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OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory modules for computing devices and systems, has unveiled a proprietary interface called "High-Speed Data Link" (HSDL) to accelerate the progression of solid-state storage. Unsatisfied with existing interface options, OCZ developed HSDL to eliminate I/O bottlenecks and enable SSD technology to operate at its full potential. With this initiative, OCZ aims to enhance high performance computing (HPC) and I/O-intensive infrastructures for its clients.
"Solid State Drive throughput speeds are increasing at a rate in excess of what current storage buses can support, and as a result, storage protocols are quickly becoming the bottleneck to storage subsystem performance," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology. "Designed for both high-performance computing and enterprise storage applications, our new High Speed Data Link interface addresses this issue and revolutionizes data storage by significantly outperforming other current interfaces delivering performance at levels that saturate most CPU busses."
Capable of running up to 20Gbps of data bandwidth per channel, HSDL significantly outperforms existing storage interfaces such as Serial ATA (SATA) and Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) which only offer 3Gbps/6Gbps data rates. Furthermore, multiple HSDL channels can be combined for maximum bandwidth to increase productivity levels in both consumer and enterprise applications.
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QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the NMP-1000P Network Multimedia Player, a unique new product for audiophiles and AV enthusiasts. NMP-1000P features the latest Sigma Designs® video/audio decoder that is capable of displaying ultra realistic full HD movies with advanced menu navigation, crystal clear next-generation Dolby® and DTS multi-channel surround sound, high-quality lossless music, digital pictures with background music, and other multimedia content. NMP-1000P is also powered by a high performance Wolfson stereo digital to analog converter for truly outstanding audio experience.
What's more, the intuitive user interface of NMP-1000P makes it a snap to download movie covers and related information, and to discover and catalog content from any connected storage device or network drives. NMP-1000P retains Turbo NAS functionality for backup of all networked computers, convenient cross-platform file sharing among Windows, Mac, and Linux/UNIX, multiple user accounts and access right management, and remotely access to media files with the built-in Web File Manager and FTP. NMP-1000P even streams thousands of TV shows, news, podcasts, music, photos, and other content from Mediafly™, Apple Movie Trailers, CNN, SHOUTcast, Internet radio service, Flickr, Picasa, and more.
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Cirago International, a leading manufacturer of multimedia centers, storage and wireless solutions, today announced the debut of its ultra-compact CST6000 Series USB 3.0 portable storage drive that offers SuperSpeed data transfers in a durable, pocket-sized, lightweight form factor for optimum portability.
The 3 1/4" by 5 1/3" drive is just 1/2" thick, making it one of the slimmest USB 3.0 drives on the market. Leveraging this latest interface technology, the CST6000 series can achieve up to 10-times the transfer speed of USB 2.0. The product is available in 250GB, 320GB, 500GB and 640GB capacity with enough storage to host a substantial multi-media collection.
Unlike other similar products, the CST6000 features a durable iPhone-like aluminum case that is not only lightweight, but also stands up to heat and shock better than typical plastic shells. Specially designed for portability, the CST6000 comes complete with a carrying pouch to offer added protection when dropping the drive into a laptop bag, briefcase or backpack.
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With the ever-increasing demands of digital media, Toshiba introduces the Canvio 3.0 portable hard disk drive (HDD) featuring a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface. For the same price as competing USB 2.0 drives, Canvio 3.0 drives offer blazing fast file transfers at up to 10 times the speed of USB 2.0 drives. Available in storage capacities of 500 gigabytes (GB), 750GB or one terabyte (TB), Canvio 3.0 drives feature simple plug-and-play operation, pre-loaded backup software, and backward compatibility with personal computers and other devices equipped with USB 2.0 ports.
“Power digital consumers, and even typical PC users, are storing high definition video content, high resolution digital images, and multi-gigabyte music collections. When you consider that a single HD video can easily be three times the size of the same video in standard definition, it’s easy to see why file transfer speeds are just as important as storage capacity,” said Manuel Camarena, product manager for consumer storage at Toshiba Storage Device Division. “With the integration of the USB 3.0 interface, Canvio 3.0 drives significantly improve file transfer performance for large media files and dramatically minimize the wait time for backup and recovery processes.”
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Roku, Inc., maker of the best-selling and award-winning Roku streaming player, and Hulu™, the leading online TV service, today announced a partnership to offer the Hulu Plus™ service on all Roku players. The Hulu Plus channel will be available via subscription to all Roku customers later this fall.
Hulu Plus offers one of the deepest offerings of TV shows, both current and classic, on a streaming platform to subscribers in the U.S. Through Hulu Plus on Roku, TV lovers can watch every episode of more than 45 current hit programs from ABC, FOX and NBC like Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy, Glee, Family Guy, The Office and 30 Rock. In addition, TV lovers will be able to enjoy full series runs and numerous back seasons of dozens of classic shows like The X-Files, Law and Order: SVU, Arrested Development, Saturday Night Live, Miami Vice, Ugly Betty, Quantum Leap, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Roswell and Ally McBeal. The Hulu Plus channel will be available via subscription to all Roku customers later this fall.
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Seagate today introduced the industry’s highest-capacity, 4-bay and 2-bay, desktop network attached storage solutions to help data-intensive small business address evolving storage needs. The BlackArmor® NAS 440 network storage server and BlackArmor® NAS 220 network storage server, extend the capacity range of Seagate’s BlackArmor® family of storage solutions, enabling businesses to now scale from 1TB to 12TB to help keep pace with the growing stores of high-definition multi-media files and business critical data.
Initially, both solutions will come pre-populated with 3TB drives in each bay and will be offered exclusively for 30-days through Seagate.com and select online retailers. For the first 30 days, CDW will provide the 12TB BlackArmor NAS 440 for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $1,899.99, and NewEgg will sell the BlackArmor NAS 220 6TB for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $649.99.
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Kingston Digital, the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the release of its CompactFlash (CF) Ultimate 600x memory card. The CompactFlash Ultimate 600x supports UDMA mode 6 and offers read and write speeds of up to 90MB/sec. making it Kingston's fastest card to support high-end digital cameras and other devices.
"The Kingston CF Ultimate 600x cards are great for photographers shooting in burst mode. For example, in a situation like a wedding or sporting event where the ability to rapidly take successive shots could make the difference between capturing the perfect shot or just missing it," said Mike Kuppinger, Flash card product manager, Kingston®. "We are pleased to add the 600x card to our CompactFlash family of products which also includes the 266x Ultimate and 133x Elite Pro™ cards."
The CF Ultimate 600x is available in 16GB and 32GB capacities to support the large file sizes created when shooting in RAW mode or HD video. If paired with UDMA mode 6 enabled cameras and readers, the 600x speed allows for data to write to and read from the card at a faster rate than previous generations of cards. For added peace of mind, the CF Ultimate 600x includes free downloadable data recovery software from MediaRECOVER®.
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Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash and computer peripheral solutions, today announced the immediate availability of the Patriot Convoy 4x4 series of 5.25” bay enclosures for 2.5” Hard Disk Drives or Solid State Drives. The Patriot Convoy 425S and Convoy 425XL expand upon the award winning Convoy product line of 3.5” bay devices for two 2.5” drives.
Designed with storage density and performance in mind, each Patriot Convoy 425S and 425XL storage device provides a simple to install solution for up to four 2.5” HDD or SSD with the 425XL offering RAID functionality. Displayed during the 2010 Computex trade show as part of a technology showcase with high capacity SSD systems, the Convoy 425XL was a key component for the Patriot Artemis II technology demonstration. Paired with 56 Patriot Inferno 100GB SSDs in RAID 0 configuration, the storage and performance benefits of this enclosure were evident: maximum storage density in a small space with extreme performance. In the Artemis II system, the Patriot Inferno SSDs and the Convoy 425XL achieved breathtaking performance of over 240,000 IOPS.
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Nero today introduced two new high definition solutions: Nero Multimedia Suite 10 Platinum HD and Nero Video Premium HD. The Platinum HD suite and Video Premium HD bring enhanced Blu-ray capabilities to the table, unlocking a complete HD experience for creative enthusiasts and home hobbyists.
Nero Multimedia Suite 10 Platinum HD builds upon the robust, 3-in-1 multimedia management tools introduced earlier this year in Nero Multimedia Suite 10, which focused on video editing, burning and backup. Nero Video Premium HD offers the ultimate HD video diting experience on the market. Both cost-effective premium software packages are offered at an aggressively affordable price to consumers.
With Nero Multimedia Suite 10 Platinum HD, Nero completes the High Definition experience with the introduction of Blu-ray playback capabilities and new tools to help create, edit, burn, backup and share HD content anytime and anywhere. It incorporates BD-Live 2.0 Blu-ray disc playback, the Move It plug-in for easy media transfer and conversion between mobile devices and PC, as well as the Nero Creative Collection Pack 1 with new Picture-in-Picture (PiP) effects, as well as additional transition effects and Movie Themes.
Nero Video Premium HD blends the powerful video editing capabilities of Nero Vision Xtra with myriad creative effects and Blu-ray playback to simplify the task of advanced video editing, enabling any user to develop professional-grade HD movies on their own.
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- Hard Disks
Hard drives have long ago found a way to bring a digital library into the living room. In order to transfer videos, pictures and music from PC data carriers to appropriately equipped televisions, digital receivers, gaming consoles or HD media players it needed an external hard drive enclosure. Unfortunately, these usually came in a functional PC component design.
An easy to use and suitable living room alternative is now introduced by Sharkoon. The accessory specialist has the pleasure of adding an elegant HiFi design to their QuickPort hard drive docking station. With its slim size, the Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Home assumes the look of a classic HiFi device due to its brushed aluminium front panel, which covers the entire display, and its black finish with round, silver foot stands.
Behind the front panel of the SATA QuickPort Home, two push-to-open slots for 3.5 and 2.5 inch SATA hard drives are hidden. As with other Sharkoon QuickPort models, handling is quite simple: Mounting the hard drive is not a time consuming endeavour, but merely inserted into its appropriate slot. The disk disappears completely into the housing. A preinstalled, temperature regulating fan ensures that the hard drive does not overheat during operation.
