Lite-On Takes Over BenQ’s ODD Unit

Author: Rodrigo Chia Date: April 11, 2006 - 6:28 AM PST Category: Storage More Info: http://www.benq.com/press/news.cfm?id=1271&cat=0&year=2006 Lite-On IT has reached an agreement to take over BenQ’s optical disc drive (ODD) business for NT$ 1.2 billion (around USD 37 million) in cash and 13% of its shares. The deal includes technology, patents, ODM customer portfolio and order commitments. After the transaction is closed, around June, Lite-On expects to become the second largest ODD maker in the world with 27% market share. Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark This News | Permalink | Comments (0) top

Kanguru Releases 64 GB Flash Drive

Author: Rodrigo Chia Date: April 7, 2006 - 11:10 AM PST Category: Storage More Info: http://www.kanguru.com/flashdrive_max.html Massachusetts-based Kanguru will start shipping next week a USB 2.0 flash drive with incredible 64 GB of storage capacity. The aluminum-cased Flash Drive Max, weighing only 18 grams, costs USD 2,800. Smaller versions are available for USD 800 (16 GB) and USD 1,500 (32 GB). The company says the drives offer reading speed of up to 9 MB/s and writing speed of up to 5 MB/s. Another American company, Buslink, has announced a similar 64 GB device, but it is priced at USD 5,000. Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark This News | Permalink | Comments (0) top

Hitachi Ships New 500 GB Hard Drive

Author: Rodrigo Chia Date: April 4, 2006 - 7:13 AM PST Category: Storage More Info: http://www.hitachigst.com/portal/site/en/menuitem.f053c8a6f66a6a14e85c... Hitachi has released a new 500 GB HD as part of its Deskstar series. The T7K500 (not to be confounded with the 7K500) operates at 7,200 rpm and offers average seek time of 8.5 ms. The drive is available with ATA-133 (8 MB buffer) and Serial ATA 3 Gb/s interface (16 MB). Other features include Smooth Stream technology, to improve performance in audio and video applications, and Thermal Fly Height Control, to improve data integrity. Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark This News | Permalink | Comments (0) top

WD launches 6 GB USB-powered HD

Author: Rodrigo Chia Date: March 29, 2006 - 10:36 AM PST Category: Storage More Info: http://www.westerndigital.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=226 Western Digital has launched a pocket-size USB-powered portable hard drive with 6 GB of storage capacity. The Passport Pocket measures 0.37x2.41x1.8 inches and weighs 0.1 pound. The 3,600 rpm disk has a 2 MB buffer, average latency of 8.3 ms and read seek time of 11 ms. It includes a rotating USB connector and rubberized sleeve for additional protection. Estimated retail price is USD 129. Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark This News | Permalink | Comments (0) top

Fujitsu anticipates 200 GB notebook HD

Author: Rodrigo Chia Date: March 28, 2006 - 2:51 PM PST Category: Storage More Info: http://www.fcpa.fujitsu.com/products/hard-drives/mhv2200bt Fujitsu this week said it would anticipate the release of its first 200 GB notebook hard drive to the third quarter. The 2.5-inch MHV2200BT was previously expected to arrive in early 2007. Based on perpendicular recording, the Serial ATA HD spins at 4,200 rpm, with average seek times of 12 ms (read) and 14 ms (write). It sports an 8 MB buffer, low power consumption (1.6 W) and Native Command Queuing (NCQ). Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark This News | Permalink | Comments (0) top

InPhase ups holographic media density

Author: Rodrigo Chia Date: March 27, 2006 - 7:33 PM PST Category: Storage More Info: http://www.inphase-technologies.com InPhase has developed media with storage density of 515 Gb per square inch using holographic technology. This could lead to a DVD-sized disk capable of holding more than 500 GB of data. The company, which has a partnership with Maxell, plans to release a holographic drive and 300 GB media in September. Holographic recording technology utilizes intersecting signal and reference laser beams to store data in 3D hologram images. Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark This News | Permalink | Comments (0) top

Samsung intros 32 GB flash-based HD

Author: Rodrigo Chia Date: March 21, 2006 - 8:02 AM PST Category: Storage More Info: http://www.samsung.com/Products/Semiconductor/NANDFlash/index.htm Samsung has introduced, in Taiwan, a 32 GB NAND flash device aimed at replacing traditional hard disks. According to the company, the 2.5-inch unit consumes only 5% of the energy required by a conventional HD, making it a perfect fit for laptops. The flash disk, which uses a 66 MHz Parallel ATA interface, is also said to read data three times faster. Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark This News | Permalink | Comments (0) top

Toshiba to launch HD DVD players soon

Author: Rodrigo Chia Date: February 17, 2006 - 4:16 PM PST Category: Storage More Info: http://www.toshiba.com Toshiba said this week that it will start selling HD DVD players in March even if it is not able to include all interactive features provided by the format. The decision means that users might need to make a firmware upgrade afterwards to support emerging standards. Toshiba’s first players will sell for USD 500 (HD-A1) and USD 800 (HD-XA1) with full support for iHD interactive layer and HDMI connectors. In December, the company announced that it was delaying the release of the devices due to complications related to Advanced Access Content System (AACS) licensing. Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark This News | Permalink | Comments (0) top

Seagate announces 12 GB 1-inch HD

Author: Rodrigo Chia Date: February 14, 2006 - 7:16 AM PST Category: Storage More Info: http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/products/consumer_electronics/st1_ser... Seagate has developed a 1-inch hard drive with 12 GB of storage capacity aimed at consumer electronics. The ST1.3 Series, based on perpendicular recording, is said to be 23% smaller and to use 30% less power than the company’s current such device. The new HD, however, is expected to be available only in the third quarter. It will offer 20 ms average seek time and G-Force bump protection as an optional. Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark This News | Permalink top

CD-R prices set to fall after agreement

Author: Rodrigo Chia Date: February 10, 2006 - 3:24 PM PST Category: Storage More Info: http://www.licensing.philips.com/veeza/vzh/documents1231.html The European Comission this week announced that Philips Electronics has changed its licensing conditions for recordable CD technology. The move will likely translate into price drops in CD-Rs. A number of parties had complained about licensing terms from Philips, which led to a probe by European authorities, now dropped. The Dutch company, currently charging USD 0.025 per disc, agreed to clearly identify CD-R patents to other firms. Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark This News | Permalink | Comments (0) top

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