- Details
- Flash Memory
SanDisk announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Toshiba to sell about 30% of its stake in the companies two flash memory joint ventures. Once the deal is complete, Toshiba will be the sole owner of 30% of the total production capacity, with the remaining 70% split equally between the two companies. While financial details have not been announced, SanDisk expects to receive cash and cut equipment lease obligations by about $1 billion.
SanDisk® (NASDAQ:SNDK) announced today that it has entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Toshiba Corporation to sell approximately 30 percent of the current manufacturing capacity of the parties’ joint ventures to Toshiba. The move will significantly reduce SanDisk’s capital spending, further strengthen its balance sheet and reduce NAND flash memory production commitments. SanDisk expects to receive cash and reduce equipment lease obligations by approximately $1 billion through this transaction.
SanDisk and Toshiba will continue to be equal partners for the approximately 70 percent capacity of the Fabs that remain in the joint ventures. SanDisk will have the option to purchase a part of the transferred capacity from Toshiba on a foundry basis and will continue to invest up to 50% in future Fab 4 expansions and technology transitions in Fabs 3 and 4. The parties will continue their existing joint technology development in advanced NAND and 3D read/write memory. SanDisk expects the transaction to be completed in the first quarter of 2009.
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- Home Entertainment
DTS, Inc. launches a variation of it’s increasingly popular surround sound technology DTS-HD Master Audio, which delivers high definition audio that is bit for bit identical to the studio master. DTS-HD Master Audio Essential provides the same quality high-end sound that consumers have come to expect from DTS-HD Master Audio. DTS-HD Master Audio Essential will be a full Master Audio feature set for Blu-ray Disc, with the exception of DTS ES Matrix and NEO 6.
Although DTS-HD Master Audio Essential does not currently support DTS | 96 /24, DTS ES, ES Matrix, and DTS NEO 6, for standard DVD discs, DTS backwards compatibility makes it possible for you to automatically enjoy your DVD entertainment experience in high quality DTS Digital Surround.
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- Optical Storage
Plextor Europe sent out a press release this morning, announcing its first external Blu-ray drive. Along with support for both FireWire and USB 2.0, the PX-B920UF features 4x BD-R, 4x BD-R DL and 2x BD-RE writing speeds and is capable of playing back both Blu-ray and HD DVD movies. The drive will be available through European retailers at the end of this month.
Leading optical drive manufacturer and storage expert Plextor announces its first external ReWriter drive for burning high capacity Blu-ray discs – the PX-B920UF. Offering up to 50GB storage capacity (double layer), the dual-format drive is capable of writing Blu-ray discs at 4x (BD-R) and also plays HD-DVD ROM discs.
This fast drive is ideal for users serious about their storage and movies - and with both USB2.0 and FireWire connectivity, it’s compatible with Mac and PC systems. In addition, Plextor has added extra convenience by including LightScribe technology to enable custom text and designs to be printed/burned onto discs.
Developed from the company’s existing internal range of Blu-ray drives, the technology is experiencing serious demand from high-end users. Rudy de Meirsman, Sales & Marketing Manager of Plextor Europe, explains: “Blu-ray drives are really taking off as HD movies become popular, availability increases and prices come down. Consumers still want high end, high reliability premium drives as part of their PC/audiovisual setup, despite the economic slowdown.”
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- Optical Storage
Optiarc Europe announced a new external slimline DVD burner this week. The DRX-S70U-R is capable of 8x DVD±R, 4x DVD±R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 8x. It also sports a stylish black and silver design and is both Windows and Mac compatible.
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- Other
CoolerMaster 932 HAF Case @ High Tech Reviews
ECS GF9300T-A Black Series GeForce 9300 Motherboard @ Bigbruin.com
Evercool Transformer 6 CPU Cooler @ BCCHardware
GIGABYTE EP45-UD3P Motherboard @ TweakTown
Honeywell Airlite 900 Bluetooth Speakerphone @ Benchmark Reviews
HTC Touch Diamond & Touch Pro @ InsideHW
Lenovo IdeaPad S10 Netbook @ Hardware Zone
MSI Radeon HD 4850 Video Card R4850-512M @ Benchmark Reviews
Norco DS-500 eSata RAID Storage Array @ Tweaknews.net
NZXT Guardian 921 Case @ Rbmods
OCZ Technology Alchemy Series Elixir I Keyboard @ Bigbruin.com
Samsung SyncMaster 2493HM 24 Inch LCD Monitor @ Futurelooks
SanDisk Sansa Fuze @ Hardware Zone
Thermaltake PW850i Watercooling Kit @ High Tech Reviews
Vantec AeroFlow FX 92 CPU Cooler @ ThinkComputers.org
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- Optical Storage
Optiarc Europe announced today that it will be distributing the retail version of Sony's new 8x Blu-ray Disc writer. The BWU-300S offers 8x BD-R, 8x BD-R DL and 2x BD-RE writing speeds as well as a maximum BD-ROM read speed of 8x.
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- Flash Memory
Intel has begun to ship its new enterprise-class solid-state drives (SSDs). The Intel X-25E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive features 50nm single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory and is capable of 250MB/s read and 170MB/s write speeds. The 32GB capacity drive is in production and is priced at $695. A 64GB version is expected to go into production in the first quarter of 2009.
Intel Corporation has begun shipping its highest-performing solid-state drive (SSD), the Intel® X-25E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive, aimed at server, workstation and storage systems. Unlike mechanical drives, the SSDs contain no moving parts and instead feature 50nm single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory technology. Systems equipped with these drives will not suffer from the performance bottlenecks associated with conventional drives. By reducing the total infrastructure, cooling and energy costs, SSDs can lower total cost of ownership for enterprise applications by more than five times.
“Hard disk drive performance has not kept pace with Moore’s Law,” said Kirk Skaugen, general manager, Intel Server Platforms group. “Intel’s high-performance SSDs unleash the full performance of the latest Intel Xeon processor-based systems while increasing reliability and lowering the total cost of ownership for a broad range of server and storage workloads.”
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- Optical Storage
Plextor Europe sent out a press release earlier today, announcing its new external 20x DVD writer. Along with support for both FireWire and USB 2.0, the PX-830UF features 20x DVD±R, 12x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds.
Plextor launches the latest update to its external DVD Rewriter family – the high end Plextor PX-830UF. This fast 20x drive is ideal for all users looking for the latest optical speeds and with both USB2.0 and FireWire connectivity, it is compatible with both Mac and PC systems.
Rudy De Meirsman, Sales & Marketing Manager at Plextor, says: “Fast external drives, such as the 20x Plextor PX-830UF, are particularly useful for laptop users without optical drives, for example the latest small form-factor ultra-portable PCs and the MacBook Air. Plus anyone looking for a reliable drive in their home or office setup.”
Building on the success of the external PX-810UF 18x DVD ReWriter, the PX-830UF offers the latest burning speeds for professional and enthusiast users, through to anyone looking for a stylish addition or upgrade to their home/office set-up. Simply connect the unit using a USB or FireWire cable supplied, and you’re off!
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- Other
SanDisk announced today that the first slotMusic cards have begun to ship to retailers. These cards come pre-loaded with high quality (320kbps), DRM-free MP3 music from more than 40 top artists. With 1GB of capacity, they can also hold liner notes, album art, videos, and whatever other content that an artist may choose. slotMusic cards will be available at retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart for a suggested retail price of $14.99.
The world’s four largest music companies and SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), a leading seller of MP3 players and flash memory cards in the United States, today unveiled the full list of artists joining the inaugural slotMusic line-up. Starting this week, music fans can purchase slotMusic cards—microSD™ cards with pre-loaded, high quality, DRM-free MP3 music—featuring new release albums from favorite artists like Coldplay, Katy Perry, Leona Lewis, Rihanna and Robin Thicke and catalog titles from Elvis, Abba and more. Within days of shipping, slotMusic cards will arrive on the shelves of Best Buy and Wal-Mart in the United States, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $14.99.
slotMusic makes today’s hottest music available on interoperable microSD cards that let fans instantly plug and play albums into their microSD slot-enabled mobile phones, portable media players, computers, and an increasing number of car stereos
More than just your typical music albums or single downloads, slotMusic cards boast 1GB (gigabyte) of capacity to offer artists a compelling new way to express themselves to their fans. In addition to songs, slotMusic cards may hold liner notes, album art, videos and other creative content that an artist may choose.
In support of the new format, SanDisk has also launched its new Sansa slotMusic Player. This $19.99 player will play back slotMusic cards as well as MP3 and WMA files from any microSD card.
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- Network Storage
NETGEAR has announced the availability of the industry’s first six-bay desktop network-attached storage solution (NAS). Designed for small and medium-sized businesses, the ReadyNAS Pro is available in 1.5TB, 3TB and 6TB capacities and offers support for RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 6 and NETGEAR's auto-expandable X-RAID2 technology.
NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking solutions, today announced worldwide availability of the industry’s first six-bay desktop network-attached storage solution (NAS) for small- and medium-sized businesses. Designed specifically to meet the centralized network storage needs of up to 200-user SMBs, NETGEAR’s ReadyNAS® Pro Gigabit Desktop Storage family delivers high availability, high performance, expandability, and serviceability in a cost-effective unit that is easy to use and quick to deploy. The ReadyNAS Pro product line is available in storage capacities of 1.5TB (RNDP6350), 3TB (RNDP6310), and 6TB (RNDP6610) – broadening the company’s already successful, award-winning ReadyNAS product portfolio that has established NETGEAR as one of the fastest-growing players in the NAS market.
