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SanDisk outs the 'world's first' 1TB SD card
If you handle a lot of 4K video, you'll know that most available SD cards will struggle to handle all of your high-quality footage. The two-year old SanDisk 512GB SD card might take the edge off somewhat, but that isn't all that Western Digital, owner of the SanDisk brand, has got to offer. Today, the storage giant unveiled what it calls the "world's first" 1TB SD card. It's only a prototype, but already the company is touting the card's ability to adequately handle 4K, 8K, VR and 360-degree video when it officially becomes available.
WiFi-connected hard drive fits a Plex server in your pocket
Over the years we've seen Plex's media software run across a number of different devices, from PCs to game consoles to NAS and cellphones. Now, it's teamed up with Western Digital for what it says is the first portable Plex Media Server. The hardware is handled by the My Passport Wireless Pro, a battery-powered portable hard drive that can run standalone for 10 hours, charge mobile devices, and back up data via SD or USB 3.0. The all-in-one box can even create a WiFi network to sync with mobile devices or stream media to any device running Plex, similar to Dish Network's HopperGo but without the need for a satellite subscription. The 2TB version is ready to take your stuff on the go for $230, and upgrading to 3TB only costs an extra $20.
Western Digital officially owns SanDisk
The world's largest storage manufacturer officially gets even bigger this week. Western Digital announced today that the company has cleared all the necessary regulatory hurdles in their planned purchase of SanDisk.
Western Digital is buying SanDisk for $19 billion
Hot on the heels of the Dell-EMC megaquisition comes the news that Western Digital, the world's largest storage manufacturer, is buying one of the world's largest flash memory manufacturers, SanDisk. The deal is worth $86.50 per share, which adds up to a total of $19 billion. Western Digital supplies hard drives and SSDs for use inside things like PCs, laptops, and servers, and also sells external drives directly to consumers. The target of its affection is SanDisk, which is the third-largest manufacturer of flash memory worldwide, and is best known for its memory card and USB drive business.
SanDisk is reportedly eager to sell itself off
SanDisk is a mainstay of the storage world thanks to its memory cards and solid-state drives, but you might not see its name for much longer: Bloomberg sources hear that SanDisk is exploring the possibility of selling itself off. The company is reportedly talking to both Micron and Western Digital about a potential deal, although there's no guarantee that anything will happen. You shouldn't expect an acquisition in the immediate future, at any rate. SanDisk runs memory factories alongside Toshiba, and it'd likely have to get approval before changing that partnership.
The best network-attached storage
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. After three weeks of research, plus hands-on testing of a half-dozen finalists, we found that the QNAP TS-251 is the best network-attached storage device (NAS) for people who need one. It has a faster processor and more memory than most NAS near its price, and it has flexible, powerful software that does everything most NAS users need and more.
WD's latest cloud tech gives you a reason to forget Dropbox
Let's be honest: the cloud features bundled with hard drives tend to suck. They're seldom more than nice freebies that you ignore while you set up Dropbox, Google Drive or another more sophisticated option. However, WD (aka Western Digital) might give you an incentive to try its in-house offering. It's launching My Cloud OS 3, a platform that gives connected hard drives (including network-attached storage) some of the features you take for granted on dedicated online services. It'll automatically sync not just between PCs, but from the camera rolls of your mobile devices. You'll have web- and app-based access to your storage, as well. True, you can find this kind of syncing elsewhere, but this gives you an alternative that won't leave you feeling pangs of regret... so long as you're using WD storage, at least.
1TB My Passport Cinema drive puts 4K Ultra HD movies in your pocket
New super high-res televisions are already here, but with Ultra HD Blu-ray still yet to debut, the best available way to get 4K video on that screen is with streaming and, now, downloading. Western Digital has a Vidity hard drive ready that is ready for storing Hollywood's movies in the highest quality available, and playing them back on compatible screens. Right now the list of compatible devices is limited to Samsung's UHD TVs (2014 or 2015) with the M-Go app, and Fox is the first studio out of the gate with compatible movies. WD's $90 1TB, USB 3.0-connected My Passport Cinema drive meets the spec, is being packed in free with new Samsung TVs, and comes preloaded with The Maze Runner, Exodus: Gods and Kings, X-Men: Days of the Future Past, The Wolverine, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Fault in Our Stars, Let's Be Cops and The Other Woman -- two of them are free off the bat.
Dear Veronica: Your passport to love
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-640241{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-640241, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-640241{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-640241").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Happy Wednesday, everyone! This week, we're kicking things off with a video question from Lucas. He has a romantic rendezvous that he needs to get to, stat, and he has some questions about the passport and travel process! Also today, we talk about using external drives for keeping your music sessions safe, and we poll you about whether or not kids should be allowed to swear. Answer below, and make sure you keep those questions rolling into #DearVeronica on social media, or via email. See you next time! What are your thoughts on potty-mouthed kiddies?
The NSA hides surveillance software in hard drives
It's been known for a while that the NSA will intercept and bug equipment to spy on its soon-to-be owners, but the intellgency agency's techniques are apparently more clever than first thought. Security researchers at Kaspersky Lab have discovered apparently state-created spyware buried in the firmware of hard drives from big names like Seagate, Toshiba and Western Digital. When present, the code lets snoops collect data and map networks that would otherwise be inaccessible -- all they need to retrieve info is for an unwitting user to insert infected storage (such as a CD or USB drive) into an internet-connected PC. The malware also isn't sitting in regular storage, so you can't easily get rid of it or even detect it.
WD unveils a truly portable Thunderbolt drive for performance junkies
There are already a few portable hard drives that take advantage of Thunderbolt's brisk performance, but they have to plug into a wall outlet -- not very convenient when you're in the field. Western Digital is fixing that discrepancy today by unveiling the My Passport Pro, the first dual-drive Thunderbolt storage that takes its power solely from Intel's high-speed port. The drive isn't the fastest we've seen at about 233 MB/s, but it's still quick on its toes; it can copy that giant video project to your MacBook Pro in roughly half the time it would take on USB 3.0. If you're the sort who would rather not go hunting for power sockets while editing outside of the office, you can grab the My Passport Pro right now for $300 with 2TB of capacity, or $430 in 4TB form.
NSA can reportedly bug computer equipment before it reaches buyers
Don't think that the NSA always has to wait until people are using technology to start snooping on it. Spiegel has obtained documents which claim that the agency's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) group can intercept computer equipment orders and install tracking hardware or software before the shipments even reach their buyers. The division can target a wide array of hardware, too. Another NSA section, ANT, reportedly has a catalog of tools that can install back doors in everything from Cisco and Huawei network systems through to hard drives from most major manufacturers, including Seagate and Western Digital. Some of these bugs can give the NSA "permanent" access, since they're designed to persist if the owner wipes a device's storage or upgrades its firmware. The leak suggests that the targeted manufacturers aren't aware of what's happening; Cisco and other firms tell Spiegel they don't coordinate with the NSA. These hardware interceptions are also limited in scope next to remote surveillance programs. The agency isn't confirming any specifics, but it maintains that TAO is focused on exploiting foreign networks. Whether or not that's true, the discoveries show that the NSA's surveillance can reach the deepest levels of many networks.
Western Digital Black2 drive packs both solid-state and spinning storage
Performance-minded PC users frequently want both a fast solid-state drive for crucial apps and a regular hard disk for everything else, but that's not always feasible in the tight space of a laptop. Western Digital is making that two-drive option a practical reality through its new Black2. The design puts both a 120GB SSD and a 1TB spinning disk into a single 2.5-inch SATA enclosure, offering more speed and capacity than you'd find in a typical hybrid drive. It's potentially an ideal blend for gamers and small form factor PC builders, although they'll pay for the privilege -- WD is shipping the Black2 today for $300, or roughly as much as the two drives by themselves. [Thanks, Metayoshi]
gdgt's best deals for November 4th: 55-inch Panasonic 3D HDTV, 1TB Western Digital My Passport Ultra
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our friends at sister site gdgt track price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Whether the start of November has you searching for a new HDTV, file repository, home theater upgrade or a weapon for that MMO arsenal, we've got you covered. A 55-inch 3D TV from Panasonic and Klipsch floor-standing speakers are poised to improve movie watching while a pair of other useful gadgets see attractive price drops of their own. Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list; every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
First helium-filled 6TB hard drive launched, just not for you
At first glance, an enterprise-class hard drive with unparalleled areal density sounds like a pretty dull affair, right? While the new Ultrastar He6 drive from Western Digital's HGST subsidiary does fit that nap-inducing description, it's also got a couple of exclusive honors to boast about. You see, not only is this the first sealed, helium-filled HDD, but also the largest in a standard 3.5-inch footprint, packing 6TB over seven stacks. We learned during the drive's development that helium's lower density compared with air allows for this storage bump, as well as making it lighter and more energy efficient. It's destined for data centers and the like, with outfits like HP, Netflix, Huawei and CERN already registering their interest. You'd think these HDDs are pretty pricey currently, but let's hope HGST can dial its costs down and do the noble thing of bringing it to consumer rigs in the future.
Western Digital warns customers of Mavericks external hard drive data loss issue
Western Digital has sent an email to customers warning them that they could see data loss issues if they are using WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager and WD SmartWare software applications with Western Digital hard drives on Macs running OS X 10.9 Mavericks. The email reads: Dear WD Registered Customer, As a valued WD customer we want to make you aware of new reports of Western Digital and other external HDD products experiencing data loss when updating to Apple's OS X Mavericks (10.9). WD is urgently investigating these reports and the possible connection to the WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager and WD SmartWare software applications. Until the issue is understood and the cause identified, WD strongly urges our customers to uninstall these software applications before updating to OS X Mavericks (10.9), or delay upgrading. If you have already upgraded to Mavericks, WD recommends that you remove these applications and restart your computer. The WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager, and WD SmartWare software applications are not new and have been available from WD for many years, however solely as a precaution WD has removed these applications from our website as we investigate this issue. Sincerely, Western Digital As noted in the email, users of Western Digital hard drives should uninstall WD Drive Manager, WD Raid Manager and WD SmartWare from their systems before updating to Mavericks, and if they have already updated, they should delete the apps and restart their systems.
WD announces My Cloud, an external drive that connects to your home network for $150 (video)
Sure, there are plenty of physical storage options out there, but WD's new My Cloud does a little more than the traditional external hard drives. For starters, and as the name would suggest, My Cloud can connect to your own home (or office) network and allow you to wirelessly transfer files to and from it. What's more interesting here, however, is that WD's making it easy to access the plug-and-play device from anywhere -- for example, you can be in a completely different continent and still be able to upload / download files. There's also a USB 3.0 which acts as an expansion option, Gigabit Ethernet for wired connectivity, DLNA features and an undisclosed dual-core CPU to handle most of the load. Better yet, because it's a local network drive, there's no need to format it for Mac or Windows, making it compatible with both from the get-go and leaving out the need for any unwanted software. To manage things like users, storage space and advanced settings, Western Digital has introduced the companion My Cloud Dashboard, which can be accessed via a desktop application. On the mobile side, there are apps for iOS and Android that allow users to upload photos, videos, documents and other type of files, as well as integrate with cloud services including Google Drive, SkyDrive and Dropbox. The WD My Cloud is now available starting at $150 for the 2TB model, while the beefier 3TB and 4TB variants are priced at $180 and $250, respectively.
Western Digital refreshes MyBook external HDDs, offers 4TB for $180
If you recently put off snapping up some external storage, consider it good timing: Western Digital has refreshed its whole My Book line. While a 1TB option is now out of the picture, the external hard drives are still available in 2TB, 3TB and 4TB versions, although the Mac varieties are capped at 3TB. They retail for $130, $150 and $180, respectively -- in comparison, the original 4TB drive cost $250 when it debuted. Other than these changes, the HDDs mirror many of their predecessors' features, including their USB 3.0 connection, auto-backup software with hardware encryption, password protection, Dropbox integration and Time Machine compatibility for Mac. Those who prefer the Studio line's aluminum finish might shrug this news off, but those who'd like a regular My Book can snag one from Western Digital's online store or from select retailers.
WD upgrades NAS-friendly Red drives with 2.5-inch versions and 4TB desktop model
If you're looking for hard drives built to withstand the rigors of network-attached storage, Western Digital has a treat in store for you. The company just expanded its Red line of NAS-ready drives to include 2.5-inch models in 750GB and 1TB capacities; both disks fit into smaller enclosures while maintaining the Red series' power and speed optimizations for always-on media servers. WD is offering a few perks for desktop users, too. The existing 3.5-inch range now includes a high-capacity 4TB drive, and every new Red model ships with NASware 2.0 technology that should improve reliability. All three Red variants are shipping today; the compact 750GB and 1TB disks respectively sell for $79 and $99, while the 4TB behemoth costs $229.
Western Digital boosts SSD cred with $340 million sTec acquisition
Western Digital has clearly made a name for itself in the magnetic drive space, but it's hardly the go-to brand when it comes to SSDs. WD's betting that'll soon change, though, thanks to a $340 million investment. That sum will be used to acquire sTec Inc., a US-based SSD manufacturer best known for its enterprise solid-state drives (and a recent insider trading scandal). The company will fall under HGST, a WD wholly owned subsidiary, and will likely continue focusing its efforts on SSDs designed for business use -- serving up ones and zeroes in servers and data centers, for example. Catch a few more deets at the source link just below.
