Japanese Researchers Make 42GB DVD That's Compatible With Nothing [42Gb Dvd]

Dudes in the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials in Tohoku University just developed a 42GB DVD that's backwards compatible with nothing. The new tech uses a V shape in the pits—current pits are just pits—which allows nine times more information to be held on the same sized disc. The downside is that current CD and DVD drives cant' read it, so you'll have to purchase all new tech in order to use this. It's also not capable of being adapted to Blu-ray drives, so there's little to no incentive for the industry to add this in to this generation either. But nice work (in theory), Japanese researchers! [Crunchgear]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[Tag: ]

Three WD VelociRaptors get setup in RAID 5 array, testing ensues

Western Digital's hasty VelociRaptor already got reviewed by its lonesome, but for those thinking of getting a RAID system into their rig, HotHardware has taken a trio of 'em, setup a RAID 5 array and put the drives through their collaborative paces. The configuration was made possible thanks to an Areca PCIe X8 hardware RAID card, and the results were rather impressive -- to no one's surprise, might we add. Across the entire volume, performance was generally linear save for a few small valleys along the way, burst speed was 598MB/sec and average read speed was 209.4MB/sec, which pretty much blew the doors off of everything that came before it. Number lovers, there's more where this came from in the read link below.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: benchmark,benchmarked,benchmarks,raid 5,Raid5,review,testing,VelociRaptor,wd,western digital,WesternDigital ]

Unitek's SATA HDD Dock throws in multicard reader, one-touch backup

If you've managed to blink over the past few weeks, you may have missed it. Missed what, you ask? The war between no name HDD racks, that's what. After numerous evolutions of the HDD Stage Rack managed to capture the hearts of at least a few storage junkies out there, we've seen a barrage of competitors surface over at Brando. The latest is Unitek's SATA HDD Multi-Function Dock with One Touch Backup, which -- to be totally frank -- does a phenomenal job of explaining itself. For those a touch slow on the uptake, this unit enables any internal 2.5- / 3.5-inch SATA drive to be accessed externally, and furthermore, it packs a couple of USB 2.0 ports and supports a whole slew of memory cards. You could grab this one now for $53, but then again, you never know what will leapfrog it next week.

[Via: The Red Ferret Journal ]
[Tag: accessory,Brando,docking station,DockingStation,hard drive,HardDrive,hdd dock,hdd rack,HddDock,HddRack,multicard reader,MulticardReader,unitek ]

Seagate rolls out 1TB Maxtor Central Axis NAS

There may be bigger NASs out there, but there are few more impressively named than Seagate's new Maxtor Central Axis -- a name that's all the more imposing when combined with the drive's monolithic appearance. If that's not enough to sell you on it, however, you may be slightly more impressed with its 1TB 7,200 rpm drive with 32MB of cache, or its support for DLNA and UPnP media streaming, dual USB ports, and magical auto-sorting software, not to mention all the expected security features. $330 and it's yours this July, with folks in Europe and Asia set to get theirs later this year.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: maxtor, maxtor central axis, MaxtorCentralAxis, nas, seagate ]

Tranquil PC introduces AVA RS3 music server

Hope you like the shiny, because Tranquil PC is bringing lots and lots of it with its latest home music server. The AVA RS3 comes in two flavors, one of which packs 2 x 500GB drives while the other includes a pair of 1TB HDDs. The unit also boasts a fanless design to keep things quiet, and just in case your music library isn't all converted to .wav files just yet, it possesses an internal optical drive to handle direct-to-HDD ripping. Expect these to ship out in around a fortnight for £549 ($1,092) / £699 ($1,390).
[Thanks, WHSuser]

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: audio server, AudioServer, AVA RS3, AvaRs3, home server, HomeServer, music server, MusicServer, tranquil, tranquil pc, TranquilPc ]

Japanese researchers devise method for cramming 42GB on a DVD

Never mind those fancy BD-R critters, how's about a 42GB DVD? Researchers with a good deal more intelligence than us over at Tohoku University have reportedly figured out a way to "multiply the amount of data that can be stored on a DVD or CD by 9." Based on our best guess at translating a foreign language (we kid... sort of), the achievement was realized by shaping the pits on a DVD's surface like Vs, essentially making the disc more capacious in the process. Unfortunately, said project will probably never see any mainstream attention, as existing DVD / CD players won't recognize the malformed media, and worse still, the process can't be applied to Blu-ray Discs.

[Via: CrunchGear ]
[Tag: 42gb,dvd,japan,optical,optical media,OpticalMedia,research,space,storage ]

A-DATA unveils speedy Turbo Series 350X CompactFlash cards

A-DATA's latest CompactFlash cards were designed to be looked at longingly by even the most demanding photographer, and while the average joe probably won't have the kit to appreciate just how speedy these things are, we'll do our best to explain. The Turbo Series CF 350X memory card features a read speed of 52MB/sec and a write speed of 47MB/sec, whereas Delkin's "world's fastest" model packs a sustained read / write rate of 45MB/sec. Regrettably, A-DATA isn't handing out pricing details just yet, but we do know they'll soon be available in 8GB and 16GB editions.

[Via: Electronista ]
[Tag: 350cx, a-data, adata, CF, compactflash, flash memory, FlashMemory, memory card, MemoryCard, Turbo Series CF 350X, TurboSeriesCf350x ]

OWC intros 7,200RPM 320GB Mercury On-The-Go bus-powered drive

It's not the biggest portable hard drive OWC has to offer, but if speed is your top concern, you can now get a still impressive 320GB model from the company, which will spin at an always-desirable 7,200 rpm without the need for a pesky AC adapter. As with OWC's other Mercury-on-The-Go drives, you can also get this one in your choice of FireWire 800/400 + USB 2.0 Triple, FireWire 400 + USB 2.0 Combo, USB 2.0 + eSATA, or plain old USB 2.0 versions, each of which include a handy carrying case and the requisite backup software (for both Mac and Windows), and will set you back $280, $260, $258, and $240, respectively.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: bus-powered hard drive, Bus-poweredHardDrive, mercury on the go, MercuryOnTheGo, owc, portable hard drive, portable hdd, PortableHardDrive, PortableHdd ]

Analyst sees Micron joint venture, SanDisk as possible targets for Seagate

Seagate has already made its intentions about jumping into the SSD game pretty clear, and one analyst now says he sees two clear options at the company's disposal if it wants to seriously make a go of it, each of which involve Seagate shelling out a good chunk of cash. According to Lazard's Daniel Amir, one option would be to buy out Intel's 49% stake in the IM Flash Technologies joint venture it has with Micron, which would reportedly cost anywhere from $1 to $2 billion (not to mention put Seagate on the outs with Intel). More likely than that, Amir says, would be an acquisition of or partnership with SanDisk, which he says would be an ideal fit given Seagate's expertise on the enterprise side and SanDisk's retail knowhow. Amir doesn't put a price tag on that option though, but you can be sure it wouldn't be cheap.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: micron,sandisk,seagate,ssd ]

D-Link introduces DIR-628 sub-$100 5GHz-capable 802.11n router

If you haven't made the leap to 802.11n (or, even better, 5GHz 802.11n), you might want to start holding on to that loose change -- you'll probably have enough by the end of the week to pick up D-Link's new DIR-628 router, which has an official MSRP of $119, but will sell at Best Buy for just $79. The dual-band router obviously isn't the most feature-packed unit out there, but in terms of straight connectivity, it'll get the job done as long as the firmware is reasonably stable -- and to be honest, that's all we really want a router to do. Should be out now -- we're telling you, 5GHz is freaking amazing.


[Via: SmallNetBuilder ]
[Tag: 5ghz, 5ghz wifi, 5ghzWifi, 802.11, 802.11n, d link, d-link, dir-628, DLink, draft n, DraftN, wifi ]

D-Link updates DNS-323 NAS unit with BitTorrent client

D-Link's DNS-323 is already a pretty capable unit with FTP, UPnP AV, iTunes, and print server support, but it's getting even more flexible today with the addition of an official BitTorrent client that'll run independently of your computer. It's certainly not the first NAS we've seen to include everyone's fave copyright, ah, re-appropriation app, but it's certainly one of the cheapest -- you can snag it for under $200 from most retailers.


[Via: Crowdedbrain] ]
[Tag: bittorrent,d-link,dns 323,dns-323,Dns323,nas ]

ZFS file system coming to Snow Leopard server edition

It's been almost exactly a year since we heard any chatter over Apple's adoption of the supposedly rock solid 128-bit ZFS file system, but it appears to be heading into the next version of the company's OS... at least for servers. According to the promo page for Snow Leopard for OS X servers, the redundant, error correcting, dynamic volume expanding format will be available when the new system drops, though there's no mention of whether it will make its way onto the standard version of the software. With data handling that's this tight, our only question is why wouldn't it make the cut?
[Thanks, Mark]

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 10.6, 128-bit, leopard, os x, os x 10.6, os x server, OsX, OsX10.6, OsXServer, snow leopard, SnowLeopard, zfs, zfs file system, ZfsFileSystem ]

Psystar Selling New Xserve Wannabe (Still Not a Mac Clone)

Psystar, the controversial company with the cojones to take on Apple (bravo), has two new fugly server computers aimed at the Xserve market, the OpenServ 1100 and 2400. They start at $2125, which buys you a 2.5GHz Xeon QuadCore processor, 4GB RAM, 750GB HDD, 4 HDD bays and a worthless 10-client copy of OS X 10.5 Server. Both are cheaper than the authentic $3000 Xserve, which only includes 2GB RAM and 80GB HDD. Still, these are not the Mac clones you were looking for. (Boo!) In the past, PC and Mac clones had duplicated parts. In the case of the PC, the XT clones contained a copy of the IBM BIOS (not licensed by IBM.) In the case of the real Mac clones like Daystar and Motorola's, they contained a licensed Macintosh ROM inside. So technically these are not Mac clones at all, just normal PC hardware that don't have any of the special components in current Macs, which is why they require a special hacked version of the Mac OS X operating system. As we've seen, that hacked version has automatic update issues and they don't even want you reinstalling it yourself (in fact, they don't have permission to distribute the patch that makes this possible.) So what is Apple waiting for? They've been known to be swift and merciless in the past when it comes to axing companies trying to make a living off the Apple brand. These "clones" are anything but, and if people start to believe that Apple hardware is of the same quality as these guys, they could be in serious trouble. Go get 'em Steve! [Product page via Gadget Lab]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[Tag: ]

4GB Camcorder USB Pen Captures Your Thoughts On Paper, Video

Camcorder pens often sacrifice the whole "writing" thing in the name of capturing video, but this one from BrickHouse Security does write, and has considerably bigger storage capacity than previous video pens, too. It's a big pricey, but if you're into the whole Maxwell Smart lifestyle it could make a nice, voyeuristic addition to your repertoire. Two hours of battery time per charge, 30 hours of audio and/or video (4GB), and a potential restraining order are available to you for $250. [BrickStone Security via GeekAlerts]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[Tag: ]

Psystar Selling New Xserve Wannabe (Still Not a Mac Clone)

Psystar, the controversial company with the cojones to take on Apple (bravo), has two new fugly server computers aimed at the Xserve market, the OpenServ 1100 and 2400. They start at $2125, which buys you a 2.5GHz Xeon QuadCore processor, 4GB RAM, 750GB HDD, 4 HDD bays and a worthless 10-client copy of OS X 10.5 Server. Both are cheaper than the authentic $3000 Xserve, which only includes 2GB RAM and 80GB HDD. Still, these are not the Mac clones you were looking for. (Boo!) In the past, PC and Mac clones had duplicated parts. In the case of the PC, the XT clones contained a copy of the IBM BIOS (not licensed by IBM.) In the case of the real Mac clones like Daystar and Motorola's, they contained a licensed Macintosh ROM inside. So technically these are not Mac clones at all, just normal PC hardware that don't have any of the special components in current Macs, which is why they require a special hacked version of the Mac OS X operating system. As we've seen, that hacked version has automatic update issues and they don't even want you reinstalling it yourself (in fact, they don't have permission to distribute the patch that makes this possible.) So what is Apple waiting for? They've been known to be swift and merciless in the past when it comes to axing companies trying to make a living off the Apple brand. These "clones" are anything but, and if people start to believe that Apple hardware is of the same quality as these guys, they could be in serious trouble. Go get 'em Steve!
[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[Tag: ]

Brando's four-port USB hub comes with on / off switches

This four-port USB hub cube from Brando almost makes sense. You see, the top two ports have on / off switches which, if you use USB to charge things, may be a useful feature. But then we gotta wonder what kind of USB device doesn't either shut down automatically or stop charging once it has gotten all the juice it needs. That all said, if you're looking for a 4-port hub with on / off switches, this could be yours for $12.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: brando,usb hub,UsbHub ]

Samsung trumpets mass production of Spinpoint MP2 / M6 / F1 HDDs

Thanks to an overzealous e-tailer, we already knew that Sammy's Spinpoint M6 was ready to be ordered en masse, but Samsung has finally put out some official verbiage to substantiate the obvious. The outfit's 500GB Spinpoint M6 ($299) and 250GB Spinpoint MP2 ($199) are both shipping as we speak, and that curious sound you hear over there is your current laptop begging for a storage upgrade. On a slightly related note, the company is also announcing that its 7200RPM Spinpoint F1 RAID-class (F1R; pictured) 3.5-inch SATA drive has hit mass production, meaning that you can bulk up your enterprise storage solution 1TB at a time for $299 each.
[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 1tb,enterprise,hard drive,HardDrive,hdd,laptop hdd,LaptopHdd,M6,MP2,raid,samsung,sata,SpinPoint,SpinPoint f1,SpinPoint f1 raid,SpinPoint m6,Spinpoint MP2,SpinpointF1,SpinpointF1Raid,SpinpointM6,SpinpointMp2 ]

SanDisk and Toshiba join efforts to build "3D" flash

We first heard about Toshiba's plan to increase NAND flash capacities by building "3D" memory chips with "pillars" of stacked cells in January of 2007, but it looks like the effort is getting revived -- Tosh and SanDisk have entered into an agreement to jointly develop and cross-license 3D memory tech. SanDisk was once rumored to be developing write-once 3D flash chips, so both companies have experience building the stuff, but it sounds like it'll take another three or four years for the partnership to produce actual products, as high-yield production is still difficult.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 3d memory,3dMemory,flash,flash memory,FlashMemory,memory,nand,sandisk,toshiba ]

WD's My Book Mirror Edition simplifies redundant storage

That sound you hear is Western Digital grabbing hold of an udder and not letting go as it continues to milk the My Book brand for every penny it's worth. Today, the outfit is introducing a new line of dual-drive units that come ready to mirror whatever information you shove on 'em. The RAID-based Mirror Edition drives tout USB 2.0 connectivity, RAID 1/0 support, a fanless design, user serviceable enclosure, a capacity gauge and intelligent drive management features including automatic power-up and Safe Shutdown. The external HDDs arrive in RAID 1 (mirrored) mode -- which creates automatic duplicates of your files in case one drive fails -- but RAID 0 (striped) can be configured during setup. Stack your My Book collection even higher right now for $289.99 (1TB) / $549.99 (2TB).

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: external hard drive,external hdd,ExternalHardDrive,ExternalHdd,hard drive,HardDrive,hdd,mirror edition,MirrorEdition,MY BOOK,MY BOOK mirror edition,MyBook,MyBookMirrorEdition,RAID,wd,western digital,WesternDigital ]

Verizon pushing FiOS internet to 50Mbps throughout US

With DOCSIS 3.0 (and the corresponding 50Mbps download speeds) being deploying in varying parts of America, Verizon understands what it's up against. Reportedly, the carrier is gearing up to push its 50Mbps FiOS internet -- which is currently only available in a few of its more favored states -- to its entire US footprint. Best of all, we're hearing that all 16 FiOS-enabled states could have access to the service as early as next week, and if you're anxious to sign up, just know that it'll run you $139.95 per month with an annual contract. Thankfully, Verizon is also planning to boost speeds in the basic and middle tiers as well, with the former going from 5Mbps to 10Mbps and the latter going from 15Mbps to 20Mbps. Yeah, we like where this is headed, but we've still got aways to go before we can even sniff Sigbritt Lothberg's connection.

[Via: Reuters ]
[Tag: 50mbps,broadband,fiber,fios,high-speed internet,High-speedInternet,internet,verizon ]

SATA / CF / IDE to USB 2.0 Bridge Adapter is way handy

Though there are plenty of whatever-to-USB adapters out there, this critter just tickles our fancy with its extraordinary utility. The SATA / CF / IDE to USB 2.0 Bridge Adapter enables owners to connect CompactFlash cards, SATA drives and even IDE drives to any computer with a spare USB 2.0 port. Which is like, every computer made since forever ago. Usually, we'd suggest that practically every travel pack should possess one of these, but the cheapskate in us still feels the $22 price tag is a few notches too high.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: adapter,cf,ide,sata,usb ]

iriver rolls out discreet Domino flash drives

iriver sure does know how to cut away the excess on its products, and it looks like its new Domino flash drive is no exception. Available in 2GB and 4GB capacities, this one packs one of those sliding USB connectors that iriver seems to be increasingly fond of these days, and is available in your choice of white, silver, black, chocolate, pink or coral pink color options. No word on a release 'round these parts, unfortunately, but those in Korea can apparently get their hands on one now for the local equivalent of $21 or $34, depending on the capacity.


[Via: AVING ]
[Tag: domino,flash drive,FlashDrive,iriver,iriver domino,IriverDomino,thumb drive,ThumbDrive,usb drive,usb flash drive,UsbDrive,UsbFlashDrive ]

LaCie brings Little Big Disk Quadra to 1TB

LaCie introduced the Little Big Disk Quadra back in January, but the diminutive four-interface dual-drive enclosure is getting a new 1TB sibling today. Nothing new here apart from the capacity bump, but if you're into the aluminum RAID 0 scene, $700 is all you need to ride.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 1tb,external hard drive,ExternalHardDrive,hard drive,HardDrive,lacie,little big disk quadra,LittleBigDiskQuadra,raid,raid 0,Raid0 ]

Apple TV gets the SSD treatment

Well, it had to happen eventually: someone cracked open their Apple TV and transplanted the 2.5-inch drive with a 32GB SSD by Transcend. That's pretty much it -- just a bit of hacking, partitioning, re-imaging, and off you go. Do you really even have to ask if putting an SSD in something was worth it?

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: apple,apple tv,AppleTv,ssd ]

Toshiba's 1.8-inch 160GB disk hits 5400RPM for netbooks

Who makes a 160GB, 1.8-inch SATA disk spinning at 5400RPM? Nobody, until today. Toshiba just announced the industry's largest-capacity / fastest 160GB MK1617GSG disk for ultra-portables and netbook-class machines. While others have hit the magical 160GB mark in an 8-mm thick form factor, this is the first 1.8-inch SATA to reach 5400RPM. Oh, and because you're about to ask: no, it's too chubby for an iPod classic (where that speed wouldn't likely be noticed) or ultra-thin laptop like the MacBook Air or Envy 133. Thanks for asking though.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 1.8-inch,160gb,5400rpm,hard disk,HardDisk,hdd,MK1617GSG,MK8017GSG,netbook,toshiba ]

Western Digital intros 1TB 7200RPM Caviar Black HDD

Watch out, archive junkies. The 1TB internal HDD game just got one more player. Hailed by Western Digital as the "fastest 3.5-inch 7200RPM drive on the market," the Caviar Black SATA drive is available in both 750GB and 1TB flavors, with the latter obviously being the most appealing. On these beasts you'll find "twice" the processing power, 32MB of cache, StableTrac / NoTouch technologies and a respectable five-year warranty. Both units will be ready to grab next week, with the smaller of the two going for $199 and the kingpin $249.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 1tb,Caviar,Caviar black,CaviarBlack,hard drive,HardDrive,hdd,wd,WD1001FALS,WD7501AALS,western digital,WesternDigital ]

Samsung stops teasing, brings SpinPoint M6 500GB Stateside

We know you've been sitting on your hands since January, waiting for Samsung to ship this SpinPoint M6 500GB, 9.5mm laptop drive wonder. That whole "released in France" thing was just rubbing it in your face, and we apologize, but it looks like your wait is finally over: OWC's Woot! shop has the drive for sale as of now. You can't buy one sans enclosure, but the $310 USB 2.0 + eSATA version or the $350 FireWire 800 / 400 + USB 2.0 version (there's also a $320 model) should prove useful in housing an old 2.5-inch drive, or perhaps an ant farm.
[Thanks, Dan C.]

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: owc,samsung,spinpoint,spinpoint m6,SpinpointM6,woot ]

Iomega's DVR Expander does 500GB of eSATA storage for SA DVRs

So, your cable company stuck you with one of those boring, no-frills Scientific Atlanta DVR boxes. We feel your pain, but you don't have to just take it lying down. Iomega's new DVR Expander offers up 500GB of extra storage over eSATA for compatible Scientific Atlanta boxen. That's about 300 hours of SD TV, or 60 hours of HD. Using those incredibly intuitive SA menus it shouldn't be too hard to stumble through configuration and get this thing added on to your setup, and there's even an eSATA cable included to start things off on the right foot, but it's not like there's anything going on here other than a fairly standard-issue eSATA drive. Right now the drive is compatible with the 8300 DVR and the 8300HD DVR, but future models from Scientific Atlanta will be compatible as well. DVR Expander should be available this month for about $200.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: dvr,dvr expander,DvrExpander,esata,iomega,scientific atlanta,ScientificAtlanta ]

ioSafe 3.5: industry's first internal HDD with disaster protection

For small and medium sized businesses, data redundancy is more than a novel concept, it's unquestionably critical. Unfortunately, tight budgets don't always allow for pricey off-site storage or fire / waterproof server rooms, which is where ioSafe comes in. Said outfit has just announced the ioSafe 3.5 series, which is hailed as the "industry's first internal hard drive with disaster protection." Put simply, the company has stuffed a 2.5-inch HDD into a 3.5-inch chassis, and it used the extra room to insert matter that protects platters from fire (up to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit) and flood (full immersion in fresh or salt water). The family will include the Pilot line ($329 to $449) -- which arrives in 80/160/250/320GB sizes with an 8MB buffer, SATA I interface and 5400RPM rotational speed -- and the Squadron line ($359 to $459), which includes 7200RPM 80/160/200GB versions with a SATA II interface. Both lots have already started to ship.


[Via: TGDaily ]
[Tag: Disaster Protection,DisasterProtection,fire proof,FireProof,hard drive,HardDrive,hdd,internal hard drive,InternalHardDrive,ioSafe,iosafe 3.5,Iosafe3.5,rugged,waterproof ]

SanDisk kills TakeTV dead

Here's a sure sign of unpopularity: SanDisk stopped selling its TakeTV device, and shut down TakeTV's Fanfare content portal, on May 15th... and nobody noticed. Originally inspiring fond sentiments with its sneakernet approach to getting videos from your computer to your PC, SanDisk's TakeTV just never got much traction. Faced with competition from the likes of Microsoft and Apple -- not to mention the oodles of networked devices that offer up more content and more convenience which have been cropping up recently -- we'd be surprised if TakeTV sold enough units to fill a briefcase. Anybody out there have any fond memory's of TakeTV's short stint?

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: fanfare,features,sandisk,taketv ]

HDD Stage Rack evolves again: now holds twice the hard drives

Oh, brother -- here we go again. For the third time this year, the iconic HDD Stage Rack has evolved into something bigger, badder and more useful than the last edition. The latest version is dubbed the Double HDD Rack eSATA and USB, which predictably includes twice the slots for storing hard drives. You can shove a 2.5- and 3.5-inch SATA drive in just before enjoying the twin eSATA ports and single USB 2.0 jack, but unfortunately, you'll have to hand over a whopping $107.56 in order to do so.

[Via: AkihabaraNews ]
[Tag: accessory,hard drive,HardDrive,hdd,hdd rack,hdd stage rack,HddRack,HddStageRack,sata rack,SataRack ]

QNAP adds new BitTorrent engine to NAS family, launches TS-409U

We're still struggling to see if this is just a PR push or if QNAP is really introducing something new here, but whatever the case, it's using Computex to announce a "new" P2P download engine in cooperation with BitTorrent. Said engine will be embedded within its TS-109 II, TS-209 II, and TS-409, and it should enhance download performance as well as add support for DHT / TCP / UDP tracker protocols. Beyond all that, the firm is kicking out an all new Turbo NAS: the 1U rack-mountable US-409U. The unit is based on a Linux-embedded system and includes a 500MHz SoC CPU, 512MB of DDR2 RAM, four hot-swappable bays, online RAID capacity expansion and RAID 0/1/5/6/5+spare disk redundancy support. Regrettably, QNAP didn't pass along any information in regard to pricing / availability.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 1u,BitTorrent,computex,computex 2008,Computex2008,nas,QNAP,rack-mountable,TS-409U,Turbo NAS,TurboNas ]

Keepin' it real fake, part CXX: Sapido NAS apes another Xbox 360 KIRF

Okay, so it's one thing to copy Microsoft on its Xbox 360 design -- and yes, Amigo did so shamelessly with its R622AG WLAN router that we peeked about this time last year -- but it takes some serious cohones to copy a copycat. Nevertheless, Sapido has done just that with its latest NAS. Yeah, we could tell you all about its SAMBA / FTP / BT compatibility, but we'd rather point out that for all intents and purposes, this enclosure is the exact same one Amigo used when showcasing its own device last year. So apparently there's a universally accepted method for ripping off Redmond's console -- who knew?

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: keepin it real fake,KeepinItRealFake,kirf,nas,Sapido,xbox 360,Xbox360 ]

Starbucks Free Wi-Fi Officially Launched [Starbucks]

Just like we told you yesterday, the Starbucks free Wi-Fi program with AT&T is officially a go today. If you go to sign up for a Starbucks card, you get the option of with or without Wi-Fi. As long as you use the prepaid card once a month, you get two hours of free Wi-Fi a day. Welcome to 2008, Starbucks. [Harbucks]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[Tag: ]