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Kingston debuts 96GB SSDNow V+100 solid state drive, complete with 25 percent performance boost
Another week, another SSDNow drive. This go 'round, Kingston's trotting out a midrange 96GB version of the SSDNow V+100, which promises to offer a 25 percent increase in performance over existing V+ units. Furthermore, this guy has an enhanced 'always-on' garbage collection feature, which purports to clean redundant data from the drive to prevent performance degradation and maintains the drive over its life cycle. Thankfully for you dual-boot users, the garbage collection scheme operates independently from the OS -- in other words, it works with both modern, TRIM-supporting systems such as Windows 7, as well as older legacy OS' such as Windows Vista and XP that do not support TRIM. The 96 gigger carries an MSRP of $290, while a 64GB unit can be had for as little as $220 and a 512GB version for a staggering $1,900.
Kingston introduces Class 4 32GB microSDHC card, charges dearly for the speed
Well, at least you've got options now. Just days after SanDisk's once-rare 32GB microSDHC card fell to $87, along comes Kingston with a nearly identical unit of its own. The difference? It's Class 4 instead of Class 2, which means that you can look forward to a 4MB/s minimum data transfer rate. Of course, you'll be paying dearly for the speed boost when it starts shipping on Monday with the card alone priced at $153. Slow and cheap, or pricey and snappy? Decisions, decisions...
Kingston issues its first USB 3.0 thumb drive: DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0
It ain't the first, but it's Kingston's first, regardless. The DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 is the company's first foray into the wild and blossoming world of high(er)-speed thumb drives (following the likes of A-DATA with its own N005), with this guy in particular pulling down read speeds of up to 80MB/sec and write speeds of 60MB/sec. It's available in a trio of sizes (16GB, 32GB and 64GB), with a five-year warranty affixed to each. Regrettably, such speed and capaciousness won't run ya cheap, as these fellows are priced at $89, $138 and $270 in order of mention. Nothing the corporate card can't handle, though.
Kingston dives headfirst into water-cooling with HyperX H2O memory
Even in the niche world of PC overclocking, liquid-cooled memory never achieved popularity, but don't tell Kingston that -- the vendor's now selling premium sticks of DDR3 where water is a prerequisite. Unlike OCZ's fin-tastic Flex series, the new Kingston Hyper H20 modules keep their cool via tube alone, which admittedly means more space in your case as you carefully bump their clocks up from the stock 2,000MHz (or 2,133MHz) and CL9-11-9-27 timings at 1.65 volts. While you can't (yet) get them in a lovely shade of 2.4GHz blue, the modules do come in both dual-channel (4GB) and triple-channel (6GB) kits starting at $157 and $235 respectively, and we imagine if the above cooling design is marginally successful, you'll soon see it for sale on its own. PR after the break, memory available to purchase at our source link.
Caption Contest: Justin Bieber is an eenie meenie miney mo lova... of the Sony Dash
Here's a little inside baseball on why yours truly typically works alone at night: when in control, I give writers some, erm, creative mandates. Such as watching an entire Justin Bieber / Sean Kingston music video to contribute to this caption contest... but not telling them when exactly the Sony Dash and Sony Ericsson X10 make their respective cameos. Blatant abuse of authority? Probably, but as we sow, so shall you reap. The unfortunately US-only music video (and a picture of Kingston totally geeking out on subpar smartphone technology) after the break. Nilay: "Is there a widget that alerts me when I'm not a trending topic?" Ross: "You don't need to roll the dice... there's already a widget for that." Chris: "It's small, fits in any decor, and makes a great gift for mom. The Sony Dash also appears in the video." Joanna: "The stars, err, prepubescent boys are just like us: they'd rather play with tech than party." Richard Lai: "This Sony Dash should make.believe I've reached puberty." Sean H: "Not trying to rewind... I've just got to turn down the color temperature, it's ruining my tan." Sam: "Meh, by the time I reach puberty this thing is going to be obsolete." Tim: "I'm glad you're not a real Chumby. This way I'm still the cuddliest thing in the room." Thomas: "Who the hell is Justin Bieber?" Paul: "And I was like baby, baby, baby ohhh, baby, baby... oh, were we supposed to come up with something funny here? [Thanks, Kristopher Piersiak]
Intel's X25-V and Kingston's SSDNow V Series face off in battle for best value SSD
Got $125 and a burning desire to get in on the SSD fun? Intel and Kingston both have models priced to seduce that cash away from your pocket, and here comes AnandTech with a comparative review to help you make an informed decision. To start off with, Intel's X25-V sports 40GB of storage and is described as a smaller version of the X25-M G2, whereas Kingston's V Series boot drive offers a smaller 30GB capacity but also comes with a fuller upgrade kit. Since this is 2010 and not some prehistoric age, both drives naturally come equipped with Trim support. In benchmark results, Intel's drive took the advantage in the performance of random read/write tasks, but was second best when it came to sequential write jobs. Ultimately, that extra 10GB of storage and the fact you're more likely to capitalize on random, rather than sequential, drive access swung it in favor of the X25-V. Hit up the full review for the more nuanced impressions.
Kingston's 2,400MHz HyperX memory kit offers the world's fastest Intel-certified RAM
For those among us finding it hard to decide what blisteringly fast DDR3 sticks to pair with their Core i7, Intel has decided to do its own compatibility certification list (see link below). And since the happiest memory maker is usually the one atop the pile, we have to imagine Kingston is feeling pretty sunny right now, as its 2.4GHz HyperX memory kit has scooped the top spot away from Corsair's 2.33GHz offering. Running at 1.65 volts and offering 9-11-9-27-2 timings, this is now officially the RAM to own if you're after headline-grabbing stock speeds. We also love the fact Kingston acknowledges "benchmarkers" as a distinct group alongside gamers and enthusiasts -- finally some appreciation for those misunderstood souls. Whatever you describe yourself as, you'll be able to get on the latest speed bandwagon in the second quarter of this year. Full PR after the break.
Kingston trumpets ultra-low voltage HyperX DDR3 memory
It may not mean much to your grandmother, but performance hounds are sure to jump all over this one. Kingston has just rolled out a few new slices of DIMM deliciousness, and it's claiming that the new HyperX DDR3 modules are the world's fastest low-voltage memory sticks. The dual-channel kit ships with two XMP-ready profiles already baked in, with the 1.35 volts at 1866MHz being hailed as "a world's first for speed matching higher frequency with a lower voltage." All told, the company is debuting a trio of products in the LoVo line -- the dual-profile kit, a mainstream low voltage 1600MHz, 1.35 volt kit and an ultra-low voltage 1333MHz, 1.25 volt kit. -- and you can pick 'em up soon in 4GB bundles for between $154 to $203. These guys did, and they're stoked.
The surprisingly seedy side of microSD production
That little memory chip serving tunes to your smartphone, the one that's just a sneeze or twitch away from going where the socks go whenever you take it out, has a far more interesting history than you think. Andrew "Bunnie" Huang, co-creator of the Chumby, explored the surprisingly interesting underside of microSD production in China after being given a batch of questionable memory cards direct from Kingston itself. Huang's conclusion is that the chips were created during a "ghost shift," when a rogue employee runs the manufacturing lines after hours to produce authentic looking but decidedly sub-par memory chips using materials of inadequate quality. Huang bought numerous questionable examples on the gray market and watched as vendors took bogus cards and threw them into authentic retail packaging, complete with serial numbers and holograms. If you're as fascinated by the world of KIRF as we are, it's a very interesting read.
Kingston ships 256GB DataTraveler 310 USB flash drive to affluent Yanks
No matter how you slice it, having 256GB on your keychain is pretty rad. For those living in various regions of the world not named America, they've had access to the DataTraveler 300 for just under a year. Thankfully, the Kingston finally realized that Yanks love capaciousness as well, and the DataTraveler 310 is the solution that very sect has been longing for. Hailed as the first 256GB flash drive to ship in the States, the DT 310 is capable of holding up to 54 DVDs or 51,000 JPEGs of your undercover lover, and it'll function just fine with Windows, Linux and OS X-based systems. We're told that it'll sport data transfer rates of 25MB/sec (read) and 12MB/sec (write), but chances are you'll never get the opportunity to put those claims to the test. You know, given that astronomical $1,108 MSRP. %Gallery-85947%
Kingston's latest SSDNow V+ reviewed in 128GB flavor
Kingston's SSDNow V+ series is hitting the streets, and bit-tech.net has put it, and its new Toshiba controller, through the wringer. That new silicon offers TRIM support in Windows 7, intended to remove any lingering fears of performance degradation, and this drive has been graced with 128MB of internal cache to conquer random read and write performance. In general the review finds that the controller does its job and TRIM'd deletes don't have a major affect on performance, but there still was some degradation after 1TB worth of writes and deletes. Beyond that the included cache didn't seem to help random I/O performance, and in general the drive doesn't exactly dominate the benchmarks. So, if you've recently upgraded to something else and were feeling a bit of buyers' remorse, you're safe -- for now.
Kingston whips out speedy Class 10 16GB microSDHC card
While some camps are pumping out larger microSDHC cards, Kingston's done the world a favor by working on speed instead. The result is this Class 10 16GB microSDHC card -- possibly the world's fastest of its kind (at a minimum data transfer rate of 10MB/s). Who would need this, you ask? Well, there's the speed freak in your own self that you're trying to suppress, for starters, and don't forget all those snazzy phones that can do 1080p video recording. As with most nice things in life, this blistering card will cost you a fair bit -- $138 for the card sans adapters. Oh, go on, it's totally worth your liver.
Kingston rolls out second-gen SSDNow V Series drives
Kingston's already proven itself to be pretty proud of its SSDNow V Series drives, but it's still found some room for improvement, with it now rolling out its second generation batch of drives in the line. Available in your choice of 30GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities, the new drives promise some improved performance (with PCMark HDD 2005 scores of between 18,900 and 20,117), and join the company's V+ drives in adding support for Windows 7 TRIM functionality, which should help maintain the speed of the drives over their lifespan. As before, you'll also be able to choose between either standalone unit or a bundled kit for desktops or laptops, with prices ranging from $109.99 to $377.
Kingston's SSDNow V+ series hits 512GB capacity, adds Trim support
Kingston's upping the ante on its solid state drive series in pretty much all the ways that count. The SSDNow V+ line boasts a 512GB upper limit, twice the previous generation, with iterative options for 256GB, 128GB, and 64GB. Read / write speeds have more than doubled to 230MB/sec and 180MB/sec, respectively. Best of all, these suckers now support TRIM. Prices range from as low as $268 for standalone 64GB an can go as high as $1968 for 512GB, with an extra $15 or so tacked on if you want the bundle instead -- still alluring, still not for the feint of funding, but the good news is, if you don't need Trim or the extra speed, the original SSDNow V series is available for much smaller dents on your wallet.
Ask TUAW: Firewall settings, Snow Leopard faxing, MacBook battery life, and more
Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we've got questions about firewall settings, SSDs, MacBook battery life, faxing in Snow Leopard, and much more. As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify), or if it's an iPhone-related question, which iPhone version and OS version you have.
Kingston SSDNow V dips to 30GB size, lower price
We've already made our fond feelings toward Kingston's SSDNow V line quite clear, so you'll understand our joy at the news that it's about to add a new member to the fold. Cutting storage down to 30GB should mean Kingston is about to offer its cheapest drive yet, though all the info we have is that it'll be "under 90GBP" (or $145). That doesn't immediately strike us as better value than the 40GB SSDNow V -- which reached an $85 price point not too long ago -- but European prices aren't directly comparable at the best of times. In exchange for your cashola, you'll get a speedy little boot drive, backed by a three-year warranty, 24/7 tech support, and the knowledge that it can withstand a baseball bat should the need ever arise. Full PR after the break.
Kensington Wall Ultra Compact Notebook Power Adapter: more compact than your notebook power adapter
Schlepping a laptop into a coach seat is bad enough -- lugging along a fatty power adapter to boot is adding insult to injury. Kensington has got your back, or its trying to save it a little strain at least, with the Ultra Compact Notebook Power Adapter. It weighs 7.1 ounces with dimensions of 4.5 x 2.2 x 0.8 inches. Slinky indeed, and with adapters for most types of notebooks (Apple is notably absent), plus adapters for mini and microUSB, it looks to be very useful. There are two models, the $99 K38066US and the $119 K38067US, which also includes an adapter for use in suitably equipped airline seats. Jet setting with a full battery and a little more room in your man purse? It doesn't get much better.
Kingston takes a bat to its SSDNow V Series drive
We put one of Kingston's SSDNow V Series drives through its paces last month, but we can't say we went quite as far as Kingston itself has gone in its latest demo video, which takes stress-testing to an all-American extreme. You can probably guess what happens next considering that Kingston is out boasting about the video, but, hey, it's not everyday that you get to see 256GB fly off the end of a bat. [Thanks, Shane]
Kingston 40GB SSDNow review
From the moment that we heard of the new 40GB Kingston SSD, we couldn't help but get our hopes up. Who knows if (or more likely, when) SSD drives will ever completely replace spinning platters with all the digital media people collect today, so rather than stretching your budget and compressing your media in order to stuff everything onto a 256GB solid state drive, we dug the idea of snagging a small (and affordable) SSD for boot / application operations and utilizing a spacious HDD for archival. Not to mention -- regardless of how fast a disk is -- two are almost always better than one. If you're interested in rigging up a similar setup, hop on past the break to have a look at our impressions.
Paramount and Kingston team up for movies on flash memory
Movies delivered on memory cards isn't an entirely new development (Sony did it back in the early days of the PSP), but it looks like Paramount and Kingston think the idea is prime for a comeback, and have today announced a partnership that'll see some of the studio's movies delivered on SD cards and USB drives. That gets started with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on a (presumably reusable) 4GB Kingston DataTraveler I USB drive that's available right now for $29.99, and will apparently continue with additional movies offered across Kingston's full line of memory cards and USB drives, although both parties are staying mum on any further specifics. There's also no word from any other studios or memory companies just yet, but we can only presume this means slotMovies are right around the corner.
