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NewerTech intros USB 2.0 Universal Drive Adapter
Sure, we've seen similar adapters in the past, but NewerTech's latest is quite a few rungs higher on the attractive scale than its most formidable rivals. The inelegantly named USB 2.0 Universal Drive Adapter allows users to easily connect any 2.5-, 3.5- or 5.25-inch HDD / optical drive to a computer via USB, enabling folks to transfer critical data or backup an internal drive altogether without having to hunt down some snazzy external chassis. Notably, the adapter plays nice with IDE, ATA and SATA (among others), has no qualms dealing with OS X / Linux and will set you back just $29.95.
Finally the $200 Sony Blu-ray drive for a PC
While we like Blu-ray burners as much as the next guy, we've never understood why the burners came first. Well, the wait is finally over and Sony has just announced the BDU-X10S (reader only) for both the PC (pictured) and laptop (after the jump) with a MSRP of $200 -- curiously not 199.99. If this isn't a good enough deal for you, luckily Sony is also including CyberLink's PowerDVD BD Edition. The drives feature a SATA interface, which makes sense since this is the interface of choice on the type of newer PCs that will actually have the juice to playback HD.
BiTMICRO introduces 832GB SSD for CES 2008
The folks at BiTMICRO are about to blow some doors off of the SSD truck with a new product they'll be showing at CES this year. According to a press release, the company is introducing a new, 2.5-inch solid-state drive with a whopping 832GB of NAND flash goodness. The SATA II (3Gbps) drive is a new addition to the company's E-Disk Altima line, and utilizes a technology the company calls multi-level cell (or MLC) memory, which apparently doubles the number of bits stored per memory cell when compared with single-level cell (SLC) NAND. The drives are expected to ship Q3 2008 in capacities ranging from 32GB to 832GB -- and you can be sure we'll be staring intently at them (and asking for demo units) as soon as CES rolls around.[Via Macrumors forums]
CompactFlash Association showing off CF card with SATA interface
Well, wouldn't you know it. Nearly half a year after we first heard that CompactFlash SATA cards were in the works, we're finally getting some confirmation. The CompactFlash Association will be showing off a CFast connector and package at CES 2008, and the SATA interface included will purportedly provide interface data rates up to 3Gb/sec -- quite a bit swifter than the 133MB/sec that PATA serves up now. According to Mr. Shigeto Kanda, the CFA chairman of the board, the "development of a CompactFlash card with a SATA interface" will enable CF to "maintain dominance in the non-consumer (embedded systems, single board computers, data recorder, etc.) markets" as well as in those fancy DSLRs / camcorders. Per usual, there's no word on when this stuff should make the leap from show floor to store shelf.
A-Data whips up a 64GB SSD
We've seen a number of large-capacity SSDs, but 64GB seems like the current sweet spot, and A-Data's aiming to fill it out with a quartet of new 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch PATA and SATA drives. That's pretty much it on the outside -- it is just a big flash drive, after all -- but don't worry, there's plenty of sexy once you actually get an SSD inside your machine.[Via PC Launches]
Five-port USB hub does SATA and eSATA, too
Brando, e-tailer of products that you didn't even know existed -- and some that probably shouldn't -- has just released a new USB hub capable of handling SATA and eSATA drives to boot. That's right, along with hooking up five USB peripherals of your choice, you can also use the combo hub as a quick and easy way to swap out external hard drives without dealing with enclosures, RAID controllers, and the like -- at the expense of transfer speeds, of course. Available immediately, the mutant hub is going for a mere $33, or $43 if you want Old Man Brando to bundle in a power cord, too.
Samsung announces 64GB SATA II drives in 2.5, 1.8-inch varieties
All familiar things: Samsung, SSD flash drives, SATA II, 2.5 and 1.8-inch sizes (read: laptop and portable media device sizes, respectively), 100MBps write / 120MBps read, up to 64GB (again). Not that they stated prices, but we're not even asking.[Via Akihabara News]
The SATA HDD Stage Rack, at last
Now we're talking! Meet the PC and Mac compatible USB 2.0 SATA HDD Stage Rack. The value of this 2.5- and 3.5-inch compatible dock is obvious if like us, you've got gigs of unused storage laying around after years of SATA disk updates. Just pop in that old disk for instant expansion without having to first wrap the drive in a clumsy enclosure. Available now for €33 / $47. If you still don't get it, check the video after the break... you too will believe.[Via Akihabara News]
Panasonic's internal LF-PB271JD drive burns Blu-ray at 4x
Nah, Panasonic's LF-PB271JD couldn't hold a candle to Sony's BWU-200S in a runway competition, but when it comes to performance, we'd say the two are practically neck and neck. This unit fits snuggly within any Windows-based machine lookin' for a 5.25-inch optical drive, and it has no problems burning dual-layer BD-Rs at a furious (ahem) 4x pace. Additionally, you'll find a SATA interface along with backup software bundled in, and just in case you're not working exclusively with BD-R, it can also toast BD-RE at 2x, DVD±R at 16x, DVD±R DL at 8x, DVD-RW at 6x, CD-R at 40x and CD-RW at 24x. Of course, you'll be paying through the nose for the luxuries presented when it lands on November 10th, but the ¥55,000 ($468) asking price is still a good bit lower than what Sony's demanding.[Via Impress]
Novac intros external HDD enclosure with sizable cooling fan
Paranoid about excessive heat? Looks like the folks at Novac share your worries, as the NV-HDS392U external hard drive enclosure packs one of the largest, most prominent cooling fans you're likely to find in such a device. Boasting an all-aluminum frame and measuring in at 2.16- x 7.2- x 4.69-inches, this unit plays nice with any 3.5-inch IDE / SATA hard drive that you've got hanging around, and connects up with your Mac or PC via USB 2.0. If things get a bit heated, users can simply flip the "on" switch to crank up the side-mounted cooling fan, and those interested can snap this one up early next month for ¥4,980 ($43).[Via AkihabaraNews]
LaCie unveils 5TB Biggest S2S SATA RAID tower
LaCie is apparently looking to grab video editors' attention with the introduction of its latest RAID tower, which comes stocked with 5TB of storage and is scalable to up to 20TB for HD multi-stream support. The 5TB Biggest S2S five-disk RAID boasts a 3Gbit/sec eSATA interface, direct eSATA-to-SATA connection, burst rates of over 200MB/sec, and the ability to link up with three other S2S units on the eSATA PCI-X / ExpressCard to achieve the aforementioned 20TB solution. Furthermore, the disks are hot-swappable and the tower is hot-pluggable, and it can even be setup to beam out email alerts in the event of disk failure. The 5TB S2S is available now for $3,699 with a PCI-X card, or you can toss in an extra Benjamin and go for the PCI-E bundle.
Pioneer launches BDC-S02J internal Blu-ray player / DVD writer
Pioneer's latest internal Blu-ray player / DVD writer certainly lacks a few amenities, but for those not interested in forking out for BD-Rs or messing with HD DVD, the BDC-S02J is catered specifically for you. Arriving in both black and beige color schemes, this SATA drive plays back content on single- and dual-layer Blu-ray discs, BD-REs, and all flavors of DVDs and CDs including writables. Additionally, it will come bundled with a host of software, and while pricing information is strangely absent, those in Japan can expect it to land sometime next month.[Via AkihabaraNews]
CompactFlash SATA cards on the horizon
As the evolution of flash memory (and CompactFlash in particular) continues on, it looks like the CompactFlash Association is gearing up to create a CF card with a SATA interface. Reportedly, the CFA has assembled a working group to "develop a specification for a CompactFlash card with a Serial ATA interface," as it looks to broaden the market appeal of CompactFlash and exceed the current 133MB/second interface data rate. Regrettably, we've no idea when these newfangled devices are slated to go commercial, but we'd recommend that you start saving right about now anyway.[Thanks, Mark]
Team Xecuter's Hard Drive Xtender replaces PS3 HDD with your own
Rest assured, those looking for a clean solution to add hard drive space to their PlayStation 3 had mixed emotions when pondering the Hyperdrive. Thankfully, Team Xecuter has unveiled a much sleeker (and flexible) alternative with the Hard Drive Xtender; the device actually replaces the internal PS3 hard drive and provides a plug to run externally, where you can then attach your favorite SATA or IDE drive (with optional adapter). Obviously, the biggest boon in this setup is the money you'll save from not having to spend a small fortune on a dense 2.5-inch SATA drive, and considering that the Hyperdrive can reportedly be used in conjunction, the limits of PS3 capacity are now slightly closer to endless. Hackers rejoice, it's yours for a meager £12.99 ($26).[Thanks, Jaimesh]
Seagate can't stop announcing 1TB disks: Barracuda 7200.11 and ES.2
Perhaps due to the raging insecurities of playing catchup to Hitachi's 1TB disk, Seagate just announced a couple more 1TB drives in what has quickly become a confusing HDD line-up. Joining their previously announced 1TB Barracuda 7200.10 are the SATA-equipped Barracuda 7200.11 for consumers and business class Barracuda ES.2 with SAS interface. This time however, Seagate had the good manners to at least provide a date and price: Q3 and $399.99. Right, exactly the same price as Hitachi's 7K1000.Update: Seagate just gave us some clarification on the 7200.10 vs. 7200.11: "The 7200.10 that was announced was a 250GB single-platter design; the purpose of it was to leverage the new areal densities we achieved and put it into the current 7200.10 chassis with the core electronics. It is shipping today. The 7200.11 and ES.2 use the same areal densities but are a new generation design with updated electronics, etc." So there you have it.
Seagate unveils turmoil-proof EE25.2 hard drive
As if stuffing a quarter terabyte onto a single Barracuda platter and finally matching Hitachi in the 1TB realm weren't enough to gloat about, Seagate is now unveiling a hard drive aimed squarely at those reading this from the Amazon Rainforest (or a vanilla construction area, but you understand). The second-generation SATA EE25 drive -- easily dubbed the EE25.2 -- is available in sizes up to 80GB and can handle extreme temperatures, sensational heights, 'round the clock operation, 90-percent humidity, and drops / shocks that would likely put you out of commission before your data. No word yet on pricing nor availability, but don't expect 80 gigabytes of nearly indestructible storage to come without a premium.
Drobo review
Anyone who's ever futzed with a drive array on the fritz or tried to upgrade their large home storage system knows the plight well -- disks will eventually fail and/or run out of space, and when they do, neither scenario is particularly pleasant for a RAID user. (Trust us, we have the horror stories to prove it.) Even though the Data Robotics Drobo isn't ready to take the place of your NAS, if you've been looking for a simple, convenient, reliable method of keeping vast amounts of data in one spot, this may be the way to go. We've been fortunate enough to have a Drobo of our own to fool around with for the past few weeks, and we're pretty excited about how it's gone. Read on for our thoughts.%Gallery-3644%
Addonics unveils the Diamond internal / external hard drive enclosure
While flash drives and pocket hard drives are all well and good, sometimes you just gotta move all the data on that 1TB monster to another machine and go -- and Addonics has got you data-intensive road warriors covered with their new Diamond line of SATA / eSATA hard drive enclosures and cradles. Mounting a drive in the enclosure gives you what appears to be a regular, if somewhat slim, eSATA drive, but the entire unit can then be slid into one of the Diamond cradles mounted in a 5.25-inch bay, giving you a host of internal connection options, from plain ol' USB 2.0 to direct SATA to SCSI. Depending on how you configure your setup, prices range all over the place, but a standard SATA / eSATA rig should only set you back about $50, according to Addonics. Not bad, not bad at all.
QNAP TS-100 NAS handles BitTorrent downloads, media server duties
Although QNAP was indeed one of the forerunners in getting PC-less downloads into the NAS arena, it's been a tick since the firm pumped out anything new, but those looking for a multifaceted drive have found their match. The TS-100 supports SATA drives up to 750GB is extendable to 1.5TB by an eSATA and USB 2.0 port, operates as a UPnP media server, iTunes music server, remotely accessible hard drive, and "non-stop" BitTorrent / P2P client that can keep those downloads runnin' so long as it's being fed an internet connection. Furthermore, the device sports a trendy white / silver finish, a fanless design, comes pre-loaded with the company's QGet download management software. No word just yet on price nor availability, but we're guessing it'll hit around the $300 mark when it lands.
Add RAID to your Apple laptop -- for a price
Kind of an obvious hack, but if you can live life without your Apple laptop's internal optical drive on the day to day, Macenstein demonstrates using an MCE OptiBay add-on kit to pull the optical drive out of your machine and swap it out for another hard drive. The hundies invested open such possibilities as software RAID 0/1, a dedicated Windows drive, or simply extra internal storage -- but almost all of the above will take another hit on your battery, so be forewarned before you dare to crack open that fortress-like aluminum case.[Via Macenstien and Digg]
