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32GB posts

Samsung slims down NAND memory packaging, wafer-thin gadgets to follow

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 6th 2009 at 8:19AM

Good old Samsung and its obsession with thinness. After finally letting its 30nm 32Gb NAND chips out of the bag in May, the Korean memory maker has now successfully halved the thickness of its octa-die memory package to a shockingly thin 0.6mm (or 0.02 inches). The new stacks will start out at a 32GB size, though the real benefits are likelier to be felt down the line when the ability to pack bits more densely pays off in even higher storage capacities. Cellphones, media players and digital cameras will inevitably take the lion's share, but we're hopeful -- eternal optimists that we are -- that this could accelerate the decline of SSD prices to a borderline affordable level. Intel and Micron promised us as much, how about Samsung delivering it?

[Via Information Week]

TDK's heavily stacked 320GB disc shows its nearly-clear face at CEATEC

by Darren Murph posted Oct 7th 2009 at 1:59AM

As with pretty much every other optical disc out there that claims to hold a near-infinite amount of data, we're still skeptical about TDK's ability to actually bring to market the 320GB spinner you see above. But hey -- it's got ten 32GB layers and it's practically see-through. Did you really expect us to walk on by without clicking the shutter even once? Exactly.

Gallery: TDK's 320GB optical disk

TDK stacks 10 layers on a single 320GB disc

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 2nd 2009 at 4:27PM

Even though we have yet to see the long-hinted 100GB and 200GB prototype Blu-ray discs as real products, TDK is looking beyond that, ready to display 320GB ten-layer platters at CEATEC 2009 that can be read and written with current blue laser technology. Key in stacking so many layers is improving the transmittance of the outermost layer as seen above - that nearly clear one on the right doesn't require a more powerful laser to get through. The only thing we can't see? When or if any of these will actually be released.

[Via Hot Hardware]

Zune HD unboxing and hands-on

by Joshua Topolsky posted Sep 15th 2009 at 1:28AM

The Zune HD is soon to be officially out on the streets, and we've got the official Engadget hands-on / unboxing. Now, we were excited as all get-out to wrap our paws around the Tegra-powered PMP, but some of that luster has worn off since popping this baby out of its extremely attractive packaging. Why is that, you ask? Well, Microsoft decided to hold on loading up any usable software until the new Zunes were out to market. What that means is that we have yet to do any serious testing with the new device -- despite having the gem sitting right here. We can tell you that the Zune HD is most definitely a thing of beauty as far as gadget standards are concerned, and while the only media we've been able to enjoy is the big M's demo video, we have been marveling at the clarity and crispness of that OLED display.

Obviously we've got a proper review coming soon, but we take this stuff pretty seriously and don't like to offer our opinion till we've spent some quality time with a device. You can expect a look at both the music and media playback capabilities of the ZHD, as well as the new Zune integration into Xbox Live, Windows Media Center, and all other kinds of connected-world goodness. Till then, feast your eyes on the galleries below, and quietly curse Microsoft for handing us a neutered Zune.

Update: As a commenter points out below, these devices are being sold to end users in the same condition our unit is in -- namely, without any real functioning software. It's a pretty unusual move for a company like Microsoft to put devices into the hands of consumers with no functionality at all, but it seems the Zune team was cranking till the last minute. Let's hope all the hard work pays off!

Gallery: Zune HD unboxing and hands-on

Gallery: Zune HD dock and remote unboxing and hands-on

Intel and Micron announce smallest, cheapest NAND flash yet

by Nilay Patel posted Aug 11th 2009 at 7:34PM

Hynix was first out of the gate with triple-level-cell flash memory, but Intel and Micron just pushed the MLC state of the art with their new 34nm three-bits-per-cell NAND, which they say will produce even smaller and cheaper 32Gb chips than those currently on the market. That means we should be seeing some monster storage in some tiny packages later this year when these guys ship -- everyone ready for another round of flash drive purchases?

[Via CNET]

Super Talent's Pico USB drive: still world's smallest, now 32GB

by Darren Murph posted Jul 29th 2009 at 2:31AM

While USB flash drives are now available in sizes that likely dwarf your own HDD, Super Talent's Pico line isn't looking to compete on sheer capaciousness. What it lacks in capacity, so to speak, it makes up for in size -- or, the lack thereof, we should say. The outfit's "world's smallest*" drive just jumped from 8GB to 32GB, and considering that there's at least a marginal chance that this thing slips out of your palm / pocket / etc. and into a puddle, Super Talent even threw in a dash of water resistance. A half dozen models are expected to ship this week, with prices ranging from $85 to $99. Too bad you won't even be able to find it between the couch cushions after it arrives.

*Image probably isn't to scale, but it might be.

Sony's 32GB Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo HX proves that product naming is hard

by Thomas Ricker posted Jul 13th 2009 at 4:28AM

What's not to love here? Just look at that handsome blister pack, ready to mince flesh in your enthusiasm to get at Sony's largest and most convolutedly named Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX. The 32GB stick is rated at 20MBps reads or 15MBps writes when using the bundled USB adapter. Imagine, had you purchased pretty much any device other than that Cyber-shot, Handycam, or Alpha shooter from Sony you could have been enjoying 30MBps read/writes from 32GB SDHC class 10 cards. Nope, no availability date or pricing announced, how could that information possibly be useful in a press release?

SanDisk's 32GB class 10 SDHC card competes for world's fastest

by Thomas Ricker posted Jun 25th 2009 at 4:01AM

When it comes to claims of being the world's first or fastest, there's a big difference between announcing product and actually delivering it for retail. So let's be clear, SanDisk might be announcing the world's fastest 32GB SDHC card today, but it won't be shipping until August. It's not even the first 32GB class 10 SDHC card announced since Panasonic did its unveiling more than a month ago -- and this is where SanDisk's speed claims get confusing. That "class 10" logo is supposed to be a standard means of identify the card's speed as rated by the SD Association. Yet SanDisk claims a max read/write speed of 30MBps whereas Panasonic claims a max of just 22MBps. Guess we'll have to see head-to-head benchmarks to know the truth. Regardless, it is fast and that makes it suitable for capturing 160 minutes of full HD (1920x1080 pixels) video recorded at 24Mbps.

New iPhones approved in capacities from 4GB up to 32GB?

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 1st 2009 at 4:41PM

4GB to 32GB -- that's one hell of a range, but we're hearing from a trusted source that new iPhones in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB capacities just garnered approval by the PCS Type Review Certification Board, the standards body responsible for certificating handsets for use with some carriers (AT&T, for instance). If true, this would lend credence to the belief that Apple will be introducing at least two new models this summer -- ostensibly at WWDC, until we're told otherwise -- because it seems unlikely that the company would be looking to wrap high-end hardware around ridiculously light storage or vice versa. If this means AT&T's going to be able to sell sub-$100 iPhones, it reinforces a precedent set by devices like the E71x that consumers can (and should) expect hot smartphone hardware for shockingly little cash. We'll drink to that.

32GB iPhone placeholder appears at T-Mobile Austria

by Darren Murph posted May 22nd 2009 at 5:13AM

Take it for what it's worth (which may be nothing, quite honestly), but a bona fide "iPhone 32GB" placeholder has appeared in the 'Coming Soon' section on T-Mobile Austria's website. Generally speaking, we wouldn't give this kind of slip too much credence, but considering that a similar slip at T-Mobile Germany was accurately foretelling two years ago, we're cautiously optimistic that all those rumors of a more capacious iPhone are legitimate. We hate to remind you that loads of smoke generally leads to fire, but hey, June 8th ain't too far off anyway. Larger screen cap (of the translated-to-English site) is just past the break.

[Via AreaMobile]

Update: Seems the admin yanked the 32GB iPhone from the page -- oopsie!

Update 2: Looks like Vodafone Australia has sent out a notice that the 16GB iPhone has been deemed "End of Life" by Brightpoint, who supplies its iPhones. Are you thinking what we're thinking?

Continue reading 32GB iPhone placeholder appears at T-Mobile Austria

More next-gen iPhone whispers: video recording, faster CPU, July release?

by Ross Miller posted May 21st 2009 at 8:46PM

John Gruber over at Daring Fireball has a pretty good track record when it comes to Apple rumors -- remember his spot-on predictions for the unibody MacBook Pro? -- so when he's got a thing or two to say about all the next-gen iPhone chatter, we listen. While not making any promises, he does say he'd wager quite a bit on a new model coming to WWDC, with about twice the CPU horsepower (and possibly twice the RAM, too) as the current model. He also adds some credence to all that talk of video recording, but makes no mention of potential background apps and plays down any surprise tablet or "iPhone mini" cameos. He goes on to add release date would be sometime in July in 16GB and 32GB varieties. We can't say we're willing to bet against him, but that doesn't mean we'll take his word as gospel. We can safely say, however, that we're anxiously waiting to see what kind of shenanigans Schiller has in store for next month.

Panasonic breaking more arbitrary records with two new 1080p24 camcorders

by Tim Stevens posted May 20th 2009 at 7:03AM

Another day, another couple of Panasonic HD camcorders. This pair may not make the same "world's lightest" (with an asterisk) claims as the entrants we saw yesterday, but each sports a dubious record of their own. First is the HDC-TM30 (pictured after the break), another "world's lightest" cam, this one with the caveat that, at 227 grams, it's the lightest with 32GB of internal storage. It sports a 16x (44 - 706mm equivalent) optically stabilized zoom ahead of a single CMOS sensor that can record 1080p24 video. The other player, the HDC-TM350 (above), offers a bit more on the quality front and pledges the "world's largest capacity" full HD camcorder, offering 64GB of storage. That equates to a nigh-ridiculous 16 hours of 1080p24 video shot through a stabilized 12x (45 - 540mm equivalent) lens. It even records 5.1 audio, but with the mics all placed within what looks to be a one square inch patch don't expect great channel separation here. Both are set for release in late-June for undisclosed (but hopefully non-record-breaking) prices.

[Via Akihabara News]

Continue reading Panasonic breaking more arbitrary records with two new 1080p24 camcorders

Sony's X-series OLED Walkman now priced in real American dollars, ships mid-June

by Thomas Ricker posted May 13th 2009 at 4:51AM

Sony has yet to offer us official US pricing or availability on its eagerly awaited X-series of OLED Walkmans. As such, we have to grasp at whatever bits of desperate information we can as this 3-inch Walkman with built-in noise cancellation makes its way West following the Japanese launch. Amazon lists the little guy at $399.95 (32GB) and $299.95 (16GB) which just happens to be the same pricing as Apple's iPod touch, for whatever that's worth. It's not in stock but you can pre-order now if dare.

Update: And just like that, it's official. Sony's 16GB NWZ- X1051 with 32GB NWZ- X1061 will be priced $299 and $399, respectively, when they go on sale nationwide Stateside in mid-June. As a surprise, they'll also feature embedded apps for YouTube and Slacker Radio for all the free video and audio you can consume over WiFi.

[Via OLED-Info]

Samsung's 30nm NAND chips give birth to 32GB memory cards

by Tim Stevens posted May 12th 2009 at 8:29AM

Remember the halcyon days of 2007, when Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" rocked the charts and Samsung revealed its 30-nm manufacturing process, promising a 128GB memory card in every digicam? We're still not quite there yet, but the company is finally releasing the first cards to utilize that manufacturing process, the biggest offering 32GB of storage goodness. That's twice the capacity of its 40nm cards, which never made it past the 16GB mark. 30nm moviNAND chips are in production now in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB sizes, and hopefully will hit retail before that 33 megapixel Mamiya we've had on order finally ships.

Samsung plays catch-up with 32GB P3

by Paul Miller posted Apr 25th 2009 at 1:54PM

With Cowon's S9 going 32GB a couple of weeks ago, and the iPod touch doing 32GB for eons, Samsung's finally matching its touchscreen brethren with the 32GB P3. Unfortunately, it's only available in Korea at the moment, for the quite reasonable price of 389,000 won -- about $291 US. On an unrelated note: we hear it's nice over there this time of year.

[Via PMP Today]