Western Digital My Passport Studio: now with FireWire 800

Western Digital announced a new member of their wannabe-buddies-with-Mac My Passport Studio line today -- it's the exact same drive as the previous Studio model, only this one comes etched with your favorite character from "Friends" on it! Not really: it's got a FireWire 800 port in addition to the old hat FireWire 400 and USB interfaces, perfect for those brand new MacBook Pro owners -- if they have any cash left, that is. The 400GB model is going to run you $229.99, 500GB will be $249.99, and they're available now.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: 500 gb, 500Gb, external hard drive, external hdd, ExternalHardDrive, ExternalHdd, firewire 800, Firewire800, hard drive, HardDrive, my passport, my passport studio, MyPassport, MyPassportStudio, passport, portable hard drive, portable hdd, PortableHardDrive, PortableHdd, studio, wd, western digital, WesternDigital ]

Thecus debuts N3200 Pro NAS: now with more AMD Geode CPU

Thecus Technology has retooled the N3200 and come up with the aptly named N3200 Pro -- a brand new NAS now featuring an AMD Geode CPU. The device boasts a veritable cornucopia of features, including three SATA drive bays for up to 3TB of storage, the option of RAID 5 striping, and an LCD display. Photo, iTunes and DLNA-compatible server options as well as browser-based management should assist users with the "digital lifestyle," while a feature called "Web Surveillance Server" allows you to take regularly scheduled photographs just by plugging in a USB webcam... which is interesting in a vaguely creepy way. No word on price or availability but the previous N3200 sells for $339.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: n3200 pro, N3200Pro, nas, network attached storage, NetworkAttachedStorage, raid, thecus ]

pureSilicon's rugged Renegade SSD touts hardware-based encryption

pureSilicon isn't offering up the first rugged SSD or anything, but its Renegade line is still tough enough to be compliant with MIL-STD-810F (and this guy's) standards. Hailed as the first solid state drive to integrate hardware-based encryption approved by the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), the device boasts up to 128GB of capacity, a dedicated on-board cryptographic processor, hard-anodized unibody enclosure and the ability to withstand most anything that you could put it through (save for a blender). Select customers have already received samples, but if you're dumbstruck by such a notion, you'll have to wait with the rest of the citizenry and nab yours in Q1 2009.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: Encryption, MIL-STD-810F, pureSilicon, Renegade, rugged, security, SSD, storage ]

Flying plasmonic lens system could lead to denser chips / disks

Last we heard, IBM was busy extending optical lithography down to 30-nanometers in order to keep Moore's Law intact, and some two years later, the process is still being honed by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley. Reportedly, gurus there with IQs far greater than ours have developed a new patterning technique (plasmonic nanolithography) that could make "current microprocessors more than 10 times smaller, but far more powerful." Additionally, professor Xiang Zhang asserts that this same technology could eventually "lead to ultra-high density disks that could hold 10 to 100 times more data than disks today." The secret to the madness is a flying plasmonic head, which is compared to the arm and stylus of an LP turntable; the setup enables researchers to "create line patterns only 80-nanometers wide at speeds up to 12-meters per second, with the potential for higher resolution detail in the near future." In layman's terms? That CPU you purchased last month will, in fact, be old hat in due time.
[Via: Slashdot ] [Tag: california, chip, circuit, circuits, CPU, dense, density, integrated circuits, IntegratedCircuits, microchip, Nanotechnology, optical lithography, OpticalLithography, photolithography, processor, research, science, silicon, university, University of California, UniversityOfCalifornia ]

Netflix finally brings 'Watch Instantly' to Macs via Silverlight

In a move that seemed like it would never, ever, ever happen, Netflix has finally managed to bring its streaming video technology (and decent library) to Macs everywhere, thanks to Microsoft's Flash-esque also-ran, Silverlight. It seems that the software will allow the rental house to safely DRM its content where ever it goes via Redmond's Play Ready, thus leaping the hurdle that has kept some 12,000 movies and TV shows off of non-PC systems. Netflix claims that the new implementaiton in Sliverlight provides "breakthrough navigation for fast-forward and rewind," though fails to indicate exactly when this is all being rolled out (we assume immediately). Unfortunately for super-duper late adopters, the software will only work with Intel-based Macs, so if you've been holding onto a G3 for dear life, here's one more reason to finally can it, along with your Xbox 360 HD-DVD player, Von Dutch trucker cap, and gas-guzzling Escalade. Full PR after the break.

NETFLIX BEGINS ROLL-OUT OF 2ND GENERATION
MEDIA PLAYER FOR INSTANT STREAMING
ON WINDOWS PCs AND INTEL MACS

Based on Microsoft Silverlight, New Player Features Enhanced Dynamic Streaming, First-Time Use for Macs and
Breakthrough Navigation for Fast-Forward and Rewind

LOS GATOS, Calif., October 27, 2008 – Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), the world's largest online movie rental service, today announced it has begun the deployment of Microsoft Silverlight to enhance the instant watching component of the Netflix service and to allow subscribers for the first time to watch movies and TV episodes instantly on their Intel-based Apple Macintosh computers. The deployment, which will initially touch a small percentage of new Netflix subscribers, is the first step in an anticipated roll-out of the new platform to all Netflix subscribers by the end of the year.
Silverlight is designed for delivery of cross-platform, cross-browser media experiences inside a Web browser. It is expected that Netflix members who watch movies and TV episodes instantly on their computers will enjoy a faster, easier connection and a more robust viewing experience with Silverlight, due to the quality built directly into the player. Among the viewing enhancements with the new player is a breakthrough in timeline navigation that vastly improves the use of fast-forwarding and rewinding. The new Netflix player takes advantage of Play Ready DRM, which is built into Silverlight, for the playback of protected content on both Windows-based PCs and on Macs. That had not been possible with previous generation technologies.
"Silverlight with Play Ready offers a powerful and secure toolkit for delivery of dynamic streaming, which offers faster start-up, and higher quality video, adapted in real time to users' connection speeds," said Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt. "Members who enjoy watching movies and TV episodes from the growing library of choices that can be instantly streamed at Netflix will be thrilled with this next generation improvement of access and quality, on a broader range of platforms, including Intel Macs and Firefox."
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: breaking news, BreakingNews, drm, film, microsoft, movie, movies, netflix, rental, silverlight, streaming, streaming content, StreamingContent, watch instantly, WatchInstantly ]

Hammer introduces skinnable morespace Portable hard drive

Make no mistake, it's been a hot minute since we've heard a good word from Hammer Storage, but the outfit is back and better than ever with an all new pocket-friendly hard drive. The morespace Portable weighs in at less than 5-ounces and houses a 2.5-inch HDD with capacities ranging from 160GB to 750GB. The USB 2.0 device can also be customized with your own protective skin, giving data thieves one less reason to pick off your drive versus one that's not plastered with your ex-girlfriends face. Pricing is available "upon request," and just so you know, the 160GB - 500GB units are available now, but the 750 gigger won't be around 'til January of next year. Full release is after the break.
UNLIMITED COLORS AND DESIGNS SET NEW MORESPACE PORTABLE HARD DRIVE APART AS MUST-HAVE COMPUTER ACCESSORY
New USB 2.0 morespace Features Compact, Shirt Pocket Size and Offers Unlimited Opportunities for Consumers to Show Their Style Through the Use of Personalized Skins
San Jose, Calif. – Hammer Storage, a division of Bell Microproducts Inc. (OTC: BELM.PK), one of the world's largest value-added distributors of storage and computing technology, today announced the release of its latest storage solution: morespace™ Portable. Hammer's morespace Portable is a compact, lightweight portable hard drive that allows users to instantly add more space to both PCs and Macs. Complete with easy to use back-up software, morespace Portable is available now. Priced below comparable offerings, morespace Portable costs under 26 cents per gigabyte (GB) of storage and can be found at select retail stores and online retailers listed at www.hammer-storage.com.
For on-the-go consumers, the new morespace is small enough to fit into a shirt pocket and offers users the ability to make their morespace exclusively their own through the use of customizable skins – which will also protect it from scratches. morespace Portable sets itself apart by offering more than just the standard color choices available from its major competitors. One skin is included with the morespace Portable unit to get consumers started, which can easily be removed and replaced with a custom skin of the consumer's choice.
Andy Dorian, retail value add manager for Bell Microproducts, commented that, "Electronic devices have become such an integral part of our every day lives, and Hammer Storage wanted to provide a creative outlet for consumers to express their individuality and uniqueness by giving them the ability to make morespace their own. The only limit to skinning the morespace unit is one's imagination – the possibilities are endless to make each morespace unique to its owner."
Dorian continued, "Consumers are becoming more and more comfortable making personal storage purchases. Familiarity with the options available combined with the consolidation of suppliers of major computer products is causing consumers to place more emphasis on the look and feel of the products being offered."
With the worldwide external and network storage market reaching 47 million units sold in 2007, today's increasingly digital lifestyles and massive amounts of data accumulated necessitate storage options that are simple, reliable and affordable. In fact, consumers are demanding it. Hammer Storage is focused on simplifying data storage solutions for home and office users who need to protect and share their irreplaceable digital memories including treasured family photos, home movies and music downloads. Additionally, the new morespace Portable is very compact – allowing consumers to take this data with them wherever they go.
morespace Portable follows in the successful footsteps of Hammer Storage's initial morespace offering, morespace External, in offering a simple storage solution for home and office users. With a skinnable face and compact design, morespace Portable features a 2.5 inch drive, weighs just 5 ounces and offers instant storage capacity for all types of data – all with no external power source.
"morespace Portable is the perfect answer for the consumer that needs more storage capacity immediately, and needs to be able to take it with them and access it in multiple locations. Hammer Storage is able to break down cost barriers by utilizing Bell Micro's market leadership in hard disk drives and storage, giving us the ability to offer morespace Portable at the extremely competitive price point of less than 26 cents per GB of storage," added Dorian.
morespace Portable is backed by a one-year warranty and the support of Hammer Storage's data storage experts. Capacities currently offered include 160 GB up to 500 GB, with 750 GB expected to be available in early 2009. To learn more about morespace, please call 1-800-237-0840 or go to http://www.hammer-storage.com.
Pricing for morespace Portable is available upon request.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: backup, external hard drive, external hdd, ExternalHardDrive, ExternalHdd, hammer, hard drive, HardDrive, hdd, morespace, morespace portable, MorespacePortable ]

OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray Drive Loves Everyone, Everything [Blu-Ray]

The OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray "Quad Interface" drives are Blu-ray burners that happen to be compatible with every interface both under and over the sun. The 4X Panasonic-based BD-R drives work on PCs or Macs, and champion the title as the world's first Blu-ray burners to connect to Firewire 400, Firewire 800, eSATA and USB. If your computer can't support a Mercury Pro, then you must be reading this post from a typewriter or something. The drives start at $500 and get more expensive depending on extra software you may want. Available now.

OWC ANNOUNCES INDUSTRY’S FIRST BLU-RAY EXTERNAL DRIVES WITH “QUAD INTERFACE” OWC Mercury Pro Features Quad Interface for FireWire800/400, USB 2.0, & eSATA – for Mac and PC 4X Speed Writes up to 50GB, Reads/Writes HD-DVD, DVD/DVD-R, CD-R/RW Discs October 22, 2008 — Woodstock, IL — Other World Computing (OWCВ®) http://www.macsales.com, a leading Mac and PC technology company, announced today its new line of OWC Mercury Proв„ў Blu-ray “Quad Interface” external drive solutions. The first Blu-ray external drives on the market offering a “Quad Interface” of FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA, the OWC Mercury Pro drives feature 4X Blu-ray disc write speed for burning up to 1 gigabyte of data per minute; a data transfer rate up to 150MB per second; Plug and Play connection flexibility; and the convenience of compatibility with both Windows and Macintosh systems. Burn up to 50GB per Blu-ray Disc and Read/Write to All Optical Media Immediately available and priced starting at $499.99, the Mercury Pro Blu-ray external drive solutions are ideal for consumers with large amounts of High-Def or other video, photos, music, and data files that they want to archive or retrieve using optical media. Mercury Pro Blu-ray drives read and/or write virtually all optical media, including Blu-ray, HD-DVD, DVD-RAM, and CD-R/RW. The drives provide the well-known advantages of Blu-ray, such as high-capacity storage (burn up to 50GB per disc, enough space for a four hour High-Def movie); full high-quality HD Picture; and Surround Sound capabilities. In addition, the new OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray drives now have write performance twice as fast as previous Mercury Pro Blu-ray external drive models. Pricing for OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray Write and Read external drive solutions: * OWC Mercury Pro SW-5583: $499.99. Writes and reads Blu-ray, DVD, DVD-RAM, CD-R/RW discs. Includes all connection cables and two 25GB BD-R discs. * OWC Mercury Pro SW-5583T: $579.99. Writes and reads Blu-ray, DVD, DVD-RAM, CD-R/RW discs. Includes all connection cables, starter media, and full retail version of Roxio Toast 9 Titanium (Mac OS X). OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray “Quad Interface” external drive solutions have been fully tested for compatibility with most Apple and Windows built-in and third party DVD/CD tools and players, including Apple iTunes, Apple Disc Burner, Apple iDVD 5, Apple DVD Studio Pro, EMC Retrospect Express, NTI DragonBurn, Roxio Toast, Roxio Easy Media Creator, and Nero Burning.

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

Super Talent offers up 0.85- / 1-inch SSDs

Nothing here that you haven't seen before in one form or another, but the more the merrier, we say. Super Talent has introduced its very own super small SSDs ranging from 2GB to 8GB in size, but they're all based on Intel's Z-P140 solid-state drive. The new units all boast a maximum read speed of 40MB/sec and a maximum write speed of 30MB/sec, and the whole crew employs a parallel ATA interface with a ZIF connector. The 0.85-inch drives are being offered up in 2GB (FHD2GN85) and 4GB (FHD4GN85) sizes, while the 1.0-inch devices come in 2GB (FHD2GN10), 4GB (FHD4GN10) and 8GB (FHD8GN10) flavors. Per usual, we're left to wonder on pricing and availability, but we suspect these will be aimed more at netbook manufacturers than everyday folks, anyway.
[Via: I4U News ] [Tag: flash memory, flash storage, FlashMemory, FlashStorage, Intel, NAND, PATA, SSD, Super Talent, SuperTalent, Z-P140, ZIF ]

LaCie LaCinema Rugged for the rough-and-tumble media enthusiast

LaCie launched the original LaCinema media drive back in January, and the company is now extending the line of media-playback drives with the LaCinema Rugged. Built in a tasteful black version of the same rubber-coated chassis as LaCie's standard rugged drives, the new unit comes in capacities up to 500GB and features 1080i HDMI output of a variety of codecs, including XviD. The LaCinema remote appears to be redesigned, and the menu system is apparently graphical and pretty, which is always nice. Not a bad way to do playback on the go, we suppose -- now if LaCie would just bring the ?219 ($357) drive to the States, we'd be all set.
[Via: Pocket-lint ] [Tag: divx, hard drive, HardDrive, lacie, lacinema, lacinema rugged, LacinemaRugged, rugged, xvid ]

Sony says 5.01 PSP firmware update will fix Memory Stick problems

Sony got a lot of things right with its 5.0 firmware update for the PSP, with the PlayStation Store and its direct downloads making a long awaited appearance, but it looks to have caused a bit of a problem for folks with high-capacity Memory Sticks -- namely, it was reporting that 8GB or 16GB cards are full when, in fact, there's plenty of free space left on 'em. Ever the one for a do-over, Sony now says that it's aware of the problem and that the 5.01 firmware update will sort everything out when it's released "soon."
[Via: PSP Fanboy ] [Tag: firmware, firmware 5.0, firmware 5.01, firmware update, Firmware5.0, Firmware5.01, FirmwareUpdate, psp, psp firmware, psp firmware 5.0, psp firmware update, PspFirmware, PspFirmware5.0, PspFirmwareUpdate ]

Comcast gets serious about DOCSIS 3.0 rollouts

Alright Minneapolis, you've had your fun. Now it's time for another swath of Comcast markets to indulge in the lavish joys that only DOCSIS 3.0 can provide. For those unaware, the aforesaid technology enables 50Mbps internet to be delivered over the cable company's infrastructure, which brings it up to speed (ahem) with offerings by fiber-based carriers Verizon and AT&T. In the next few weeks, the DOCSIS 3.0-based "Extreme 50" option will bring 50Mbps down / 5Mbps up to subscribers in parts of New England, Philadelphia and New Jersey. Better still, the company announced its intentions to bring the $139.95 per month service to ten other big markets where it will reach "about 10 million homes and businesses in the next few months." Oh, and if that's just too much intarwebz for you to handle, an "Ultra" 22Mbps downstream service will be available for $62.95 per month.
[Via: Reuters ] [Tag: broadband, cable, Comcast, data, DOCSIS 3.0, Docsis3.0, Extreme 50, Extreme50, high-speed internet, High-speedInternet, internet, speed, transmission, wideband ]

SanDisk inks $1 billion deal with Toshiba, Samsung still eyeing company

Toshiba and SanDisk have been in a number of joint ventures for some time now, but it looks like the two companies are now starting what could be a more drawn out break-up process, with SanDisk announcing today that it's selling 30% of its manufacturing capacity outright to Toshiba in a $1 billion deal. For the time being at least, the two will remain 50/50 partners in the remaining 70% of the companies' joint factories, though Toshiba will apparently get 65% of the production capacity at those factories. As MarketWatch points out, this latest move comes just a month after SanDisk rejected a $6 billion buyout offer from Samsung, and some analysts are now speculating that Toshiba's deal will only make the company a more attractive target for Samsung. Nothing is expected to get wrapped up before August of 2009, however, which is when Samsung's current royalty arrangement with SanDisk is due to expire.

[Via: The Inquirer ] [Tag: business, deal, flash, flash memory, FlashMemory, nand, samsung, sandisk, toshiba ]

Solid Alliance's 2GB USB Skull Ring helps RPG players look tough

We'll be straight with you: there's no single expression of bad-assery more potent in the polyhedral kingdom of nerdistan than the USB Skull Ring. Brought to you by Solid Alliance, the 2GB USB drive feels right at home transferring files to your PC or at the end of a fist, deftly buried into the gut of a Moradin dwarf. Your choice for $145, no seriously. One more hair-free shot after the break.

[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: flash drive, FlashDrive, ring, skull, solid alliance, SolidAlliance, usb drive, usb key, UsbDrive, UsbKey ]

Samsung's SWC-E100 XOHM WiMAX ExpressCard gets reviewed

Now that Sprint's XOHM service is officially live in downtown Baltimore (and working in cars, phew!), how's about taking a look at the card that's handling the magic? Samsung's SWC-E100 ExpressCard, which was conveniently leaked by Sprint early last month, is a "simple, inexpensive" card that does a more-than-adequate job at placing you on the mobile broadband superhighway. Reviewers at PC Mag dubbed it a "solid first effort from Samsung for getting laptops onto Sprint's fast XOHM WiMAX network," and while the card "worked as advertised," the inability to work with EV-DO or any non-WiMAX protocol was sort of a downer. Furthermore, the card won't play nice with OS X and there's no external antenna port, but they do bundle a potentially important extra: a PC Card slot adapter for users with aging laptops. Bottom line? Not too shabby for $59.99 sans contract.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: 4g, ExpressCard, review, reviewed, samsung, sprint, SWC-E100, wimax, wwan, XOHM ]

D-Link debuts SharePort-packing DIR-825 dual-band router

It's pretty tough for a wireless router to stand out from the pack these days, but D-Link's new DIR-825 models looks to at least make an admirable stab at it, with it not only boasting dual-band capabilities to pump out 2.4GHz and 5Ghz signals simultaneously, but some fancy USB sharing as well. That latter bit comes in the form of D-Link's trademark SharePort technology, which will let you plug in any USB printer or storage device and access 'em from any computer on the network. The router is also supposedly "optimized for HD video streaming" and, according to D-Link, it'll also out-perform most other Draft N routers in general and save the planet in the process. Sold? You can snag one now for $200 even. Those that already have an 802.11n D-Link router (namely, the DIR-628, DIR-655, DIR-855, or DGL-4500) may want to think twice, however, as they can now add SharePort support to their existing router with nothing more than a firmware update, which is already available on D-Link's website.

[Via: Crave ] [Tag: d-link, dir-825, draft n, DraftN, dual-band router, Dual-bandRouter, router, shareport, wireless router, WirelessRouter ]

T-Mobile launches Mobile Broadband Share Dock 3G WiFi router

3G WiFi routers aren't anything new at this point, but T-Mobile's new Mobile Broadband Share Dock is one of the slicker implementations we've seen from a carrier -- the unit consists of a USB HSDPA modem and a base which shares the connection over WiFi, which means you can unplug the modem and take your access on the road. As long as you don't need a persistent connection at home and can live with the bandwidth, that makes the ?20 / month dock sound like a pretty good deal for someone who lives by themselves, since you'd avoid paying both mobile and fixed data fees -- too bad it's UK only for now. Should be out in the next couple of days, we're hearing.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: 3g router, 3gRouter, broadband share dock, BroadbandShareDock, hsdpa, hsdpa router, HsdpaRouter, router, t mobile, t-mobile, TMobile, wifi, wifi router, WifiRouter ]

Fujifilm dishes out new platter of Secure Digital cards

It's not making the same sized splash as the tidal wave created by SanDisk today, but Fujifilm is still vying for your flash card dollars with a bundle of newcomers. On the vanilla SD front, we're seeing a new 1GB SD and 2GB SD card, while those scouting a microSD card can key in on the new 1GB and 2GB flavors there, too. Stepping it up are the 4/8/16GB SDHC cards and the tinier 4/8GB microSDHC units. There's no mention of dollars and cents, but the whole colorful group should be on store shelves next month.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: flash card, FlashCard, FUJIFILM, memory card, MemoryCard, microSD, microSDHC, SD, SDHC ]

Super Talent intros a sub-$300, 128GB solid-state drive -- things will never be the same

If you've been waiting for SSD prices to drop to reasonable ranges -- now may be the time to put the credit card down. Super Talent has begun selling its 128GB, 2.5-inch, SATA II "MasterDrive LX" for the shocking affordable price of $299, which works out to about $2.49 per gigabyte. If that still puts of pinch on your pocketbook (and what doesn't right now?), then perhaps you can be enticed by the company's 64GB offering, which clocks in at a fairly doable $179. With prices this low, you barely have a defense against purchase... unless, you know... you don't have the money. Then we totally understand.
[Via: jkOnTheRun ] [Tag: 128gb, 64gb, solid state disk, solid state drive, SolidStateDisk, SolidStateDrive, ssd, super talent, SuperTalent ]

Intel SSDs RAIDed up for blinding speed

Intel's hot X25-M SSD is one of the faster drives out there, and while it's not surprising that a RAID 0 array of two of the $600 units is quick, it turns out it's actually one of the fastest RAID 0 arrays ever. At least that's the word from the crew at HotHardware, who say that two X25-Ms kicked out the fastest IOMeter numbers they've ever seen, and produced 396MB/s reads and 130MB/s writes. Yeah, damn. Anyone going to take the $1200 trip to Speedville?
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: intel, raid 0, Raid0, ssd, ssd raid, SsdRaid, x-25m, x25-m, x25m ]

Vera home automation system wants to be the greenest of them all

As the global economy curls up into the fetal position in the face of rising energy costs, we're as determined as anyone to be as energy efficient as possible -- as long as it's completely convenient, of course. Mi Casa Verde hopes to help with that with Vera, a Z-Wave / 802.11 hub with an exceptionally robust web interface for monitoring the energy usage of devices in your home as well as turning them off, setting up scenes, events and timers, and operating locks and security cameras. Since it's a low impact little device running a stripped down version of Linux, it operates on less power than desktop-based solutions -- a benefit that Mi Casa Verde claims makes it one of the few systems that save more power than they use. Its retail price will be competitive, with the box at $299 and a secure remote access gateway at $8 per month, but Mi Casa Verde is trying to entice would-be testers with a pre-street sale price of $149 and one year of free remote access service -- that option will be available through October 31st, with the final product available to conscientious tree-huggers (tech savvy and otherwise, the company hopes) everywhere on November 15th.

[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: controller, eco, eco friendly, eco-friendly, green, home automation, home security, hub, mi casa verde, micasaverde, vera, wireless, z-wave ]

Tranquil PC's SQA-5H home server: 5 bays, Atom 330, the works

No, this ain't a Craigslist ad, this is just a bomb-diggity home server set to officially be released by Tranquil PC tomorrow. The SQA-5H is a cube-shaped server with five hot-swappable drive bays, a 1.6GHz Intel Atom 330 processor and 1GB of RAM (2GB maximum). Additionally, it touts a Quick System Backup for piping your stored data onto an external HDD, a "Mode" button for quick capacity checks and an optional SQA-EX slave unit which provides five additional drive bays connected with a single cable. Expect to find pricing details within 24 hours on the November-bound device.

[Via: WeGotServed ] [Tag: Atom 330, Atom330, home server, HomeServer, media server, MediaServer, nas, SQA-5H, Tranquil, Tranquil PC, TranquilPc ]

Iomega ships Bluetooth-equipped 1TB / 2TB StorCenter ix2 NAS

If you've been passing off NAS devices for years due to the typically prohibitive price tags, you might want to have a gander at Iomega's latest. The StorCenter ix2 brings 1TB (500GB x 2) of network storage for just $299.99, and the 2TB edition is also available for around $170 more. In short, the box -- which isn't much to look at, admittedly -- promises to provide backup for all of your critical files regardless of which networked computer they're on. Additionally, users with top secret snaps on their Bluetooth-enabled cellphone will appreciate the optional BT compatibility, not to mention the gigabit Ethernet jack and twin USB sockets. Oh, and it also doubles as an iTunes server and supports both UPnP and DLNA protocols, meaning that this fellow should do a decent job of serving up media on the side.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: bluetooth, EMC, Iomega, ix2, NAS, StorCenter, StorCenter ix2, StorcenterIx2 ]

PS3 + SSD = faster load times, shattered budgets

Sitting idle while your new PS3 game installs is painful, but since it's all in the interest of reducing subsequent load times it's worth the wait, right? Not for the impatient sods at ExtremeTech, who tried to speed things up further by swapping out their original 60GB PS3's HDD with Intel's hot new 80GB X25-M SSD. The result? Sadly, those multi-minute installs from disc were largely unaffected, since the limitation here is Blu-ray drive speed and not disk speed. However, installs of downloaded demos were upwards of 30-40 percent faster, as were post-installation load times in most games. That's an impressive boost, but at a cost of about $600 for the SSD itself you'll be spending about 50 percent more than an entire PS3 of the 80GB spinning disk variety. In other words, this one's not for the frugal modders, but it is so choice if you have the means.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: flash drive, FlashDrive, intel, ps3, sony, ssd, x25-m ]

LaCie intros 5big Network drive array to RAID junkies the world over

The LaCie product roof has been raised to 7.5TB with the new 5big Network -- an Active Directory and gigabit Ethernet-friendly array of storage drives that supports several RAID configurations for up to five hot-swappable hard drives. You can try it on in four different sizes -- 2.5TB for $899.99, 5TB for $1,399, or the aforementioned, bar-raising 7.5TB for $1,899. In keeping with his sixteen year relationship with LaCie, the renowned Neil Poulton applied his HAL 9000-inspired design to the product, winning him another Janus de L'industrie award. The only problem with the HAL motif: you really, really don't want your RAID storage device to drone on about how its "mind is going, Dave."
[Via: Technabob ] [Tag: 2.5tb, 5big, 5big network, 5tb, 7.5tb, active directory, ethernet, hal, hal 9000, hard drive, hdd, lacie, neil poulton, network drive, raid, storage ]

Ao-LAB's eSATA SSD flash drive conveniently includes USB port

We're still baffled that traditional eSATA flash drives require power from the USB port in order to operate (at least until that Power Over eSATA initiative starts bearing fruit), but it seems that Ao-LAB has found a nice, practical workaround for the time being. The outfit's eSATA / USB Combo Drive arrives in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB flavors and provides dual interfaces along with a convenient way to power it if you're dead-set on using eSATA for transfers. And given that speeds over eSATA absolutely obliterate those over USB 2.0, you're going to want to. Shame there's no pricing / availability information, but we suspect you can get a few hundred of 'em sans issue should you contact the company seeking a bulk contract.

[Via: EverythingUSB ] [Tag: Ao-LAB, combo drive, ComboDrive, eSATA, flash drive, FlashDrive, ssd, USB, usb flash drive, UsbFlashDrive ]

ZTE's TU25 becomes first USB modem for Sprint's XOHM WiMAX network

Not too keen on snatching your WiMAX via ExpressCard? Fret not, as ZTE's TU25 (which was leaked early last month) is fast approaching. Hailed as the only USB modem available (and certified, no less) for the launch of the XOHM network, the TU25 presumably allows users to plug it into a spare USB port, wave a magic wand and begin surfing the mobile broadband superhighway in Baltimore (and a few other places, we hear). There's a frighteningly small amount of details on this thing right now, but hopefully we'll have some of the more crucial aspects (price, release date, etc.) sooner rather than later.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: broadband, internet, mobile broadband, mobile internet, MobileBroadband, MobileInternet, Sprint, TU25, USB modem, UsbModem, WiMAX, WiMAX modem, WimaxModem, WWAN, XOHM, ZTE ]

Super Talent caters to Eee PC with new 16/32/64GB SSDs

Though not the first SSDs we've seen looking for homes specifically in netbooks, Super Talent is hoping to make an even bigger splash with its latest trio and their bite-sized prices. Merely days after causing us all to drool with a sub-$300 128GB drive, the firm has revealed a trifecta of mini PCIe SSDs designed "explicitly for the ASUS Eee PC." The units are available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors, each with 40MB/sec maximum read speeds and 15MB/sec maximum write rates. The trio is expected to hit mass production next month, and they'll only cost you $53, $79 and $149 in order of mention.
[Via: jkOnTheRun ] [Tag: ASUS, DRAM, Eee, Eee PC, EeePc, flash storage, FlashStorage, FPM16GHAE, FPM32GHAE, FPM64GHAE, mini PCIe, MiniPcie, netbook, SSD, Super Talent, SuperTalent ]

Magnetic 4-port USB hub: for brazen daredevils only

We know, the minuscule magnets adorned on this 4-port USB hub aren't technically strong enough to have any severe effect on your data, but seriously, why would you chance it? In what has to be one of the worst ideas in low-end technology to ever grace our eyes, the magnetic 4-port USB hub enables users to stick their hub on any nearby file cabinet, metal plate or refrigerator door, though we can't figure out why that's such an awesome benefit. If you can, however, feel feel to show off your carefree side by handing over $13.99.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: dumb, magnet, stupid, usb, usb hub, UsbHub ]

Sanyo's laser could bring 12x Blu-ray burners and 100GB discs

While Sony and others compete with Blu-ray burners of a paltry 8x, Sanyo's looking ahead with a new laser that could enable write speeds of up to 12x. More impressively, the 450 milliwatt diode (twice that of current burners) could read and write through four 25GB layers. If you're not so good at math (it's okay, we had to break out the calculator) that means discs of up to 100GB burned in 10 minutes or less! But don't go running down to your local Blu-ray emporium looking for double-digit speed drives just yet; new standards will be needed for discs that big and drives that fast, which could mean a year or two before production begins. If speculation of Blu-ray's impending demise is to be believed, that may be cutting things a bit close.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: bd-r, blu-ray burner, blu-ray writer, Blu-rayBurner, Blu-rayWriter, sanyo ]

Sharkoon's SATA QuickPort Duo gives product category some credence

When the SATA HDD Stage Rack launched last October, we figured it would just be a one-off gizmo that all of four or five people would pick up. A year later, we're staring at a smattering of iterations from a number of companies. Sharkoon's own attempt at beefing up this apparent product category looks to be a pretty solid product, as the SATA QuickPort Duo gives owners the ability to slam in two 2.5- / 3.5-inch internal SATA hard drives and connect them up to a PC via USB 2.0 or eSATA. Unfortunately, the €47 ($64) price tag is a touch on the high side, but it is the Cadillac of the bunch, you know.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: external hard drive, ExternalHardDrive, hard drive, HardDrive, HDD Stage Rack, HddStageRack, QuickPort Duo HD Dock, QuickportDuoHdDock, SATA QuickPort Duo, SATA QuickPort PRO, SataQuickportDuo, SataQuickportPro, Sharkoon ]

Keepin' it real fake, part CLXIII: AirPort Express gets expressly aped

Listen up, KIRF fans. We've got a real unique one on our hands today, as this critter copies not one, but two entities in a single fell swoop. For starters, the company is named CNet Technology -- we'll let you do the math there -- and secondly, this thing looks just about exactly like Apple's own AirPort Express. Sure, there are a few extra LEDs on there to really ugly it up, but only someone in serious denial would ever say this thing didn't get its inspiration from Cupertino. Officially dubbed the CWR-635M, this portable router / WAP simply plugs into one's wall socket and provides a pair of Ethernet jacks and two USB ports locally for even more networking fun. There's no telling if this copycat will ever be released on US soil, but given that made it into the FCC's database, we reckon anything is possible.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: airport express, AirportExpress, apple, broadband, cnet, CWR-635M, internet, KIRF, wifi, wifi card, WifiCard, wireless, wireless card, WirelessCard, wlan ]

Kingston following Intel into the SSD game

Kingston has announced it's teaming up with Intel -- new to the SSD market itself -- to market flash memory-based drives for laptops and servers. This is a bold move for Kingston, which is usually known to stick to mature markets; clearly, the company sees the technology's potential. The effort "almost flies in the face of the usual Kingston model," said spokesman Dave Leong. "We are large and in charge!" (OK, so we made that last part up.) This is all set to pop off in Q4 2008 -- Samsung, you've been warned.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: flash memory, FlashMemory, intel, kingston, sandisk, ssd, ssddrive ]

Fujitsu to hand over hard drive division, self-respect to Western Digital

It's prom night, and Fujitsu wants to give it all up to Western Digital. And we're talking everything: if the sordid deal goes through, by the end of the year Fujitsu will have sold its entire hard disk division to WD, giving the maker of the exquisitely named Caviar almost thirty percent of the market, second only to Seagate's thirty-five percent. So look out, Seagate! But who will the real winners be? That's right: the consumer. Because the rampant monopolization of every aspect of the computer industry can only be a good thing. Just ask those fat cats in Washington.
[Via: Engadget ] [Tag: buyout, fujitsu, hard disk, HardDisk, hdd, merger, seagate, western digital, WesternDigital ]