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Intel's push for petabyte SSDs requires a new kind of drive
There aren't many ways to make data center storage exciting, but mentioning a drive that could hold up to one petabyte (1,000 terabytes) comes close. Intel is making the case to swap out old disk-based drives in data centers with SSDs, and as part of that it's showing off a new "Ruler" form factor. Instead of molding to the 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch size of traditional drives or just the dimensions of a PCIe slot, its long skinny shape fits into a standard rack mounted server. As TechGage notes, with regular 10TB hard drives, slapping together a petabyte's worth would fill up a 100-bay 4U server. The new Ruler drives aren't available yet, but Intel claims it will offer them with both its Optane and 3D NAND SSDs in the "near future."
Sonnet announces RackMac mini Xserver, makes Apple desktop IT life seem more legit
We're sure a few of you have made that recently revamped Mac mini your office server, but now you can give it the look of a grown-up server room. Thanks to Sonnet, you'll soon be able to rack mount your Thunderbolt sportin' dainty PC within a 1U shell. The company has announced that, upon the system's expected arrival in November, it'll be decked out with a PCIe 2.0 X4 slot, a 75W power supply and a Thunderbolt daisy-chain port. This Apple speed-port adapter will enable use of that massive Thunderbolt display even in server or metadata controller mode. For more use scenarios, hit the full PR below or peruse the product page via the coverage link.
LaCie 1U rack-mountable Ethernet Disk works with Time Machine
LaCie's newest Ethernet Disk isn't for the faint of heart... nor for those with just a few files to backup. Oh no -- this one's for the storage professional. Housed in a 1U rack-mountable enclosure, the NAS device can hold up to 6TB of data and can support up to 100 users on Mac, Windows or Linux platforms. Also of note, it functions just fine with Apple's Time Machine, which is more than Cupertino's own AirPort Disk can say (maybe). It's available this very moment in 2TB, 4TB and 6TB capacities starting at $749.99.[Via Slashgear]
VUDU XL2 brings on-demand films to rack-mountable enclosure
Given just how far VUDU has been getting into the custom install game, it's no shock at all to see it produce a set-top-box that's less STB and more integrator-friendly. The 1U rack-mountable XL2 sports a classic black motif and plays nice with systems from leading control and automation manufacturers such as Crestron, Logitech, Netstreams, Nevo and Philips. You'll be able to enjoy the spoils of integrated IP / IR control, a 1TB internal hard drive, optical / coaxial / RCA audio outputs and an HDMI port. Sadly, the XL2 can't be purchased online, meaning you'll have to coax a local installer to sell you one for $1,299.[Via Electronic House]
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.Read - QNAP TS-409U Turbo NASRead - QNAP launches BitTorrent certified NAS family
Nexus Audio's T-2: the 1U AM/FM/XM Radio tuner
If you're in the market for a portable XM Satellite Radio tuner, there's plenty of options to keep you occupied, but if you're scouting a more studio-oriented alternative, Nexus Audio Systems has your gig. Claiming to be the "first Canadian manufacturer to receive approval to produce an XM Satellite Radio-ready tuner," the T-2 also touts AM/FM reception and a snazzy blue LCD display for showing off track and artist information. Geared towards "the custom AV market," the unit is housed a in rackmoutable 1U chassis, and was designed to play nice with the company's own C-6 series AV controllers. The brushed aluminum tuner features "audio grade" components and output circuitry along with a "highly regulated" toroidal power supply. While the firm doesn't list an expected price nor ship date, we're sure the mounties will be strapping the trifecta of tuners into that custom AV rack real soon. [Via Orbitcast]
Kaleidescape goes "entry-level" with new $10k 1U server
Not a lot of companies have the brass to call a $10,000 media server their "entry-level" product, but the Kaleidescape peeps practically pity the weak-sauce consumers who can't pony up the $30k for their flagship server. According to COO Cheena Srinivasan, their new 1U server is "catering to the several hundreds of prospective customers that have witnessed a Kaleidescape demo, and the $30,000 configuration was a little too steep." Can't you just hear the derision drip? For the piddling sum of $10,000 you can now get the rack-mountable server with dual 250GB HDDs, which connects to your TV for flashy media browsing. Oddly, you have to choose between movie or music server functionality, or "upgrade" to both for $2,735. Another configuration is available for $17k that includes three 750GB discs and plays back both formats. The introduction of 750GB drives also means that if you make the right choice and spring for the full-fledged server, you can manage 8.25TB of storage. If that's not worth selling a kidney, we don't know what is.
