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Ideum releases MT55 HD multitouch table for hands-on museum-goers (video)
Ideum has taken the wraps off the latest addition to its growing family of multitouch tables, with the release of the MT55. The table, originally announced late last month, boasts a handsome 55-inch LCD display, which beams LED-backlit graphics in 1920×1080 HD resolution. As with its predecessors, the MT55's screen comes coated with a 5-mm layer of sturdy, tempered glass, and sits atop a pedestal made of aluminum and steel. Within that pedestal lurks an Intel Quad Core i7 CPU, with 4GB of RAM, a pair of 250GB SATA hard drives, and an NVIDIA Quadro 600 video card. The system runs Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, and comes packed with GestureWorks multitouch software for both Flash and Flex. The MT55 also features an integrated Bose Audio system, and can support up to 32 simultaneous touchpoints -- not quite as many as the 50 that its 100-inch counterpart can handle, but definitely enough to enthrall any class of 4th-graders on a field trip to the museum. Stroll on past the break to see the full press release and a video of the MT55 in action.
Addonics SATA adapter turns six CF / CFast cards into one SSD
This isn't the first time we've seen a CF-to-SATA hard drive adapter, but Addonics' CF / CFast Drive is definitely the biggest. The thing sports six separate slots, which means you can use it to turn your memory cards into six different drives, or combine them in a RAID configuration to form a high capacity SSD. What's more, the whole thing fits comfortably in a standard 5.25-inch drive bay. If you've got a stack of CF cards collecting dust somewhere, you can get your hands on one of these bad boys starting at $135 at the source link below. Full PR after the break.
Intels of Intel's X79 chipset exposed: 14 USB 2.0 ports but not a one with 3.0?
Finally all's well in the Sandy Bridge camp, Intel exorcizing the demons and getting its current generation of hardware flowing smoothly. You know what that means: it's time for the next, a revision called X79 that will supersede the current X58 chipset sometime toward the beginning of 2012. According to the leaked slide above, X79 motherboards will feature 2011-pin LGA sockets for E-series CPUs, where 'E' stands for "Enthusiast" not "Elephant." 14 SATA connections are available, 10 of which will manage 6Gb/s, and another 14 USB 2.0 ports means you can have just about every USB-powered member of the Crapgadget Hall of Fame connected simultaneously. That said, there's no mention of a single USB 3.0 port, something of a bummer for those hoping that standard would be, well, standard by 2012. Of course Intel's thrown its weight behind Light Peak Thunderbolt, but curiously there's no integrated support for that, either.
Intel Sandy Bridge chipset flaw identified as a rogue transistor affecting SATA ports
Intel raised quite a few eyebrows yesterday by disclosing that its Cougar Point chipsets suffer from an incurable design issue that would potentially degrade Serial ATA transfers over time. AnandTech has gone to the trouble of getting in touch with Intel to seek more information and the problem, as it turns out, is a single transistor that's prone to a higher current leakage than tolerable. This can not only diminish performance over the 3Gbps SATA ports, it can actually make them fail altogether. There is more comforting news, however, in that the pair of 6Gbps SATA ports on the chipset are untroubled by this ailment, so devices and users that never plug into the 3Gbps connections can just carry on as if nothing's ever happened. For everyone else, a repair and replacement service is taking place now, with Intel's budget for dealing with this problem said to be a generous $700 million.
Intel finds Sandy Bridge chipset design flaw, shipments stopped and recalls beginning
A problem requiring a "silicon fix" is bad news in the chipset business, and sadly that's what Intel is announcing. Its new Intel 6 Series chipset, Cougar Point, has been found to have a flaw, something to do with the SATA controller. Intel is indicating that the ports can "degrade over time," leading to poor i/o performance down the road. All shipments have been stopped and a fix has been implemented for new deliveries, but it sounds like recalls will be starting soon for those with this ticking time bomb silicon within. It isn't a critical problem right now, though, so if you own a Sandy Bridge Core i5 or Core i7 system keep computing with confidence while looking for a recall notice, but it is bad news for Intel's bottom line: the company is advising a $300 million hit to revenue. Update: Jimmy sent us a chat log with an Intel customer service representative indicating that this recall only affects "some desktop boards based on Intel P67 chipset," that the H67 chipset boards appear to not be affected, but that the company doesn't have a comprehensive list yet. We've certainly seen cases where CSRs don't have all the info in this sort of situation, but still we'd advise waiting a bit before tearing your new mobo out and bringing it back to the store. [Thanks, Matt]
Toshiba introduces industry's first 1.8-inch hard drives with LIF SATA connectors
Don't ever knock Toshiba for not pumping up the little guy. Well, unless you're producing microSATA-based 1.8-inch HDDs. Tosh has just revealed its newest line of PMP-friendly hard drives, with the industry's first 1.8-inch units being issued with low-insertion force (LIF) SATA connectors. They're being designed for use in media players, tablets and most anything else that can fit within the palm of your ever-sweating hand, with 160GB, 200GB and 220GB models being available. We're told that they surpass 2.5-inch drives in terms of vibration robustness, low power consumption, and quiet operation, and the whole lot also includes a 16MB buffer and requires just 0.35-watts to operate at low power idle. The whole package measures just 5- x 54- x 71mm, and while pricing information isn't readily available, samples will be headed out to product manufacturers next month. %Gallery-115002%
OCZ intros Vertex 3 Pro, Vertex 3 EX and Z-Drive R3 PCIe SSD at CES
Hello, speedsters! OCZ Technology has just busted out a new trio of solid state solutions here at CES, so we won't waste any time getting down to business. Up first is the performance-oriented, MLC-based Vertex 3 Pro, which runs along quite hastily on the SATA 6Gbps interface. We're told that it's built with a next-generation SandForce controller, enabling it to approach 80,000 IOPS and demonstrate 550MB/sec transfer rates. Up next is the Vertex 3 EX, which also utilizes a SATA 6Gbps interface but relies on SLC Flash memory. It's also capable of pushing a similar read rate (and the write rate of 525MB/sec ain't too shabby, either), with both the EX and Pro to be offered in capacities of 50GB, 100GB, 200GB and 400GB. Finally, the third-generation Z-Drive is being officially revealed, with the Z-Drive "R3" PCI Express SSD being the company's first SandForce-drive PCIe SSD. It's engineered for Tier-0/1 data applications, and offers performance rates of 1GB/sec and 135,000 IOPS. Those with absurdly deep pockets can buy one with up to 1.2TB of onboard storage, but alas, OCZ's not serving up MSRPs on any of these guys. The full release is after the break, complete with details on its new ZX Series of power supplies. %Gallery-112480%
Thermaltake's Max 5G dual-fan USB 3.0 HDD enclosure cools your platters with style
We know what you were thinking: my external hard drive enclosure is nice and all, but why is it so quiet? Well, Thermaltake is here to fix that with its new Max 5G dual-fan enclosure. Outside the fans and the fancy LED lights (which can be switched off, if you're feeling unextreme one particular morning), the enclosure is pretty great itself, with a smokin' USB 3.0 plug and support for high-end 3.5-inch SATA 3.0 drives. The fans are to promote long life on your hard drive and "data integrity" and all that, but pretty much they just say to your SATA drive: "I care." And isn't that all that matters? The enclosure is available for pre-order right now for $52, no word on release.
Apricorn's Mac Array puts 512GB of RAIDed SSD into a single Mac Pro PCIe slot
So, the whole wide world knows that the inside of your Mac Pro is fairly lust-worthy, but what's the use if you never crack open the side and install anything new? Apricorn -- a small, albeit respected name in storage -- has just concocted what may be the best reason yet to do precisely that. The outfit's new Mac Array is pretty straightforward: you'll get a foursome of 128GB MLC Western Digital SiliconEdge Blue SSDs strung together in a RAID 0 configuration, all on a single full-length PCIe X4 slot. That's 512GB of pure, unadulterated SSD power connected directly to the motherboard, and considering that it only takes up a single slot, there's nothing but a shortage of funds keeping you from adding a couple more and grinning over a 1.5TB SSD solution. A single Mac Array promises read rates of 760MB/sec and write rates of 524MB/sec, and if you double up, you'll see those surge to 1408MB/sec and 1027MB/sec, respectively. It's available now to make your every dream come true -- yeah, even that one about you dropping $1,499 on a new storage setup for your Apple desktop.
Transcend issues four new CFast 500 memory cards, promises 108MB/sec transfer rates
February 2010 has come and gone, and we're still not seeing a heck of a lot of traction with regard to CFast. Hailed as the next major leap in the CompactFlash standard, CFast cards rely on the SATA interface versus UDMA / IDE, with Transcend's latest expected to boast transfer rates of 108MB/sec. As with other CFast cards, these too are shaped exactly like existing CompactFlash units, and while it seems as if the company is pushing these towards enterprise and industrial applications right now, it's just a matter of time before they make the jaunt to your local camera shop. Expect four sizes (2/4/8/16GB) to pop up in the next few months, and feel free to let your imagination run wild with respect to prices.
Western Digital ships 3TB Caviar Green 3.5-inch hard drive for $239, 2.5TB for $189
You know that 3TB hard drive that Western Digital slapped into its range of My Book external units earlier this month? Looks like it's finally ready to free itself from those shackles. WD has today announced that it's shipping the component 3TB Caviar Green drive (WD30EZRSDTL) by its lonesome, perfect for those looking to beef up their NAS drives or just add a capacious archive drive to their SSD-equipped desktop rig. The 3TB monster is hitting just under two years after the 2TB Caviar Green went official, with this guy boasting 750 GB-per-platter areal density and Advanced Format technology. The outfit's also shipping a 2.5TB version (WD25EZRSDTL) for those who aren't quite able to swallow the full three, and both of 'em are bundled with an Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI)-compliant Host Bus Adapter (HBA), which will enable the operating system to use a known driver with correct support for large capacity drives. Both units should be available to purchase from respected retailers as we speak, with the 3TB demanding $239 and the 2.5TB unit going for $189. Remember when the world's first 1TB drive in this form factor debuted for $400? Yeah... not too shabby! Update: Storage Review, Legit Reviews and Hot Hardware have put this thing through its paces, and they all seem pretty darn stoked on the performance. Though, LR did seem to run into a few HD Tach issues, so be sure to peek that carefully.
Viking Modular's SATADIMM jacks an SSD into your memory slot
Explaining the differences between DRAM and non-volatile storage is about to get that little bit harder, thanks to Viking Modular. The company's decided to "borrow" the DIMM form factor for its latest enterprise SSD offering, equipping it with a 240-pin array to draw power from your spare memory slots. Of course, you'll still need to hook up a SATA cable to get data flowing to this SSD -- at a very respectable 260MBps for both read and write -- but we must admit we're in love with the very idea of it. This new design offers another option for consolidating storage right onto the motherboard and should help case modders yearning for ever-slimmer enclosures. Alas, the SATADIMM is only available to enterprise and OEM clients for now, but we can't think of any reason why it won't test the consumer waters as well -- if not by Viking, maybe someone else? [Thanks, David]
Super Talent's dual interface UltraDrive MX SSD does SATA II and mini-USB
She ain't the first solid state drive to ship with a keen understanding of both SATA II and USB, but in the case of niche storage devices, the more the merrier, right? The newest member of the UltraDrive family (that'd be the UltraDrive MX, if you're curious) has given Super Talent its first two-faced SSD, complete with a dual interface that enables it to be used as an internal or external drive. The company claims that this makes laptop drive swaps a lesson in simplicity, as you simply mount it via USB in order to clone your existing drive, and then connect it via SATA once you're ready to take it beneath the surface. We're told to expect read and write speeds as high as 250MB/sec and 180MB/sec, respectively, with capacities of 60GB, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB being available. Oh, and speaking of which -- these bad boys won't actually ship until September 1st, so we'd suggest pinching those pennies in the meantime.
Okoro's GX series HTPCs ship with SSD, USB 3.0, Core i7 and... an iPad?
Yeah, it's true -- Okoro Media Systems is shamelessly hopping on the tablet PC bandwagon, and it's actually bundling an iPad with each GX series HTPC in order to give customers an elegant way to control their multi-zone audio setup (or whatever else you feel like controlling). 'Course, the GX line ain't the cheapest on the block, with starting prices just south of five large. That said, if you're looking for the most bodacious HTPC on the planet and you can't find the time to build your own, you can look forward to a Core i7 processor, upwards of 6GB of RAM, an 80GB SSD boot drive (paired with a 2TB 6Gbps media HDD), Blu-ray support, USB 3.0 ports and a quad CableCARD tuner. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Tap that source link if you're interested in customizing your own, but only if you're kosher with never leaving your home again in order to finance it.
Thermaltake shoves SATA HDD docks into V9 BlacX Edition PC enclosure
PC chassis enthusiasts (yeah, there is such a thing) will surely know that Thermaltake's V9 Black Edition has been out for a couple of years now, but there's evidently quite a bit of difference in the V9 BlacX Edition. Aside from that awkward letter change, of course. The otherwise ho hum mid-tower enclosure -- complete with a black outer shell, seven PCI expansion slots and a grand total of ten drive bays -- spruces things up by offering a pair of SATA HDD docks right on the front panel. Basically, the company took one of these right here and smashed it into the front of its newest enclosure. With it, you'll able to shove any spare 2.5- or 3.5-inch SATA hard drive right into your system for quick access, all without needing an external peripheral to do it. In fact, we just made a promise to ourselves to never buy another case without this kind of magnificent integration. Check it this August for $99.
OCZ pushes Agility 2 and Vertex 2 SSD families to 480GB, us further from HDDs
It's one thing to have to choose between an ultra-capacious, relatively sluggish hard drive and a cramped, relatively speedy solid state drive, but it's another thing entirely to get the best of both worlds. OCZ Technology is finally pushing laptop SSDs to the 400GB+ range, giving road warriors a fair chance at swapping out their existing HDD without taking a hit in the capacity department. Both the 2.5-inch Agility 2 and Vertex 2 lines are seeing 400GB and 480GB models added, with 250MB/sec read and 240MB/sec write rates promised. The new spinners are slated to hit shelves any moment now, and frankly, we're terrified to even look for pricing.
Seagate confirms 3TB hard drive for 2010, possible 32-bit OS issues
Seagate has been pushing the areal density envelope for years now, but by and large, these "developments" we hear about typically fade into the cold, harsh winter night without ever amounting to anything tangible. Not so this go 'round, with the company confirming to Thinq (and reaffirmed on our end) that it will be "announcing a 3TB drive later this year." If you'll recall, 2TB drives have held the crown for the world's largest since early 2009, and if all goes to plan, we'll be able to buy drives 50 percent larger than even those before the dawn of 2011. The company didn't talk details -- we're still left to envision a price, release date and spindle speed -- but it didn't hesitate to mention a few issues that users with older operating systems may encounter. Essentially, you'll need to have a rig that's fully capable of handling the Long LBA (logical block addressing) standard, which means that you'll need updated drivers, an updated BIOS and either a 64-bit copy of Vista, Windows 7 or "modified version of Linux." As you'd expect, Windows XP users needn't pay this platter any mind, and while Seagate is hopeful that industry players will all rally in short order to support the new HDD, there's still a chance that these growing pains will lead to delays. What we're most jazzed about here, crazily enough, isn't the predictable jump in capacity -- it's the fantasies of über-cheap 2TB drives once they fall from the top. [Thanks, JC]
Switched On: A new spin on external hard drives, part two
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Last week's Switched On laid out the basics behind GoFlex, Seagate's new system of interoperable connectors and docks that leverage a sturdier-than-stock SATA connector separate external storage from the connecting interface. With USB 2.0 nearly universal, Seagate has the burden of explaining why consumers should buy into GoFlex. The system does have advantages. You can pick up a GoFlex drive assured that it will work with most computers via the bundled USB 2.0 connector cable, upgrade to eSATA or FireWire 800 for faster speed today, and then to USB 3.0 as you acquire a computer that uses that connector. Adapters start at about $20, which is what one might spend on a decent new enclosure for upgrading the old-fashioned way, and Seagate claims that separating the drive from the physical interface will enable it to sell less expensive external drives that come without any connector. Still, by the time most people spend between upgrading their PCs, they might want to simply start over with a higher-capacity drive that will be compatible with the latest and greatest connector anyway.
Western Digital VelociRaptor VR200M review roundup: fast, capacious, but no SSD
While it's only a matter of time before solid state storage becomes cheap and reliable enough to replace magnetic media for good, companies like Western Digital are still finding ways to keep those platters a' spinning. Take this new WD VelociRaptor VR200M, for instance. Critics agree that while it doesn't offer anywhere near SSD levels of performance, it's certainly the fastest rotational SATA drive ever tested -- 15 to 30 percent improved over the last generation of VelociRaptors, depending on the benchmark -- and at roughly 50 cents per gigabyte for the three-platter, 600GB WD6000BLHX ($329), it offers more capacity than any SSD you could hope to buy without refinancing your third vacation home. Reviewers note that with a 15mm drive height, you still won't be dropping one of these speed demons in your new laptop, and your desktop might be better off with a cheaper 7200RPM drive paired with a similarly inexpensive SSD, but if you're looking for that single drive that does it all, the new VelociRaptor is your best bet. Hit the links below for the full skinny, and a deep, deep dive into the fascinating world of IOPS, read speeds and write times. Read - TechReport Read - AnandTech Read - PC Perspective Read - HotHardware Read - Tom's Hardware Read - ExtremeTech Read - LegitReviews Read - StorageReview Read - DesktopReview
Firmware corruption probe implicates at least one RealSSD C300
We don't know too many folks who shelled out the dosh for Crucial's RealSSD C300, so perhaps it's no surprise that we haven't heard too many complaints about the thing. We do know at least one high roller who got his hands on one, however, and for him things are definitely not going so swimmingly. In fact, our friend Anand is apparently the proud owner of one such device that just "decided to up and stop working one day." That's not good! While the cause has yet to be determined, Crucial has been in contact and seems to think that errors in the firmware tables have resulted in a drive that is now very, very slow at powering up. It's not clear whether or not this is going to be a common problem, but if the same thing happens to you perhaps you can sleep easily that at least there's the possibility of saving your data. Or maybe you're just kicking yourself for spending $800 on an SSD. Either way, Mr. AnandTech shares insight into this -- and more, including poor performance after TRIMing the LBAs on his replacement SSD. Exciting, huh? Hit the source link to see for yourself. [Thanks, Aristo]
