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Optical Storage

13 May 2008

Falcon Technologies International (FTI) sent out a press release today, announcing its line of FalconMedia Pro Century media. These new CD-R and DVD-R discs feature FTI's hard coat technology as well as a specially-optimized 24k Gold reflective layer that offers ultra-long achival lifespans.

Falcon Technologies International (FTI), the leading manufacturer of optical data storage discs for professional and archival applications, today introduced a complete line of FalconMedia Pro Century Gold CD-R and DVD-R media with specially-optimized 24k Gold reflective layer designs and formulations that offer ultra-long 300 and 100 year archival lifespans, respectively, based on accelerated aging tests.

Like all FTI media, the discs deliver best-in-class recording performance and reliability. The discs' long archival capabilities make them the ideal solutions for a wide variety of applications, including the preservation of important documents such as company and government records, photographs and video files.

FalconMedia Pro Century discs are available now in spindles of 10 or 25, with optional inkjet and thermal printable surfaces. Full details can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

13 May 2008

With BD-Live players finally making their way to market, companies like Dreamer are looking to take full advantage of their internet capabilities. Using Dreamer's new BIDDLE technology, content providers can update and add new applications and services, even years after a Blu-ray Disc has been released.

Dreamer's BIDDLE technology is a software platform that makes itpossible for content creators and distributors to deliver customized,interactive programming and services directly to consumers' living roomTVs, via a networked Blu-ray Disc player (BD Live) or a PlayStation(R) 3gaming console.

With BIDDLE technology, the possibilities for interactive content andservices are virtually endless, including video/audio on demand (VOD),product catalogs, e-commerce, casual gaming, social networking,advertising, web portals and much more. All of these can be personalized bygeographic region or even by specific players.

if you'd like to read more, Dreamer's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Home Entertainment

13 May 2008

NetBlender announced today that it has partnered with BluFocus to help streamline the development, implementation and certification of BD Touch applications. BluFocus will serve as the exclusive provider of BD Touch SDKs and provide testing and certification services for BD Touch-enabled discs.

NetBlender and BluFocus have formed a partnership for the development, implementation, and certification of BD Touch technology for the Blu-ray industry. BD Touch is a new Blu-ray technology, developed by NetBlender, which allows iPhones and iPod Touch devices to interact with content on a Blu-ray disc.

Under the new relationship, BluFocus will serve as the exclusive provider of BD Touch Software Development Kits (SDKs) to movie studios, authoring facilities and tools providers who wish to produce BD Touch applications with NetBlender's Blend/In SDK. BluFocus will also provide testing and certification services for BD Touch-enabled discs prior to replication.

"We are excited to be working with NetBlender and BD Touch because we feel that the BD Touch technology offers the first Blu-ray interactive experience that is designed to benefit the consumer and truly differentiate what Blu-ray has to offer from that of standard DVD," said Paulette E. Pantoja, founder and CEO of BluFocus. "This two screen environment unlocks endless creative possibilities for a dynamic and engaging user experience with a Blu-ray disc."

If you'd like to read more, NetBlender's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

13 May 2008

Last week, we reported that Philips had asked a court in Taipei for the provisional seizure of Prodisc's bank deposits. In response, Prodisc placed ads in local newspapers stating that Philips' royalty rates are unreasonably high and that the entire system is unfair. Apparently, this didn't go over very well with Philips as they have now asked the courts to extend the provisional seizure and place legal attachment on one of Prodisc's factories.

Royal Philips Electronics on May 12 requested a local court in the Taipei area to place legal attachment on a Prodisc Technology factory located near Taipei to protect its claims on unpaid royalties, an extension of the provisional seizure of Prodisc's bank deposits that was earlier requested by Philips and approved by the court, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

Philips' request for attachment on Prodisc's factory property was made mainly because Prodisc on May 9 placed an announcement in local Chinese language-language newspapers stating that Philips' royalty charge rates are unreasonably high and that the entire Philips royalty system is unfair due to Philips' being unable to impose charges on makers of blank CD-R discs in China and India, the sources pointed.

The article also mentions that Prodisc has proposed a solution to Philips in the hopes that they can settle the dispute and lift the provisional seizure. If you'd like to read more, head on over to DigiTimes. Add a comment

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Other

12 May 2008

ASUS M3N-HT Deluxe Motherboard @HardwareLogic
ASUS EN9600GT TOP & Silent Graphics Cards @Hardware Zone
Corsair Survivor 32GB Ultra Rugged USB 2.0 Flash Drive @Futurelooks
NZXT Cryo LX Notebook Cooler @ThinkComputers.org
Overclocked Radeon HD 3650 Showdown, ASUS vs. HIS @HotHardware.com
Palit GeForce 9600GT 1GB Sonic Video Card @ThinkComputers.org andTweakTown

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Flash Memory

12 May 2008

Ridata has announced that they've added a 32GB model to its 233x Lightning Series of CompactFlash cards. This high capacity card features dual channels of data throughput, allowing it to read at 35MB/s and write at 12MB/s.

Advanced Media, Inc., manufacturer and marketer of the popular Ridata brand of recordable DVD, flash media, electronic storage products, and digital accessories, has introduced a 32GB model to its 233x Lightning Series of CompactFlash cards. Proving size does matter in memory cards, it boasts one of the largest capacities, fastest transfer rates available in a CF card. It joins existing 233x Series models featuring 2GB - 16GB storage capacities.

"Mobile digital products continue to get more and more sophisticated," commented Harvey Liu, president of Advanced Media, Inc. "To that end, they require more data storage and faster read times. Our new 32GB 233x Lightning Series CompactFlash card delivers both. In today's digital flash media world, size matters. And Ridata has it."

The new Ridata 32GB/233X CF card is perfect for users of higher megapixel digital cameras. Its large 32GB capacity allows the user to store more photos, while virtually eliminating nagging wait time for data to record. Consumers are strongly urged to check the hardware device specifications to ensure the device used will work with higher capacity CF cards using the FAT32 file system.

The Ridata 32GB 233x Lightning Series CompactFlash card is available now for a suggested retail price of $199.99. Full details can be found here. Add a comment

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Optical Storage

12 May 2008

ASUS recently announced two new 20x DVD writers, the DRW-20B1S and DRW-20B1ST. Along with 20x DVD±R, 12x DVD±R DL and 12x DVD-RAM writing speeds, these drives feature ASUS's new Optimal Tuning Strategy (OTS) technology. According to ASUS's press release, OTS automatically adjusts the burning strategy to deliver the best possible write quality.

Catering to users that demand increased data storage, ASUS, a leading provider of high-performance optical storage devices, today announced the new DRW-20B1S/B1ST - an industry leading DVD rewriter that supports 12X DVD-RAM write, 20X DVD+/-R and 12X DVD+/-R double layer media sources. It also features Optimal Tuning Strategy - a technology that automatically adjusts burning for optimum disc backups; and E-Green Engine for great energy savings.

The ASUS DRW-20B1S/B1ST is equipped with an innovative feature - Optimal Tuning Strategy (OTS) that provides users with improved disc burning for better total write quality. With OTS, the drive will perform a test burning before really burning the disc, and OTS is intelligent enough to encompass both media and drive variations, as well as operating temperatures into its calculations - allowing it to provide the optimal write speeds to produce the optimal burning strategy for the new disc. After the disc is burnt, OTS memorizes the particular type of disc, and will utilize the same burning strategy when the same type of disc is used. This not only reduces the possibility to burn unplayable discs, it also provides high quality backups and improves compatibility so that the disc can more easily be read by other drives; as well as extends the lifetime of drives.

No word yet on pricing or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know. In the mean time, ASUS's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Flash Memory

09 May 2008

Traxdata recenly announced the availability of its new 16GB SDHC card. This Class 6 rated card is capable of 6MB/s writing speeds and can hold six hours and 40 minutes of MPEG-2 video. Traxdata also announced that it has expanded its product lineup to include both miniSDHC and microSDHC memory cards.

Traxdata's SDHC 16GB allows users to store approximately 5000 four-megapixel images or approximately six hours and 40 minutes of MPEG-2 video on the one card. Rated Class 6 for data transfer speed, it is the highest speed class currently available, and means data can be written at a minimum speed of 6MB per second, perfect for high-definition video and images...

...In addition, Traxdata has also announced the availability of two new formats to its existing range - both a 4GB and 8GB version of the miniSDHC memory card alongside a 4GB microSDHC card, one of the smallest memory cards in the world. Both the miniSDHC and microSDHC are ideal for people who use their mobile phones for taking photos, download and store music on their phones or for those that use their mobile device for more complex use such as email, office documents and the internet.

If you'd like to read more, Traxdata's entire press release can be found here. Add a comment

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Hard Disks

09 May 2008

Earlier this week, Iomega introduced a "camo" version of its eGo portable hard drive. Along with a woodland camouflage pattern, the drive features 250GB of storage as well as a Power Grip band which allows it to survive drops of up to 60".

Whether you're someone with an adventuresome style and spirit, an avid participant in tough travel environments, or just want to be different from the crowd, the new Iomega eGo Camo Portable Hard Drive is a fast and fun notebook hard drive that delivers on form and function. Iomega's new eGo Camo Drive has a curved chassis covered by a woodland camouflage pattern that also comes with a black Iomega Power Grip band that not only looks cool but also provides extra durability.

The new eGo Camo Portable Hard Drive also packs a lot of storage capability - the 250GB* 2.5-inch drive is USB-powered for simple operation (no power supply required), and it comes with EMC Retrospect HD software for automatic backups, scheduled backups, or on-demand backups. With Iomega's new 250GB eGo Camo Portable Hard Drive, users can carry up to 1,000,000 photos, over 4,625 hours of music or 375 hours of video** with confidence and a look that no other portable hard drive offers today.

Iomega's 250GB eGo Camo Portable Hard Drive is available now for $149.95. Full details can be found Full details can be found here. Add a comment