Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a leading manufacturer of flash memory products, has introduced two classic new ultra-compact USB flash drives – the 8GB JetFlash V90C and the 8GB JetFlash V90P in India. Inspired by the popular 4GB JetFlash V90C, winner of the prestigious Red Dot design award, the latest versions of the JetFlash V90P and V90C combine distinctive faceplate designs and ultra-portable convenience for people who need an elegant way to carry data effortlessly while on the move. The upgraded 8GB storage capacity lets users transfer, store, and share even more important files and data.

Mr. Austin Huang, Regional Head – Sales, SAARC & APAC, Transcend, said, “Transcend’s JetFlash V90C and V90P are more than ordinary flash drives. Their unique design and distinctive styling offer a remarkable expression of sophistication and style. Our commitment to constant innovation and unique designs are the reasons for Transcend successfully diversifying its product range and evolve into one of the world leading manufacturers of high quality, innovative consumer electronics that offer consumers much more value for their money”

Taking a cue from fashion accessory styling, Transcend’s V90C flash drive features distinctive spectral lines that appear to move when light catches it at different angles, creating a dazzling expression of style and sophistication. The V90P flash drive boasts an extremely slim and stylish metal body with a genuine black mother-of-pearl faceplate. As found in nature, each pearl faceplate has its own unique pattern and texture – no two are alike. The V90C and V90P both feature durable polished chrome outer cases with rotating high-strength USB connectors for long-term reliability, and come with either an attractive metal keyring (V90C) or a fashion-sensible carrying chain and necklace (V90P), making them perfect accessories for day-to-day use.
 
Transcend classic new ultra-compact USB flash drives features: 

• Fully compatible with Hi-Speed USB 2.0
• Easy Plug and Play installation
• JetFlash®elite Software pack includes:
    -PC-Lock Function: Makes JetFlash® a key to lock your computer
    -Secret-Zip Function: Compress and/or Password protect saved files using AES Encryption
    -E-Mail Function: Use your JetFlash® to Securely Send, Receive and Save e-mails
    -AutoLogin Function: Automatically login to websites where you have a password
    -Favorites Function: Store all your favorite website addresses on the JetFlashR
    -DataBackup Function: Backup, Restore and Synchronize your Data using the JetFlashR

Both the drives will sell for Rs. 1,600 each, backed by a 3-year warranty

LaCie today introduced a new version of its award-winning Ethernet Disk, a network-attached storage (NAS) device featuring a capacity increase of up to 6TB in a 1U 19″ rack form factor. Designed by Neil Poulton, it is the most compact all-in-one rack-mounted backup appliance operating in heterogeneous ecosystems.

Connectivity includes gigabit ethernet for hooking the drive up to the network, together with four USB 2.0 ports for adding extra capacity or, more likely in the small to medium business applications LaCie envisage the NAS being bought for, performing secondary back-ups to external drives later taken for off-site storage.  The Ethernet Disk runs Windows XP Embedded – and has VGA monitor, keyboard and mouse ports – and has a built-in backup engine.

LaCie Ethernet Disk features:

• 1U 19″ rack-mounted backup solution for small and medium business
• Most comprehensive data backup and protection software suite in its class
• Can be used together with Apple® Time Machine™
• Powered by trusted Windows® XP Embedded
• Instantly store and share files with Mac®, PC, Linux or Unix users

Designed for small and medium business needs, the Ethernet Disk is powered by the field-proven Windows XP embedded operating system that provides all the necessary features for data backup, storage and file-sharing through its Gigabit Ethernet connection. Thanks to Active Directory compatibility, the LaCie Ethernet Disk supports a total of 100 users with customizable access rights to different shares, with up to 25 concurrent users.

“Microsoft is pleased to work with LaCie to provide the core embedded foundation for its new Ethernet Disk,” said John Doyle, Senior Product Manager for the Windows Embedded Business. “We are excited to provide customers with an innovative platform that allows them to develop a, smart, connected device that offers increased security and storage capabilities.”

Developed to provide data protection for Windows, MAC, Linux and Unix-based workstations, the LaCie Ethernet Disk ships with three licenses of both Genie Backup Manager ProTM for Windows and Intego Backup Manager ProTM for Mac, which can perform scheduled file backups for workstations. The LaCie Ethernet Disk’s ability to work together with Apple Time Machine allows Mac users to take advantage of the continuous data protection the software provides.

The included backup software protects against major disasters and natural catastrophes by offering a computer recovery function for selected workstations. Optional extra licenses are available through the LaCie online store.

The LaCie Ethernet Disk can integrate into any global disaster recovery plan, as its built-in engine can back up its volumes either onto a USB-connected DAS (direct-attached storage) to be taken off-site, or remotely onto another NAS.

“Backing up data – even mission-critical data – always boils down to making and storing copies of data, located on your primary storage device, onto a secondary device,” said Erwan Girard, LaCie Product Manager. “For this reason, the perfect backup companion for your information system should be kept simple and cost-effective. The LaCie Ethernet Disk offers computer backup and recovery, and backs itself up onto a NAS or DAS, all at the best price-per-terabyte ratio in the market. It is therefore an excellent complement to the complex and expensive technology used in front end storage servers.”

The LaCie Ethernet Disk is available immediately in capacities of 2TB, 4TB and 6TB through the LaCie Online Store or LaCie resellers at the suggested retail price starting at $749.99 (excluding VAT), which includes a three-year limited warranty.

The Buffalo DriveStation FlexNet is an affordable network storage solution that doubles as a standard USB external storage drive. The DriveStation FlexNet is a simple-looking black plastic enclosure that contains a standard SATA desktop hard drive designed to connect to your computer either as “Direct Attached USB Storage” or as “Network Attached Storage”.

Buffalo DriveStation FlexNet specs:

• Internal Hard Drive: One SATA
• USB Port: One USB 2.0
• LAN Port: One RJ45 10/100Mbps
• Dimensions: 6.15″ (D) x 6.89″ (H) x 1.78″ (W)
• Weight: 2.5 lbs.
• Power Consumption: 17W average
• Power Supply: AC100-240V 50/60Hz

If you’re using a desktop computer as your network drive then that desktop (and the system resources) are being shared with multiple users and the desktop being used becomes slower as a result. The DriveStation FlexNet solves this problem by giving you a completely independent network storage solution at the expense of read/write speeds.

The main feature of the DriveStation FlexNet is that this external drive works as either a standard USB external drive or as a NAS at the touch of a button. The drive comes pre-formatted for immediate use, so this is literally “plug-and-play” storage. There is no additional software to be added in order to manage the hard drive.  The FlexNet’s main NAS configurations are all accessed through a web browser by simply typing in the IP address.

Like most consumer-grade Network Attached Storage (NAS) enclosures from Buffalo, the DriveStation FlexNet makes it difficult to access the drive inside the enclosure. In fact you would need to break the enclosure to get inside, therefore voiding the warranty. This hard drive is designed for anyone who needs an independent network storage drive that can be shared by multiple computers but also wants that drive to work like a simple external hard drive at the touch of a button.

The enclosure is all black and has a very simple design with the Buffalo logo on both sides.  The top, bottom and back of the dual hard drive enclosure has vents to keep the drive from overheating.  Also, on the front there is small Function button. The back of the enclosure has a USB connection, power button, DC plug, LAN plug and reset button along with the vent.  There is one security lock slot on the bottom of the enclosure; an odd location since you would need to leave the enclosure turned over on its side in order to connect a security cable to the lock slot.

Imation India Pvt. Ltd. has announced the availability of the TDK LoR’s (Life on Record) new Blu-ray Discs capable of recording at 4x speed. The four new TDK LoR Blu-ray Discs include the BD-R25 (single-sided, single-layer, 25GB) and BD-R50 (single-sided, dual-layer, 50GB) write-once-type discs, as well as the BD-RE25 (single-sided, single-layer, 25GB) and BD-RE50 (single-sided, dual-layer, 50GB) rewritable discs.

TDK LoR Blu-ray Discs incorporate a recording layer comprised of inorganic material. The discs are further highlighted by TDK LoR’s exclusive Durabis 2 hard coating technology, an ultrasmooth cover layer created through the innovative spin-coating method and a host of other advanced TDK LoR technologies that enable the creation of high-reliability media.

A TDK LoR 4x 25GB Blu-ray Disc can be fully recorded in 22 minutes, and a TDK LoR 4x 50GB Blu-ray Disc can be fully recorded in 45 minutes, cutting the recording time in half in comparison with 2x Blu-ray Disc media, said the company.

A recording layer boasting high sensitivity is utilized for compatibility with 4x recording (144Mbit/sec. transfer rate). 4x recording halves recording time compared with the previous 2x disc. 4.7GB of data can be copied in less than five minutes, which is comparable to a DVD-R recording speed of 16x.

Since the area of the laser spot on the Blu-ray Disc is small, about one-fifth that of the DVD  scratches or dirt on the recording surface can have an especially detrimental effect, causing errors. Durabis 2 overcomes the problem by offering significantly higher resistance to scratches and exceptional resistance to dirt and grime, particularly fingerprint smudges, according to Imation.

Previous write-once optical media such as CD-R and DVD-R used organic dye for their recording layers. Write-once type BD-R media is based on a completely new concept for the recording material wherein a two-layer structure composed of silicon and copper alloy inorganic materials is utilized. When heated by the recording laser beam, these melt, and the alloy become a composite to form recording marks. Because the material is inorganic, said the company, it is not affected by light and offers superior archivability.

HP has just rolled out a portable 250GB Pocket Media Drive, that can store 115,000 photos, 57,000 songs, or 160 hours of video. Use this high-speed, wallet-size drive alone or connected to your PC via the included USB cable, or save space by sliding it in the chassis slot of select HP Pavilion PCs. Use on multiple PCs as needed Password protect your files with the included Roxio Back Up My PC software Compatibility – any USB-enabled PC or notebook; HP Pavilion PCs with HP Pocket Media Drive bay; backward compatible with PCs that have USB 1.1

HP 250GB Pocket Media Drive features:

• Store and transport large amounts of data: 115,000 photos, 57,000 songs, or 160 hours of video
• Use on flights, at school, or wherever: it needs no external power source
• Plug in for instant storage without adding a hard drive to your PC; add storage or share files without rebooting
• Share photos and projects with family, friends, and colleagues
  Use on multiple PCs as needed
• Password protect your files with the included Roxio Back Up My PC7 software
• Compatibility: any USB-enabled PC or notebook; HP Pavilion PCs with HP Pocket Media Drive bay; backward-compatible with PCs that have USB 1.1
• Warranty: one-year limited on hardware; 90 days on software

OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, announced the launch of its new Gold Series Secure Digital™ High-Capacity (SDHC) flash memory cards, to offer professional phographers and videographers unbridled performance combined with ample storage capabilities for high-resolution pictures and video.

These premium memory cards offer photography enthusiasts incredible speeds and capacities to deliver the tailored storage they demand. OCZ Gold Series SDHC cards are ideal for the latest D-SLRs and HD video cameras to deliver exceptional shooting performance, speed, and reliability as well as accelerate photo and video transfers from card to computer. With a blazing Speed Class 6 at 150X write rate and available in 16GB capacities, the Gold Series is designed and optimized for HD video enthusiasts and photography professionals capturing large volumes of high resolution images and video.

“OCZ’s new Gold Series SDHC cards are designed for professional photography and high definition video applications where enthusiasts demand the highest level of performance to match the file sizes and speed capabilities of their specialized cameras and video equipment,” commented Alex Mei, Chief Marketing Officer of the OCZ Technology Group. “The new Gold Series cards make use of premium quality flash and are optimized for shooting large RAW files with the latest D-SLR cameras and exceed the performance requirements of the latest 1080 high definition camcorders.”

OCZ Gold Series SDHC cards are available in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB and come backed with an industry-leading Lifetime Warranty and free technical support.

Western Digital launched a new series of portable hard drives, My Passport Studio, comes in sizes ranging from 250GB (as tested) to 500GB. Coming out of the box MAC formatted and with a Firewire port attached, this product is clearly aimed at Mac users. Since Western Digital manufacturers their own hard drives, you’ll be getting one of their own 2.5 inch drives on the inside with a fairly standard 5400RPM spindle speed.

As the name suggests, the My Passport Studio has about the same footprint as an actual passport and is about three times thicker. The drive measures (HxWxL): 0.709″ (18mm) x 3.189″ (81mm) x 4.99″ (126.74mm) and weights 0.40lbs (0.18kg). Light and thin is definitely the order of the day. The drive also features both USB 2.0 and Firewire 400. A newer version of the drive also features Firewire 800.

Although the Passport Studio is formatted for Mac OS Extended (Journaled), it is entirely possible to reformat the drive for use with Windows. However, you can always pick up the PC version of the drive albeit without the Firewire interface. We should also note that the My Passport Studio has a five year limited warranty, which is pretty fantastic.   Most other drives have a one to three year warranty.

What’s In The Box?
The cable for the My Passport Studio is a bit unusual.  It connects only to your Firewire port but on the unit, it also plugs into the mini-USB for power.  For those of you who want to use just the USB 2.0, there’s an included cable for that as well.

There’s also a small pouch to keep your Passport Studio from getting scuffed up (since we Mac users seem to be rather aesthetically focused).  There’s also the usual manuals and such that most of us will throw straight into the garbage.

The My Passport Studio is clearly designed with Mac users in mind not only with the Mac OS formatting out of the box but also because of the matte silver finish. This finish is nearly identical to that of the MacBook Pro, iMac and the latest generation of MacBooks.

There are some clever touches in the design as well.  A set of white LEDs indicate how much space is left on the drive as well as drive activity. The panel on top of the LEDs slides over when the unit isn’t in use to keep the mini-Firewire and mini-USB ports from getting dusty.

My Passport Studio with a capacity of 320GB is priced at $185. 

Western Digital rolled out Caviar Black drives, which combine a high performance electronics architecture with a rock solid mechanical architecture to deliver the perfect storage solution for your fully-loaded PC or maxed out gaming machine. Cool drive operation, no-touch head technology, and leading-edge vibration protection ensure enhanced reliability and sustained data throughput. And we back it all up with a 5-year limited warranty.

WD caviar black drive features:

• Dual processor – Twice the processing power to maximize performance.
• 32 MB cache – Bigger, faster cache means faster performance.
  Rock Solid Mechanical Architecture
• StableTrac™ – The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking, during read and write operations.
• NoTouch™ ramp load technology – The recording head never touches the disk media ensuring significantly less wear to the recording head and media as well as better drive protection in transit.
  5 Year Limited Warranty
• Massive Capacity – WD Caviar Black SATA drives are available in capacities up to 1 TB.

This is how WD hard drive protects your data:

• Data Lifeguard™ is an exclusive set of data protection features, including shock protection, an environmental protection system and real-time embedded error detection and repair. WD’s Data Lifeguard technology automatically finds, isolates, and repairs problems that may develop over the life of a hard drive.
• Data Lifeguard Tools™ are software utilities designed for WD hard drives that work with the embedded Data Lifeguard features to make hard drive installation,diagnostics and repair both simple and worry-free. (Download Data Lifeguard Tools) .
• ShockGuard™ instantaneously protects the hard drive against damage from bumps and vibrations while it is running. This technology enables WD Caviar drives to achieve industry-leading shock specifications.

This is ideal For Power computing applications such as multimedia, video and photo editing, and maxed out gaming computers. 

Victorinox, makers of the Swiss Army knife rolled out swissmemory USB. The design is basically a USB Swiss Army knife without the knife and accessories. The outer case is made of durable aluminium rather than the more traditional red plastic. The design is nice and much better than a lot of other flash drives. The drive is about 6 cm long, just over 1 cm wide and just under 1 cm high.

The USB stick is clear plastic allowing you to see the circuit board inside, while the USB plug is gold coloured. The stick flips out of the case when in use and is held in place by a clip at the keyring end when being carried. A small green LED on the circuit board indicates activity when plugged into a USB port.

The drive is USB 2.0 compatible and can be used on both PC and Apple Macs. The manufacturers claim that it will work with USB 1.1 ports. The transfer of data is as fast as any other flash drive. The drive comes preloaded with security software to prevent unauthorised access to your data although this only seems to be compatible with Windows machines.

Overall this a decent USB stick that works well and is a more attractive design than most. It feels very durable and well put together. The 1 GB model is large enough for everyday use although there are larger sizes available. Some people may prefer Victorinox’s other USB Swiss Army Knives which have the usual knife and accessories in addition to the USB stick. However, for transporting data, especially on planes, this device may be the sensible option.

This multipurpose gadget would cost you around $15.

Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, announced a new line of UltraDrive solid state drives (SSDs) that are twice as fast as the world’s speediest SATA hard drives and are offered in capacities up to 256GB. 

UltraDrive LE SSDs are designed expressly for enterprise servers and data centers where exceptional performance, reliability and endurance are paramount. The UltraDrive LE supports very high transaction speeds (IOPS), and supports sequential read/write speeds of 230/170 MB per second. While outperforming 10,000 RPM hard drives, the UltraDrive LE uses substantially less power and generates less heat. Based on SLC NAND Flash, the UltraDrive LE is offered in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities.

“The UltraDrive LE represents a quantum leap forward in storage performance that is simply staggering. It excels in every metric that’s relevant to data centers: sequential and random read and write speeds, transaction rates and access and seek times. It also has a considerable advantage over 10,000 RPM hard drives in power consumption and MTBF. This product sets a new standard in enterprise storage” said Super Talent Chief Operating Officer, Mr. C.H. Lee.

UltraDrive ME SSDs now represent the fastest available 2.5-inch internal storage solution for SATA-II notebooks. With sequential read/write speeds up to 200/160 MB per second, the UltraDrive ME outperforms the fastest desktop hard drives available, making it an outstanding upgrade for mobile professionals and gamers alike. As the company’s third generation MLC NAND based SSD, the UltraDrive ME offers reliability not found in competing SSDs.

UltraDrive LE and ME SSDs will be available in January 2009.