Apricorn announced a NEW larger 640GB capacity to their Aegis Bio product line, a hardware-encrypted biometric hard drive that allows users to securely access their files with the swipe of a finger. Offering unparalleled security with a 1-2 punch, the Aegis Bio’s biometric fingerprint sensor restricts unauthorized access to the drive while the Bio’s real-time 128-bit AES hardware encryption protects all data on the drive – even if the drive is dismantled.

With prices for the new 640GB capacity retailing at just $159, the Aegis Bio’s cutting-edge security is an affordable solution for both large and small companies alike as they grapple with the problem of keeping their data safe.

“With several of the largest data breaches of 2010 involving lost or stolen portable storage devices, the need for secure portable storage has never been greater,” said Mike McCandless, VP of Sales and Marketing at Apricorn. “As more employees take their work on the road or between home and office, companies are looking for secure ways to keep their proprietary and customer data safe, and the Aegis Bio delivers on this need.”

The Aegis Bio incorporates multiple layers of protection into its compact, rugged design, starting with hardware-based Biometric protection with UPEK’s(R) TouchStrip(TM) Fingerprint Sensor. This state-of-the-art Digital ID Hardware Engine allows access to the Aegis Bio via a simple swipe of your finger. The Aegis Bio can also securely log in to your favorite sites with UPEK’s Protector Suite(TM) Token software: a great feature as employees work with more accounts online. By using your fingerprint to login to your favorite sites, your sensitive login data is protected from malicious key logging programs, giving an added layer of protection.

Once your fingerprint is registered, the Aegis Bio can be used on any USB-equipped computer, making it the perfect option for taking sensitive data between work and home. All data on the drive is protected with real-time 128-bit AES hardware encryption via an Oxford Semiconductor(R) storage controller chip, meaning that even if the fingerprint sensor is bypassed, the data on the drive remains impenetrable.

“With portable drives needing to carry more personal data, the move to carry a higher capacity was a natural one,” said Michelle Fischer, Marketing Manager. “Our customers communicated a need for larger capacities with our biometric encrypted drives so we made sure that we were able to respond to that need. As our secure hard drive line becomes standardized for many of our corporate and government customers, the ability to grow with their capacity needs is an important one.”

In addition to biometric security and hardware encryption, the bus-powered Aegis Bio features an integrated USB 2.0 cable (eliminating the need to carry around bulky USB cables), an auxiliary power Y-cable, software CD, a neoprene travel pouch and Quick Start Guide.

Availability and Pricing

Apricorn’s Aegis Bio is currently available for purchase at resellers throughout the U.S., Canada and online at http://www.apricorn.com/

Three Hip, Unique Designs for Expressing Your Own Style And Storing All Your Videos, Photos and Music Make Colorful New Drives More than Just Your Parents Portable Storage

Iomega announced the launch of the exciting new line of Iomega Skin branded Hard Drives, three different 500GB* portable hard drives that pop with unique designs and colors that scream, “Who says portable storage has to be boring?”

In conjunction with the popular Skin Industries, one of the leading alternative “Sports Fashion” brands in America today, Iomega’s new Skin Hard Drives feature three compact personal storage models with custom Skin-branded graphics that stand out in a burst of hip culture compared to anything else in the hard drive market today.

“The new Iomega Skin Drives exude an alternative personality with eye-catching Skin Industries graphics that demand the attention of anyone who doesn’t accept the status quo, who zigs when others zag, especially when it comes to the look and design of their digital devices,” said Jonathan Huberman, President of Iomega and the Consumer and Small Business Products Division of EMC. “Iomega’s new Skin Drives deliver that kind of excitement in a lightweight, compact design with the quality features people expect from Iomega, including industry-leading ruggedness to protect your data and a top-tier software suite bundled free of charge with every Skin Hard Drive. That’s an unbeatable personal storage combination for tech-savvy students and young professionals alike.”

Iomega Skin Hard Drives

There are three different models in the new Iomega Skin Hard Drive line. All three models are USB 2.0-powered 500GB portable hard drives.

The “Radical” Skin Hard Drive model has a retro Skin-branded printed logo design on a black top with a vibrant yellow base, creating a look that stands apart from any other portable hard drive.

The “Red Hot” Skin Hard Drive model features a “Skin” Swipe logo printing on a red top with a black base, creating a definition of hip and hot for today’s young iconoclastic computer user.

The “Knock Out” Skin Hard Drive model has a dark, mysterious aura with a “Skin” Gothic logo design on a silver top with a black base. One look at this portable hard drive beauty and envious friends and co-workers could be down for the count.

Al Borda, CEO of Skin Industries, said, “We continue to build on the lifestyle tradition of Skin Industries. As the CEO, I like to think ahead and focus on the future in everything we do for the company. With the release of the exciting new Skin hard drives and joining with Iomega, this is another step forward for Skin to become more than just a clothing company.”

The new Iomega Skin Hard Drives will be featured in a July window display at J&R Music and Computer World’s flagship store on Park Row in New York City.

“Young people today are looking for something different in everything they buy and use,” said Rachelle Friedman, President and Co-CEO, J&R Music and Computer World, downtown New York City. “At J&R, we’re always looking for unique and exciting products for our customers. Iomega’s new Skin portable hard drives not only have personality and style compared to other hard drives in the market today, they also deliver on the functionality that’s required of a quality portable hard drive – plenty of space for music, photos and videos, as well as rugged, dependable and easy-to-use. Put it all together and the new Iomega Skin Drives are a great new addition to J&R’s computer peripheral offerings.”

Self-Powered Drives with Plenty of Room for Lots of Multimedia Files

All three of the new Skin Hard Drives are perfect for slipping into a laptop bag or pocket to take anywhere your laptop goes. Best of all, the USB interface on the Skin Hard Drives require no external power supply. Just connect the included USB 2.0 cable to your Skin Hard Drive and your laptop, netbook or desktop and you are ready to store and share photos, music, videos and more.

To appreciate how much data can be stored on a new 500GB Iomega Skin Hard Drive, users have enough capacity to hold up to 200,000 photos, over 125,000 songs or more than 190 hours of video**.

As Rugged as You Wanna Be!

All three of the new Skin Hard Drives feature Iomega’s standard Drop Guard(TM) protection, which helps guard the drive from accidental drops of up to 51 inches on to industrial carpet – or 40% better than the industry average.

Iomega Protection Suite Software Included Free With New Skin Drives

Included free of charge with all three of Iomega’s new Skin Hard Drives is the Iomega Protection Suite, a one-stop portfolio of backup and anti-virus software giving users added protection for their photos, videos, music and other files.

The Iomega Protection Suite includes:

– A complementary 12 month subscription to Trend Micro(TM) Internet
Security for the PC, or Trend Micro(TM) Smart Surfing software for
Mac.
– Iomega QuikProtect: backup software for simple scheduled file-level backup of data to hard drives and network-attached storage devices (for Windows and Mac desktops and notebooks).
– Retrospect® Express software: backup all of your data plus applications and settings (for Windows and Mac desktops and notebooks).
– MozyHome(TM) Online Backup service: Convenient online backup service with 2GB of online capacity for free (unlimited online storage for $4.95/month). MozyHome Online service allows you to restore your most important data from any computer with internet access, at any location in the world.

All of the software elements in the Iomega Protection Suite are accessible via easy download to Skin Drive owners.

Pricing, Availability and Warranty

The new Iomega Skin Hard Drives are available today in the U.S. at select retailers, etailers and at www.iomega.com. All three Skin Hard Drive models retail for $119.99 each. (Pricing is U.S. suggested retail.) Iomega’s new Skin Hard Drives also will be available next month in select European markets.

Iomega’s new Skin Hard Drives include a 3-year limited warranty (with registration).

For more information on the new Iomega Skin Drives as well as Iomega’s complete line of portable and desktop direct-attached hard drives, please go to www.iomega.com. Be sure to learn more and discuss Iomega’s new products on our social media sites found at www.iomega.com/social.

LaCie announced the safest mobile hard drive on the market – the LaCie Rugged Safe, offering multiple levels of data protection. The Rugged Safe features unbreakable 128-bit AES hardware encryption, the safest biometric authentication technology, and a shock-proof enclosure.

Designed for people on the go, the LaCie Rugged Safe is bus-powered through USB or FireWire and is compatible with Mac or PC. Where other safe products require software installation on every workstation, the Rugged Safe is plug & play. Once configured, it will grant a user access to his or her data on any computer with a single finger swipe.

More than just a superior solution for portability, the Rugged Safe combines a 128-bit AES encryption engine and biometric fingerprint access – preventing unauthorized access. Professionals can protect and share sensitive files or intellectual property with up to 10 registered users.

“The LaCie Rugged Safe was developed to enable professional or private users to protect their valuable data and intellectual property from theft and unauthorized access,” said Erwan Girard, LaCie Business Unit manager. “We’ve synthesized a range of technologies to ensure this device is the safest and most mobile storage solution – a real vault for your data.”

Like its award-winning cousin, the LaCie Rugged Hard Drive, the Rugged Safe was designed by the world-famous designer, Neil Poulton. With its protective rubber bumper and internal hard drive mounted on four independent suspensions, the Rugged Safe is shock-resistant for maximum reliability and data protection.

The Rugged Safe comes with a superior three-year limited warranty and includes the easy-to-use and customizable LaCie Backup Assistant for Mac and PC users.

Availability
The LaCie Rugged Safe will be available in 500GB through the LaCie Online Store, LaCie Corner, LaCie Reseller+ and LaCie Storage Partner starting at the suggested retail price of $189.99 (excluding VAT). For more information, visit www.lacie.com.

200GB Small Form Factor HDD Sets a New Industry Standard, Targeting the Increasing Capacity Needs of In-Vehicle and Industrial Applications

Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD) strengthened its position as the world’s leading manufacturer of automotive-grade HDDs by introducing a new HDD with 200 gigabytes(1) (GB) of storage capacity in a single-platter design.

The 4,200 RPM SATA MK2060GSC is the highest-capacity automotive-grade HDD available and provides vehicle systems manufacturers with the high-capacity storage needed to improve telematics, navigation and entertainment systems, particularly as these systems are being designed to communicate with information and content sources outside the car. This high-capacity automotive storage line will enable carmakers and aftermarket vendors to deliver an improved in-vehicle user experience, while enhancing driver safety.

This introduction builds on Toshiba’s existing automotive product line. As of March 2010, Toshiba has shipped 14 million automotive-grade HDDs to the worldwide market, and had 75 percent global market share(2) for shipments in 2009, according to the company’s internal sales data. In addition, IDC has forecast that more classes of automobiles will increasingly offer factory in-dashboard infotainment systems that provide audio, video and a variety of navigation information to passengers beginning in model year 2012(3). Consumer desire for multimedia applications and navigation systems integrated into cars has fueled demand for high-capacity HDDs, ensuring migration of these applications beyond the premium vehicle market and into the mainstream.

The MK2060GSC targets telematics and infotainment applications, in which proven performance and capacity are critical. This product line represents a significant innovation in commercial automotive-grade HDD technology, as it doubles the maximum storage capacity available. Other technical benefits to systems manufacturers include a 78 percent improvement in internal transfer rates compared to equivalent products on the market, as well as a faster seek time of 12 milliseconds and extremely quiet “silent seek” operation of 23dB. These features make the MK2060GSC ideal for multimedia, navigation and in-vehicle video recording applications, which require a combination of high storage capacities and rapid data recall.

In addition to its high capacity, the MK2060GSC offers exceptional reliability. This HDD can withstand altitude variations of -300 to 12,000 meters during non-operating and -300 to 5,650 meters while operating, as well as operating temperatures of -30 to +85°C. The new HDD also delivers high levels of operating shock resistance and enhanced vibration resistance. Consequently, telematics systems manufacturers deploying this product in high-quality cars can be confident their products will function normally, despite extreme environmental conditions.

“The next generation of automobile infotainment, connectivity and location-awareness applications will require more innovation and undoubtedly higher storage capacity,” said Scott Wright, product manager for Toshiba Storage Device Division. “Our commitment to sustain continued advancement in this product category continues to position Toshiba as the leader for storage components. We are ideally positioned to provide vehicle systems manufacturers with the high-quality, reliable storage technology they need to capitalize on an evolving market opportunity.”

In addition to the MK2060GSC, Toshiba also debuts the MK1060GSC as part of this automotive-grade product series, offering 100GB of storage capacity. All of Toshiba’s automotive-grade HDDs are suitable for use in many industrial applications requiring extended temperature tolerance. Continuing Toshiba’s commitment to reducing environmental impact, these HDDs are fully compliant with RoHS regulation and are halogen-free.

Information and Availability

Toshiba’s MKxxGSC series will be commercially available in the third quarter of 2010 for industrial distribution and OEMs. These HDDs are currently being sampled to selected partners for qualification. For more information on Toshiba’s line of industry-leading small form factor hard drives, visit www.toshibastorage.com.

WD AV-25 Hard Drives Provide Cooler, Quieter Operation with Lower Power Consumption and are Ideal for 24×7 Multimedia Streaming Environments

As demand has increased for digital video storage, including high-definition (HD) video, and as the variety of video-systems configurations increases, WD® expanded its line of hard drives for AV/DVR and surveillance applications to include small form factor, 2.5-inch SATA hard drives. WD AV-25 hard drives provide high reliability with a Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) of 1 million hours and are engineered specifically for demanding, always-on multimedia streaming applications, while running at cool and quiet temperatures.

In addition to high reliability, WD AV-25 hard drives meet the demanding requirements of the AV/DVR and surveillance markets by offering customers universal compatibility, low power consumption and the ability to simultaneously record multiple audio and/or high-definition video streams. The new WD AV-25 hard drive is ideal for applications such as DVRs (digital video recorders), digital video surveillance and other small form factor environments where power consumption and 24×7 reliability are critical.

“Customers that market audio and video recording applications, such as DVRs, media centers and mainstream surveillance systems, often require 24×7 operation from hard drives,” said Jim Welsh, senior vice president and general manager of WD’s branded products and consumer electronics groups. “WD AV-25 hard drives are designed to withstand these demanding environments and offer consumers a small form factor solution that consumes less power, generates less heat, and operates quietly and, most importantly, reliably.”

Features of the WD AV-25 hard drive include:

• 24×7 reliability – Designed to last in always-on streaming digital audio/video environments such as DVR/PVR, digital video surveillance and other demanding multimedia applications.
• Advanced Format technology – Leading edge technology that delivers improved video quality and AV performance through enhanced error correction capability.
• SilkStream(TM) technology – Optimized for smooth, continuous digital video playback of up to five simultaneous HD streams. SilkStream is compatible with the ATA streaming command set so AV customers can use standard streaming management and error recovery options.
• Ultra-cool operation – A cool drive is a more reliable drive. WD continues to develop new and innovative ways to keep drives cool while they are operating.
• Quiet – Noise levels have been minimized to less than one sone* – virtually below the threshold of human hearing.
• Low power consumption – The drive draws less than 2 Watts while operating and a mere 4.75 Watts during spin up.
• 1 million hours MTTF (MTBF) – Best-in-class reliability for small form factor AV storage.+
• Preemptive Wear Leveling (PWL) – The drive arm frequently sweeps across the disk to reduce uneven wear on the drive surface common to audio video streaming applications.

Price and Availability

The WD AV-25 hard drive is offered in capacities of 160 GB, 250 GB, 320 GB and 500 GB and has a 3-year limited warranty. The WD AV-25 160 GB, 250 GB and 320 GB hard drives are available now from select e-tailers and distributors. The WD AV-25 500 GB hard drive will be available next month. MSRP for the WD AV-25 hard drives range from $50.00 USD to $80.00 USD depending on capacity.

* A sone is a subjective unit of loudness as perceived by a person with normal hearing.

+ Based upon dual tuner system operating in typical 30-degree C air ambient environment.

E-Label Smart Display Helps Creative Professionals Organize Their Storage

Western Digital introduced its new My Passport(TM) Studio(TM) portable drives featuring the super-fast FireWire® 800 interface and a customizable e-label that’s always visible, even when the drive is unplugged. Sporting a sleek and stylish design, the new high-performance My Passport Studio drives are formatted for Mac® computers, compatible with Apple® TimeMachine® software, and feature automatic and continuous backup with WD SmartWare(TM) software, and 256-bit hardware-based encryption. Available now at select retailers and shopwd.com, the new My Passport Studio drives are offered in capacities of 320 GB, 500 GB and 640 GB.

WD’s My Passport Studio drives are designed for creative professionals and Mac enthusiasts. Their production and use of many large files require the fast transfers from computer to My Passport Studio drives that FireWire 800 provides. Professionals such as photographers also benefit from the e-labeling system to effectively organize their work.

The e-label smart display on the front of the My Passport drives can be changed as often as desired using the included WD SmartWare software. Users can easily create a label to personalize their drive or remind themselves of its contents. The e-label also shows available capacity and whether the drive is locked. Utilizing e-paper technology, the information on the display remains clearly visible, even when the drive is unplugged.

According to research firm Parks Associates, the average U.S. broadband household currently has over 120 GB of digital media and files which is projected to grow to over 1 TB of data by 2013.

“Many of our customers store their content on multiple external drives, making it difficult to know what content is on each drive,” said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing of WD’s Branded Products group. “The e-label smart display is an elegant and practical solution for organizing and keeping track of one’s digital life and work. WD SmartWare software makes it easy for users to protect their valuable content with automatic and continuous backup and encryption.”

The new My Passport Studio is fully compatible with Apple TimeMachine software for easy backup of your most important files. It also offers the option of the simple and intuitive WD SmartWare software, with automatic continuous backup and real-time visual interface, giving users a reassuring view of their backup as it happens. After the first backup, users’ files are backed up automatically every time they change or add a file.

My Passport Studio drives also feature user-selected password protection combined with 256-bit hardware-based encryption, which scrambles files before they are stored. Typically found only on much more expensive drive systems, the encryption acts as a virtual padlock to keep users’ data safe.

Price and Availability

The new My Passport Studio drives are offered in capacities of 320 GB, 500 GB and 640 GB and have a 3-year limited warranty. My Passport Studio ultra-portable drives are available now at select retailers and online at shopwd.com. MSRP for the My Passport Studio drives ranges from $149.99 USD to $199.99 USD depending on capacity.

My Passport Studio
The new WD My Passport Studio ultra-portable drives feature:
– Smart display – a customizable e-label that reminds users of what is stored on the drive and provides available capacity and security status at a glance even when the drive is unplugged;
– FireWire 800 – users can save and access data at top speeds with the high-performance FireWire 800 interface;
– Plug-and-play, designed for use with Mac computers and compatibility with Apple TimeMachine software;
– WD SmartWare software that visually presents consumers’ data in a software control center;
– 256-bit hardware-based encryption and password protection for peace of mind knowing that data is protected from unauthorized access;
– USB 2.0 interface – for convenience and compatibility among multiple computers;
– Planet-friendly packaging derived from recycled materials to minimize waste;
– HFS+ Journaled formatting and are compatible with Mac OS X Tiger®, Leopard® and Snow Leopard®; and,
– 3-year limited warranty.

WD SmartWare Software
WD SmartWare software features:
– Visual backup displays that show content in categories and shows the progress of backup;
– Automatic, continuous data backup will instantly make a second copy whenever you add or change a file;
– Retrieve valuable data to its original location whether it’s lost data or the file has been overwritten; and,
– Customizable data backup that allows users to set drive security, run diagnostics, manage the power settings, and more from the WD SmartWare control center.

Creative Professionals Now Have a Better Way to Tell Their Drives Apart

WD® introduced its new high-performance My Book® Studio(TM) desktop external drives with a customizable e-label that is always visible, even when unplugged, so it’s easy to know the contents of the drive. Designed for Mac® users and creative professionals, the new My Book Studio drives are equipped with a FireWire® 800 interface to give users the speed they need for demanding tasks like photo and video editing and graphic design.

The new My Book Studio drives are TimeMachine® compatible, offer automatic, continuous backup with WD SmartWare(TM) software, and include 256-bit hardware-based encryption to provide a high level of security. Available now at select retailers and the WD online store (shopwd.com), the new My Book Studio drives are formatted for Mac and offered in capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB, 1.5 TB and 2 TB.

Creative professionals generate, store and back up massive amounts of digital content. During in-home and in-studio interviews with consumers, WD team members observed that many were taping notes or other hand-made labels on their many drives to tell them apart. For these customers, WD developed the e-label high-contrast smart display which reads like ink on paper, and lets the user create a customized label to describe the drive’s contents.

Utilizing e-paper technology similar to that found on the Amazon Kindle(TM), the information on the display remains clearly visible even when the drive is unplugged, and can be changed easily and as often as desired. The e-label also shows available storage capacity and drive security status.

“Storing and backing up is a huge part of my workflow as a professional photographer,” said Bruce Dorn. “I have been using WD hard drives for quite a while now and my experience has been exceptional with reliability and ease-of-use, and I love the design. The new e-label smart display will help me organize my projects while password protection and encryption will keep it more secure. The new drives deliver backup not only for professionals, but for anyone who is taking pictures, collecting music or who needs to back up their digital life.”

My Book Studio drives also feature user-selected password protection combined with 256-bit hardware-based encryption, which scrambles files before they are stored. Typically found only on much more expensive drive systems, the encryption acts as a virtual padlock to keep users’ data safe.

The new My Book Studio drives come equipped with WD SmartWare software, an integrated application which provides automatic and continuous backup, as well as control of the e-label display, password and other settings. When the My Book Studio drive is plugged in for the first time, the simple and intuitive first backup process launches automatically. The real-time visual interface of WD SmartWare software gives users a reassuring view of their backup as it happens. After the first backup, users’ files are backed up automatically every time they change or add a file.

WD SmartWare software is compatible with the Apple® TimeMachine. Users with older versions of Mac OS (not equipped with TimeMachine) or those who wish to use the drive for both backup and extra storage have the option to use WD SmartWare software backup capability.

“Photographers, videographers and other Mac computer enthusiasts require fast performance for their complex projects,” said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD’s branded products group. “They also have a very large number of projects and files which they need to keep organized across multiple hard drives. With a FireWire 800 interface and customizable e-label, the new My Book Studio drives offer an elegant, high-speed solution for these creative professionals to interact with, organize and securely archive their media.”

Price and Availability

The new My Book Studio drives are offered in capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB, 1.5 TB and 2 TB and have a 3-year limited warranty. My Book Studio drives are available now at select retailers and online at shopwd.com. MSRP ranges from $149.99 to $299.99 USD depending on model.

My Book Studio
The new WD My Book Studio drives feature:
– Smart display with a customizable e-label that reminds users of what is stored on the drive, available capacity and security status at-a-glance, even when the drive is unplugged;
– High-performance FireWire 800 interface to access data at top speeds and USB 2.0 interface;
– Plug-and-play ready for Mac users and compatible with Apple TimeMachine;
– WD SmartWare software that visually presents consumers’ data in a software control center, providing them peace of mind that their precious photos, videos and files are securely protected;
– 256-bit hardware-based encryption and password protection for peace of mind knowing that data is protected from unauthorized access;
– Smaller, sleeker, more streamlined design and elegant book-like shape that takes up minimal space and allows two or more My Book drives to nestle together neatly like volumes on a shelf;
– WD GreenPower Technology(TM) lowers internal drive power consumption by up to 30 percent, a sleep mode reduces power during idle times, and a power-saving feature turns the drive on and off with your computer;
– Planet-friendly packaging derived from recycled materials to minimize waste;
– HFS + Journaled(1) formatting and are compatible with Mac OS X Tiger®, Leopard® and Snow Leopard(TM);
– 3-year limited warranty.

WD SmartWare Software
WD SmartWare software features:
– Visual backup displays that show content in categories and shows the progress of backup;
– Automatic, continuous data backup will instantly make a second copy whenever you add or change a file;
– Retrieve valuable data to its original location whether it’s lost data or the file has been overwritten; and,
– Customizable data backup that allows users to set drive security, run diagnostics, manage the power settings, and more from the WD SmartWare control center.

(1) My Book Studio drives can be reformatted NTFS to work with Windows® Vista and Windows 7.

Source: Western Digital Technologies

New SATA-certified 7,200 RPM Series Delivers Improved Performance and Reduced Reliance on Hazardous Substances

Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. and the pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), announced a new family of high-performance 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch HDDs, including a top-end half-terabyte capacity.

The four-model line-up delivers more than a 13 percent performance improvement in disk operations compared to Toshiba’s previous 7,200 RPM family, while decreasing environmental impact by eliminating or reducing the use of certain toxic and hazardous chemicals. The series also carries the SATA-certified 3Gb/s logo, which indicates successful completion of stringent interface compliance testing defined by the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO), the industry body responsible for setting the standards for Serial ATA interface technologies.

Toshiba’s high-performance MKxx56GSYseries offers capacities up to 500GB for commercial and consumer notebook PCs, gaming notebooks and all-in-one desktop PCs. In addition to enhanced performance, the MKxx56GSY models boost responsiveness of the overall system in areas such as application loading and general data processing. The family also offers extended battery life with lower power consumption in standby and sleep modes and faster start-up operation, thereby enhancing user experience.

With these performance features, the new line is well-suited for productivity-oriented, data-intensive and gaming applications, including general computing, graphic and image rendering, and scientific computing, while the power economies make it a fit for all-in-one and EnergyStar PCs.

The series also features best-in-class areal density of 395 Gb/in. At 500GB, the top-capacity HDD can store up to either 142,000 digital photos, 131,000 digital music files, 222 hours of DVD-quality video or 58 hours of high-definition video.

As notebook shipments exceeded desktop shipments for the first time in the third quarter of 2008, according to industry analyst firm IDC, PC manufacturers are looking for 2.5-inch HDDs to provide storage capacities and performance levels that rival larger form factor drives for a similar user experience.

“This new family delivers faster overall system performance, which boosts user productivity — a key differentiator that PC manufacturers can provide to commercial and consumer notebook users,” said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. “As a result, we expect that 7,200 RPM HDDs will grow to more than 25 percent of 2.5-inch HDD shipments within two years. In addition to the half-terabyte capacity, decreased environmental impact and low power consumption are also benefits, demonstrating Toshiba’s continued leadership in delivering the right solutions to meet emerging market needs.”

Environmentally Conscious HDDs

The environmental enhancements in the MKxx56GSY line are part of Toshiba’s ongoing commitment to transitioning its HDD products to environmentally sounder solutions by the end of 2009. Since September 2008, new HDDs manufactured by Toshiba have decreased or eliminated the use of hazardous or controversial chemical substances, such as antimony trioxide, BFR (brominated flame retardant), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), red phosphorous as well as chlorine and bromine. Toshiba also curtailed usage of all chemicals listed under the European RoHS directive, achieving RoHS compliance across its full product line before mandatory restrictions came into effect.

SATA-Certified Logo

The SATA-certified logo is a program designed by the SATA-IO consortium to easily identify products that adhere to the Serial ATA standard and provide seamless integration across other SATA-compliant components. Products carrying the SATA-certified logo have passed extensive testing for compliance to the SATA specification. The 250GB-per-platter, 7200 RPM, MKxx56GSY series successfully completed the SATA testing and is certified at both the 3Gb/s and 1.5Gb/s interface transfer rates. The MKxx56GSY will be displayed in the SATA-certified section of the SATA-IO booth at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco September 22-24.

“Compliance with the SATA interface specification and other industry standards is of key importance to Toshiba storage products, as standards establish the foundation on which mainstream solutions can be built,” Brzeski said. “Standards reduce the risk of integration for our customers and provide the best criteria for interoperability available for the products we design and market.”

Information and Availability

Toshiba’s new 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch HDD series began shipment to PC manufacturers in limited quantities in the third quarter and is scheduled to enter volume production in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Source:  www.toshibastorage.com

Pocket-Size Drives with WD SmartWare and Hardware Encryption Keep Consumers’ Digital Lives Secure in One Place

WD, the world’s leader in external storage solutions, introduced its smaller, smarter and more secure My Passport(TM) Essential(TM) and My Passport for Mac ultra-portable external hard drives featuring WD’s new WD SmartWare(TM) software and equipped with hardware-based encryption. The new My Passport drives are more than 20 percent smaller than the previous generation My Passport.

The new portable drives with WD SmartWare software visually present consumers’ data in a control center, providing them peace of mind that their precious photos, videos and files are securely protected. Available now at select retailers and the WD online store (shopwd.com), the new My Passport Essential and My Passport for Mac drives are offered in capacities ranging from 320 GB to 1 TB and come in a range of colors including Pacific Blue, Real Red, Cool Silver and Midnight Black.

According to research firm Parks Associates, the average U.S. broadband household currently has over 120 gigabytes (GB) of digital media and files, which is expected to grow to over 1 terabyte (TB) of data by 2013. And while 70 percent of consumers back up their content, the majority of these people are using manual, cumbersome methods such as copying and pasting to multiple CDs and DVDs, and less than 18 percent use software that automatically and continuously backs up their content.

When the My Passport Essential drive is plugged in for the first time, the simple and intuitive first backup process launches automatically. The real-time visual interface of WD SmartWare software gives users a reassuring view of their backup as it happens. After the first backup, users’ files are backed up automatically every time they change or add a file.

My Passport Essential and My Passport for Mac drives also feature user-selected password protection combined with military-grade 256-bit hardware encryption, which scrambles files before they are stored. Typically found only on much more expensive drive systems, the encryption acts as a virtual padlock to keep users’ data secure.

“The smaller and sleeker design of WD’s redesigned My Passport drives, combined with the intuitive visual backup experience of WD SmartWare software, makes this drive a smart and secure, travel-friendly storage choice,” said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD’s branded products group. “These ultra-portable drives are a stylish and spacious storage solution for consumers to confidently backup, store and carry their entire digital lives.”

WD My Passport Essential hard drives are designed for Windows -based PCs while WD My Passport for Mac drives are formatted for Mac computers and are compatible with Apple TimeMachine(TM), Apple’s integrated backup solution. WD SmartWare works on Windows PCs and Mac computers and offers a seamlessly integrated option for Mac users who want an alternative to TimeMachine or Mac OS 10.4 users who don’t have TimeMachine compatibility.

Price and Availability

The new My Passport Essential drives are offered in capacities of 320 GB, 500 GB and 640 GB; My Passport Essential SE drives are offered in capacities of 750 GB and 1 TB. My Passport for Mac drives are available with 320 GB and 500 GB. My Passport Essential and My Passport for Mac drives are available now at select retailers and online at www.shopwd.com. MSRP ranges from $109.99 to $249.99 USD depending on model.

WD SmartWare Software
WD SmartWare software features:
– Visual backup displays that show content in categories and shows the progress of backup;
– Automatic, continuous data backup will instantly make a second copy whenever you add or change a file;
– Retrieve valuable data to its original location whether it’s lost data or the file has been overwritten; and,
– Customizable data backup that allows user to set drive security, run diagnostics, manage the power settings, and more from the WD SmartWare control center.

My Passport Essential

The new WD My Passport Essential, My Passport Essential SE and My Passport for Mac drives with WD SmartWare software feature:

– Smaller, sleeker design offered in a range of colors including Pacific Blue, Real Red, Cool Silver and Midnight Black;
– 256-bit hardware encryption for peace of mind knowing that data is protected from unauthorized access;
– USB 2.0 interface that powers(1) the drive directly from the USB port on user’s computer, no separate power supply is needed;
– Planet-friendly packaging derived from recycled materials to minimize waste;
– Ready to plug-and-play with Windows PCs; and,
– 2-year limited warranty.

The My Passport for Mac drives are plug-and-play ready for Mac computer users and compatible with Apple TimeMachine.

Source: Western Digital Technologies

5,400 RPM Series Targets Notebooks and Energy-Sensitive Desktop PCs

Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), announced a new series of 5,400 RPM 2.5-inch HDDs offering up to 640GB(1) of capacity. With demands for storage at an all-time high, Toshiba’s new MKxx65GSX 2.5-inch HDD lineup is an attractive solution for an array of computing applications from notebooks to all-in-one desktop and EnergyStar PCs, which can benefit from lower power consumption without sacrificing storage capacity.

“IDC estimates in its study of the expanding digital universe that 36.5 terabytes of data will be generated per second by 2010(2),” said John Rydning, research director at IDC. “A significant portion of the digital content being generated needs to be stored in homes and small businesses efficiently. With advances in 2.5-inch capacity and technology, Toshiba’s new 2.5-inch form factor HDD provides a good combination of capacity, mobility and low-power consumption for portable devices, and increasingly for applications traditionally served by larger form factor HDDs.”

Toshiba’s high-capacity MKxx65GSX series is ideal for commercial and consumer notebook PCs, as well as all-in-one desktops, EnergyStar PCs, surveillance systems, digital video recorders, point-of-sale (POS) terminals and other applications, which have traditionally used 3.5-inch HDDs to meet their storage requirements. Toshiba’s new 320GB-per-platter design reduces power consumption and heat dissipation by more than 80 percent compared to like-capacity 3.5-inch HDDs. Low heat generation keeps the HDD running cooler during operation, enhancing reliability and long-term access to data, photos, music, videos and other valuable user content.

With a maximum areal density of 528.5 Gbits/in(2), the MKxx65GSX series includes 640GB, 500GB, 320GB, 250GB and 160GB models. The series’ top-capacity HDD of 640GB can store up to 182,000 digital photos, 168,000 digital music files or 520 downloaded digital movies of high-definition video(3). For added durability, Toshiba offers a free-fall sensor option to help protect the drive should the host system be dropped.

“These new high-capacity 2.5-inch HDDs provide benefits for both notebook and desktop applications,” said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of marketing at Toshiba Storage Device Division. “Not only do they continue to close the performance gap between notebooks and desktops, they also provide a perfect alternative to 3.5-inch HDDs in desktop and POS applications requiring energy efficiency and reliability in a smaller footprint.”

Information and Availability

Toshiba’s new 5,400 RPM 2.5-inch HDD series is scheduled to ship to distributors and PC manufacturers in the fourth quarter of 2009. For more information on Toshiba’s line of industry-leading small form factor hard drives, visit www.toshibastorage.com.