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Some iPad Pros now cost $50 more due to flash storage shortage
Apple had a lot to say during its iPhone 8 event, but it left out one important detail if you're in the market for an iPad Pro. The tech titan has quietly raised some iPad Pros' prices by $50, and according to 9to5mac, it's all because of the rising prices of NAND flash storage. When you check the Apple Store, you'll notice that the 256GB and 512GB 10.5-inch Pros now cost $799 and $999, respectively. The 12.5-inch model also got the same treatment, with variants of the same storage capacity setting you back $949 and $1,149.
'World's smallest' USB 3.0 flash drive is about the size of a dime
Thanks to Moore's Law we've seen flash drives grow steadily smaller and smaller as storage capacity does exactly the opposite. To wit, the new SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 USB 3.0 storage unit is perhaps the tiniest we've witnessed yet. The company claims the device is smaller than a dime and the 128GB of space can store some 16 hours of 1080p video with read speeds clocking in at up to 130MB per second. Gizmodo Australia notes that this isn't the most expedient drive available, but hey, given the rather diminutive footprint it's probably pretty safe to leave permanently stuck in your gadget of choice. That minuscule size comes at a steep price though: $119 for the 128GB model -- or 1,190 dimes.
ASUS' RAIDR Express PCI-e SSD is compatible with both legacy and UEFI BIOS
These days, it's fairly easy to find a PCI Express-based SSD to transform one's desktop -- Angelbird, Fusion-io, Micron and ASUS will sell you one, just to name a few. That said, the last of those three has just revealed a new entrant that will certainly catch the eye of many, as the RAIDR Express claims to be the first PCI-e SSD to be compatible with both legacy and UEFI BIOS. The so-called DuoMode feature is joined by 240GB of storage space, sequential 830MB/s read and 810MB/s write speeds and a reported 620,000 hours mean time between failure (MTBF). You'll also find the latest LSI SandForce controller, Toshiba-built 19nm MLC flash, and 100,000 4K read/write input/output operations per second (IOPS). The bundled RAMDisk utility allows users to dedicate up to 80 percent of a computer's available RAM for use as a high-speed virtual drive, and if you needed any further proof that it's fast, look no further than in the video after the break. Curiously, ASUS isn't talking pricing just yet, but it should start shipping in the very near future.
Fusion-io's CEO and co-founder step down, new leadership looks to increase growth
Times are a-changin' for Salt Lake City-based Fusion-io, as the company's CEO David Flynn has resigned alongside co-founder and CMO Rick White. It seems that both are stepping away in order to "pursue entrepreneurial investing activities," leaving the act of running one of the world's leading flash storage makers for Mr. Shane Robison. Effective immediately, Robison will be knighted chairman, chief executive officer and president, offering up over 30 years of experience in prior roles for AT&T, Cadence Design Systems, HP and Apple. The outfit's stock price hasn't fared so well in the shuffle, and it seems that it's once again battling murmurs that a sale could be on the horizon. Combating that sentiment, Robison was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that a sale "is not my focus." Rather, he's hoping to "grow the company and build on what [it] has." Here's hoping it all pans out -- the world most certainly doesn't need one less company fighting for the death of the conventional hard drive.
Daily Update for May 2, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple adds 256 GB, 512 GB flash storage options to iMac
There's something new under the sun for those interested in buying an iMac. MacRumors is reporting that Apple now has two new flash storage options available for the iMac, both of which can be purchased when buying a configure-to-order device from the online Apple Store. iMac buyers interested in replacing the standard 1 TB SATA hard disk drive have had the 1 TB Fusion Drive option available since the introduction of the new thinner models last fall. Now that slow mechanical drive can be replaced with either a 256 GB (US$300 extra) or 512 GB ($600) flash storage option. With the 27-inch iMac, it's always been possible to purchase an all-flash storage solution -- a 768 GB drive at a $900 price tag -- as well as 1 TB and 3 TB hard drive and Fusion Drive configurations. Apple's current move appears to be aimed at those people who might not need tons of storage in their iMacs, but who want the speed of flash storage instead.
Samsung bundles Assassin's Creed III with SSD 840 Pro to spark a sales revolution, ships the 840 line
Samsung's experiment with a Ghost Recon SSD bundle must have been a hit with gamers, since it's coming back for a second round the very same year. The upgrade-minded buying 128GB, 256GB or 512GB versions of the SSD 840 Pro can get a free downloadable copy of Assassin's Creed III for a "limited time" to take advantage of those 540MB/s peak read speeds while they skew the fate of the American Revolutionary War. The bundle comes not-so-coincidentally as Samsung has shipped and priced the wider SSD 840 line itself: while we knew the Pro line's impact on our wallets, the regular models are now ready to sell at prices between $140 for a 120GB drive to $700 for a 500GB model. That's a $50 to $190 savings over the Pro models, but we'll leave it to you to decide whether faster write speeds, slightly more capacity and Connor's secret fight with the Templars are worth the premium.
LaCie intros Porsche Design drive for Macs with SSD and USB 3.0, helps the speed match the name
Porsche Design may not be directly involved in building German supercars, but there are certain expectations to be met, aren't there? LaCie is rolling out a new version of its Porsche Design hard drive skewed towards Mac owners that should offer more of the performance you'd associate with the automotive brand. The P'9223 Slim SSD is a third thinner than its ancestor but carries the option of a 120GB SSD that makes the most of the USB 3.0 port. If all runs well, nearly any Mac launched in 2012 can shuttle data along at a brisk 400MB per second. Demanding Mac fans will need to pay $150 for the flash-based edition to have the P'9223 feel truly Porsche-like; others only have to spend $100 if they're content with the Volkswagen pace of a 500GB spinning drive.
Samsung creates F2FS file system for NAND flash storage, submits it to the Linux kernel
Has the lack of NAND flash storage-optimized file systems been bugging you? Then you've got something in common with Samsung, which has developed F2FS (or "Flash-Friendly File-System") for the memory of choice for mobile devices and its specific "internal geometry." It's based on a log-structured method, but tackles problems associated with older file systems intended mainly for retro, spinning-disk storage. The company isn't keeping its hard work behind lock-and-patent either -- it's gone open-source and submitted the file system to the Linux kernel, meaning you could see it implemented in Android hardware of the future. It's nice to see Sammy contributing code for the greater good, and if you've got the skills to understand it, a low-down of F2FS is available at the source below.
Samsung SSD 840 Pro caters to speed seekers with faster random access
It's difficult to thrive in the solid-state drive world. Unless you've got just the right controller and flash memory, most performance-minded PC users will rarely give you a second glance. Samsung muscled its way into that narrow view with the SSD 830 last year; it intends to lock our attention with the new SSD 840 and SSD 840 Pro. The Pro's 520MB/s and 450MB/s sequential read and write speeds are only modest bumps over the 830, but they don't tell the whole story of just how fast it gets. The upgraded MDX controller boosts the random read access to a nicely rounded 100,000IOPS, and random writes have more than doubled to 78,000IOPS or 90,000IOPS, depending on who you ask and what drive you use. The improved performance in either direction is a useful boost to on-the-ground performance, as both AnandTech and Storage Review will tell you. We're waiting on details of the ordinary triple level cell-based 840 model beyond its 120GB, 250GB and 500GB capacities, although there won't be an enormous premium for the multi-level cell 840 Pro over existing drives when it arrives in mid-October -- the flagship line should start at $100 for a basic 64GB drive, and peak at $600 for the ultimate 512GB version.
Intel pumps SSD 330 capacity up to 240GB, trims other drives' prices to match
If you haven't already dropped a solid-state drive into your computer, Intel just gave you a not-so-subtle nudge in that direction. Its entry-level SSD 320 has jumped in capacity from 180GB to 240GB, saving a few diñeiros for anyone who would rather not leap to the SSD 520 just to land a primary system drive. Either end of the price spectrum is also becoming a little more reasonable: the official reseller pricing has been slashed on the 320, 330 and 520 lines, even if Intel hasn't said by how much just yet. Intel's changes should be in immediate effect for those among us who just can't endure spinning storage one moment longer.
Nifty MiniDrive: Invisible add-on flash storage for your MacBook
You can never have enough storage for your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, but the cost -- and challenge -- of installing a new SSD in your device can be prohibitive. Not to worry, since two gents from Manchester, England have come up with just the solution on Kickstarter and have already gotten enough pledges to ensure that their project is funded in August. The Nifty MiniDrive works with the 13" MacBook Air and any MacBook Pro. All of these devices have one thing in common -- an SDXC slot. Now if you just stick an SD card into this slot to add some storage, it's going to stick out. That's not something that's really good for a device that's going to be thrown into your MacBook case or backpack. So these guys got the brillant idea of making a tiny adapter (those colored stripes in the MacBook Pros above) that sits flush with the side of your MacBook and contains a micro-SD card that you provide. The MiniDrive is that adapter, and it will start shipping in October or November for about US$30. A quick look at Amazon shows that SanDisk 64 GB Flash Memory cards go for as little as $52 on sale, meaning that you could add a convenient 64 GB "backup drive" to your device for just over $80. It's a great little storage solution and only requires a toothpick or paperclip to remove the drive from your MacBook. Take a look at the video below and then show your support (and make your pre-order) on Kickstarter. [via the incomparable Doc Rock]
RunCore rolls out Pro VI SSD for Ultrabooks in need of a jolt
Not to be left out of the Computex party, RunCore has just unveiled a 7mm-thick Pro VI solid-state drive to give new Ultrabooks a swift kick. The company is aiming squarely at the sunnier side of mid-range SSDs through a speedy JMicron controller that hits 550MB/s in reads, and a less aggressive but still brisk 380MB/s for writes. The SATA 6Gbps drive doesn't have any special tricks up its sleeves, but there's no doubt that it fits just about any ultrabook category: capacities swing from a very modest 32GB to a 512GB drive meant to take over from ho-hum spinning disks. While RunCore's customer list isn't public material, we wouldn't be surprised if a lot of extra-thin notebooks wending their way out of southeast Asia this year carry the Pro VI inside.
SanDisk's new iNAND Extreme flash storage forms part of Tegra 3 'reference designs'
SanDisk has added a little more detail to its latest iteration of embeddable flash storage, iNAND Extreme. Built through 19 nm process technology, the flash memory is geared towards portables like smartphones and tablets, with SanDisk mentioning both Android and Windows RT in the same breath. Capacities will range from 16GB to 128GB and it's apparently already a core part of NVIDIA's Tegra 3 reference designs -- and we all know quad-core processor deserve the best. The 128GB version is capable of up to 45 MB/sec write and 100 MB/sec read speeds. SanDisk also mentions a new pair of PCIe-based SSDs for enterprise. Up to five of the Lightning PCIe SSAs (200GB / 400GB) can be connected together in a single system, while SanDisk also offers up a caching option for Windows users. You just have to be willing to stump up some more cash for the company's own FlashSoft software on top of a $1,350 entry price. The full details on both are waiting right after the break.
Toshiba sings NAND Flash's praises, thinks you should too
Have you taken a moment today to stop and thank NAND Flash for existing? No? Well, Toshiba would like to say tsk, tsk. Today the company launched a full-scale campaign to promote this storage technology -- and by full-scale we mean a dedicated "25 Years of NAND Flash" website, a "NAND Flash Deprivation Experiment" video series, new Facebook and Twitter accounts and a Toshiba Excite 10 giveaway. We must have missed the memo that NAND was dangerously underappreciated, because we're still trying to figure out why it needs a marketing campaign of its own. Toshiba has a slew of laptop refreshes and the Excite 7.7 and 13 tablets just around the corner -- and that interim period between announcement and launch date can be killer -- but somehow talking up NAND Flash doesn't seem the right course of action. Take a look at the campaign's first video below the break and decide for yourself.
SanDisk unveils 'world's fastest' 128GB SDXC card and new iNAND Ultra embeddable flash storage
There's no time better to announce new storage cards than at CES -- there's just so many new toys to plug them into. SanDisk's new SDXC card is available in both 64GB and 128GB sizes, with the latter capable of packing in around 10 hours of HD 3D video. Both cards will boast read speeds of around 45 megabytes per second -- the 'world's fastest', we're told, but that could be a heady claim during the high-speed turnaround of CES. No date's been offered up yet for when they'll hit stores, but when they do, expect the 128GB beast to set you back a feisty $400, while the 64GB card will ask your wallet for $200. Meanwhile, fans of the embeddable kind can expect to see iNAND Ultra make itself known in 2012. Promising a tiny footprint and sizes up to 64GB, expect to see more of SanDisk's 19nm flash tech to make plenty of appearances in future teardowns -- it's apparently been designed for mobile operating systems. Flash memory fans can check the full releases below.
Victorinox SSD official: up to 1TB of high-speed storage crammed in a Swiss Army Knife (Update)
Shocker! Victorinox has officially pulled the wraps off of its latest pocket-knife and thumb drive combo here at CES -- you know, the one we spied just yesterday during the show-floor setup. Simply titled, SSD, the "pocket-sized drive" is apparently the only one in the world that connects to eSATA II / III and USB 2.0 / 3.0 with a single connector, and it's also being touted as the smallest one around. Furthermore, SSD features a 96 x 48 Bi-Stable monochrome graphic display for keeping track of what's stored inside of it, and Victorinox states that you won't find this on any other drive currently available. Impressively, you can expect up to 220 MB/s read and 150 MB/s write speeds, and you'll be able to encrypt all of your info with hardware- and software-based 256-bit AES -- not bad for something that fits on a key-loop, and packs a blade, scissors and a nail file! The SSD comes with a secondary flight-case sans utensils so you can get past security, and it'll be available in 64, 128 and 256GB flavors, not to mention a massive 1TB version. The company's also taken the wraps off its Slim 3.0 USB drive, which is said to be up to ten-times faster than the previous model. There's no official word on pricing yet for either of the drives, but you can expect to be faced with a thin wallet when they hit shelves at some point this year. Hit up the press release after the break for more details. Update: We've just heard Victorinox that SSD will sell for "about 400 to 3,000 dollars" depending on the model -- time to start saving.
Victorinox to launch 1TB USB / eSATA II flash drive with built-in LCD at CES
Well it looks like everyone's favorite pocketknife company is readying a 1TB combo USB 2.0/eSATA II flash drive for a CES launch next week -- yes, one TERABYTE. From the looks of it, the Victorinox drive will come in black and red finishes with two bodies -- one with a scissor and knife, and a TSA-friendly version without. Besides the optional implements, both drives appear to be virtually identical, with a key ring and plastic clasp to keep the drive safely covered when not in use. Once you've wrapped your head around that gigantic one-terabyte capacity, take a gander at the built-in monochrome LCD, which will be used to display drive contents and possibly a custom message. All we appear to be missing at this point are pricing and availability, and with an entire terabyte of storage, we can't imagine this thing will be cheap.
Fusion-io breaks one billion IOPS barrier, pauses to congratulate itself
Let's get a little perspective, shall we? Corsair's Force Series 3 SSD -- a wholly awesome product in its own right -- is capable of hitting around 85,000 IOPS. On a good day. Fusion-io has been pushing the NAND storage envelope for years now, but even its recently-unveiled ioDrives deliver between 700,000 and 900,000 IOPS. Today, however, the company's pausing to pat itself squarely on the back -- and rightfully so. It managed to achieve one billion input and output operations per second in a technology demonstration conducted at DEMO Enterprise: An Evening of Innovation. We're told that it was during a preview of the company's latency reducing Auto Commit Memory (ACM) extension, part of the Fusion ioMemory subsystem, and that it's "rethinking how to provide powerful modern CPUs with the data they need through sophisticated software architectures." The demo utilized eight HP ProLiant DL370 servers, each equipped with eight ioDrive2 Duos, to break the one billion IOP barrier when transferring 64 byte data packets. 'Course, that'd probably cost you a few dozen years of work if you were to buy such a setup yourself, but hey -- at least someone's working to eliminate the mechanical drive sooner rather than later, right?
Lexar launches its first 1000x CF memory cards
You can never get enough speed when it comes to flash storage. Lexar appears to think the same way, because it's introduced a new series of CF cards that pack a whole load of impressive numbers. Boasting 150MB per second read speeds and tested to capture streams at up to 20MB per second, it's sounding like a portable videographer's dream. The cards will be out in February, arriving in sizes 16GB ($170), 32GB ($300), 64GB ($530) and 128GB ($890).
