongest security and best performance, and solid-state technology like Micron's will provide even quicker data access."

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