Intel Corporation announced today its highly anticipated third-generation solid-state drive (SSD) the Intel Solid-State Drive 320 Series (Intel SSD 320 Series). Based on its industry-leading 25-nanometer (nm) NAND flash memory, the Intel SSD 320 replaces and builds on its high-performing Intel® X25-M SATA SSD. Delivering more performance and uniquely architected reliability features, the new Intel SSD 320 offers new higher capacity models, while taking advantage of cost benefits from its 25nm process with an up to 30 percent price reduction over its current generation.

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"Intel designed new quality and reliability features into our SSDs to take advantage of the latest 25nm silicon, so we could deliver cost advantages to our customers," said Pete Hazen, director of marketing for the Intel Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) Solutions Group. "Intel's third generation of SSDs adds enhanced data security features, power-loss management and innovative data redundancy features to once again advance SSD technology. Whether it's a consumer or corporate IT looking to upgrade from a hard disk drive, or an enterprise seeking to deploy SSDs in their data centers, the new Intel SSD 320 Series will continue to build on our reputation of high quality and dependability over the life of the SSD."

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Buffalo isn't the only company with a portable, BDXL compatible Blu-ray Disc writer on the way. I-O DATA Japan sent out a press release this morning, announcing the BRP-U6X. 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-U6X 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-U6X comes bundled with WinDVD BD3D as well as Nero Express Essentials and is expected to cost 22,100 Yen ($270US) when it hits stores at the beginning of April.

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patriot lx pro series sdhc card.jpgPatriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash, storage and enthusiast computer products, today gives professional and hobbyist photographers and videographers an extra performance boost with the professional-grade LX PRO Series SDHC cards. The Patriot LX PRO Series SDHC cards surpass existing SDHC speed classifications and deliver twice the performance of standard Class 10 SDHC memory cards.

Although the Patriot LX PRO Series are classified as Class 10 SDHC cards, the professional-grade SDHC deliver 20MB/s transfer speeds – twice that of typical Class 10 SDHC cards. The high-speed transfer speeds ensure photographs and video are written to the memory card instantly to the Patriot LX PRO Series.

“Image and video quality constantly improve with each generation of digital camera and camcorder. The latest generation of professional-grade digital cameras and camcorders push quality to unprecedented levels of detail and video bitrates,” says Les Henry, Patriot Memory’s Vice President of Engineering. “With the new Patriot LX PRO Series SDHC cards, photographers and videographers can capture images in continuous shot mode or shoot films at maximum video bitrates without worrying about memory card write errors due to insufficient performance.”

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Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 Pro CPU Cooler @ Tweaknews
ASUS EAH6870 1GB Video Card @ ITShootOut.com
ASUS GeForce GTX 590 3GB Video Card @ TweakTown
Corsair Hydro Series H60 High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler @ TweakTown
Corsair SP2200 2.1 Speaker System @ TweakTown
Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer PC3-12800 @ OCIA.net
GeForce GTX 590 vs Radeon HD 6990 @ InsideHW
Intel Core i3 2100 Sandy Bridge Processor @ Phoronix
Intel Core i5-2520QM and The Asus K53E 15-inch Notebook @ HotHardware.com
Lowepro Rezo 140 AW Camera Bag @ reviewstash.com
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 Video Card @ Benchmark Reviews and HotHardware.com
Seagate GoFlex 1TB External Drive for Mac @ Bigbruin.com
Sentey Optimus GS-6000 Mid Tower Chassis @ TweakTown
Speck Fitted iPad Case @ ThinkComputers.org
Tt eSPORTS Shock Gaming Headset @ BCCHardware
Zalman CNPS11X Extreme CPU Cooler @ Tweaknews

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Other World Computing today announced its OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE Solid State Drive was an integral component of a test rig that established a world record in the PCMark Vantage overall point category for a Quad Core system. The SSD Review HWBot Overclocking team, headed by Paul Alcorn, a storage specialist and overclocker who specializes in RAID/SSD performance benchmarking, eclipsed the former world record of 33271 points with a first submission high score of 34311.0 marks.

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Approximately 30,452 competitors compete over a wide range of benchmarks in an ‘overclockers league’ maintained by HWBot.org. Millions of benchmarks have been run and submitted to Futuremark databases, a central verification system. Once the results are verified with Futuremark, an ‘overclocker’ is able to submit to HWBot.org.

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OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announced that it has shipped its one millionth solid state drive.

"Solid state drives continue to represent a game-changing technology for both consumers and enterprise clients, and we are proud to achieve this milestone," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ. "But most of all, I wanted to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our loyal customers and partners, without whom this success would not be possible."

OCZ offers a broad array of interface options for solid state drives including SATA, SAS, Fibre Channel, PCI-Express, and the proprietary High-Speed Data Link (HSDL). OCZ designs and manufactures SSD solutions to address a wide spectrum of applications from personal computers and high-performance workstations to mission critical enterprise storage arrays.

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Buffalo Japan sent out a press release this morning, announcing the industry's first portable, BDXL compatible Blu-ray Disc writer. Along with the ability to playback BDXL discs, the BRXL-PC6U2-BK can write to triple- (100GB) and quad-layer (128GB) BD-R media at 6x and triple-layer (100GB) BD-RE media at 2x. On top of that, the drive is 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. The BRXL-PC6U2-BK also features an LED indicator that shows whether or not it is getting enough power as well as a second USB cable to "boost" the power to the required levels.

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The BRXL-PC6U2-BK is scheduled to ship in late March and is expected to cost about 22,100 Yen ($273US).

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Sharkoon's hard drive docking station series "QuickPort" gets an impressive increase: The Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Quattro can simultaneously connect up to four unobstructed SATA data drives to a computer. The sturdy, black table device with a high-gloss front panel offers four expansion slots for 2.5 and 3.5 inch drives as well as 2.5 inch SSDs. All bays are compatible with both hard drive formats and equipped with an on/off switch, eject button and LED indicators for power supply (blue) and hard drive activity (red).

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Two manually adjustable fans are used to cool the used data drive. The Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Quattro provides a USB 3.0 and eSATA port for computer access. The docking station supports hard drives with up to three Terabytes of storage capacity. For the connection of more hard drives through eSATA, a eSATA controller with port multiplier (PMP) is needed. The Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Quattro measures 285 x 170 x 95 mm (L x W x H) and weighs 1030 grams. Shipping includes a brief instruction manual, power supply, USB 3.0 cable and eSATA cable (both are 100 cm in length).

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Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology, announced today its new slim external 3D Blu-ray combo, the SE-406A optical disk drive (ODD).

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Featuring a sleek design with an anti-finger print surface, the SE-406A adds Blu-ray 3D to PC's. The new drive includes CyberLink TrueTheater software to test PC readiness for 3D and Blu-ray content. It also transforms 2D DVD movies into a thrilling 3D experience. Beyond these features, the SE-406A reads Blu-ray discs and reads and writes CD/DVDs.

"With a compact footprint for easy portability, the new external 3D Blu-ray ODD is USB powered to eliminate electrical outlet requirements while enabling ultra fast data loading speeds versus previous models to quickly access video, audio and photo files," said Jim Elliott, vice president, memory marketing, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. "As an eco-friendly product, the drive offers low-power consumption and is manufactured with lead-free soldering technology, which is compliant with international environmental regulations that limit the use of hazardous materials."

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Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of storage and wireless networking solutions, has announced  a stylish design for its external storage range. Available now, the glossy, piano-black MiniStation portable device and the DriveStation desktop hard drive, will allow users to add additional external storage to any computer or laptop simply using a USB port. 

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The smooth, lightweight and portable MiniStation is USB powered, meaning there is no additional power supply needed. Available in 500GB and 1.0TB, the MiniStation offers a compact, stylish solution that enables users to store, back up and transport digital images, music and other files without taking up additional storage space from your PC’s hard drive. 

The black glossy DriveStation comes in both USB 2.0  for the price conscious consumer and USB 3.0 for users wanting faster transfer speeds and automatic backup. The easy to use, plug-and-play device is pre-formatted meaning it is available for immediate use. Not only is it silent, the auto installation and auto power on/off means you can quickly store, access, and transfer files, digital images, documents, and perform back-ups. This single drive device can be positioned vertically or horizontally, conveniently allowing for an efficient use of space. The DriveStation can be purchased in 1TB or 2TB for the USB 2.0 version and 1TB, 2TB and 3TB for the USB 3.0 version.

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