Team Group Inc. has been receiving tremendous feedback and support from power users since its launch of the SSD products. Eyeing at the increasing demand for laptop Hard Drives upgrade to SSD, Team thus launches the third model of the Combo Family, Combo II Elite. It is equipped with SATA2 and USB2.0 dual interface that fulfills the consumer's demand for low power consumption and high-performance mobile storage. The Combo II Elite will absolutely be the perfect choice for laptop upgrade.

An improved version of the Combo II, the Combo II Elite is also equipped with built-in 64MB DDR2 memory. With the research & development, the input/output per second (IOPS) has been enhanced significantly. When compared with the 4K data block for reading and writing small files tailored for operating systems in general SSDs, the Combo II Elite has increased the writing speed up to 40% faster. Along with the extremely low lag time, users can immediately experience system startup at superb speed when installing the Combo II Elite as the system disk in any laptops. The same experience is also found when opening programs, and running image processing software with no presence of lag. Therefore, the Combo II Elite is a perfect partner that meets the demands of art designers and brings more perfect experience than any conventional hard disk drives.

Japanese manufacturer Scythe is officially releasing its second PC Case under the name "Gekkou". This new Midi-Tower PC Case is available as Standard as well as Silent version whereas both versions can be purchased with a black or silver brush-finish as well as mirror-finish front panel. All models are manufactured of solid steel which is painted black from the outside. The PC Case dimensions are 7.717 x 20.67 x 16.93 in (196 x 430 x 525 mm) where the weight is varies depending on model from 14.55 lb (6.6 kg) to 16.42 lb (7.45 kg).

Gekkou PC Cases are equipped with an easy tool-free mounting mechanism for 5.25 inch Drives hich allows safely mounting of 4 drives. Furthermore it is possible to mount the drives into the 5.25" bays using conventional screws. Up to four 3.5 inch Hard Drives can be mounted inside the removable HDD Cage using the tool-free mounting mechanism.

With the ever-increasing demands of digital media, Toshiba introduces the Canvio 3.0 portable hard disk drive (HDD) featuring a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface. For the same price as competing USB 2.0 drives, Canvio 3.0 drives offer blazing fast file transfers at up to 10 times the speed of USB 2.0 drives. Available in storage capacities of 500 gigabytes (GB), 750GB or one terabyte (TB), Canvio 3.0 drives feature simple plug-and-play operation, pre-loaded backup software, and backward compatibility with personal computers and other devices equipped with USB 2.0 ports.

"Power digital consumers, and even typical PC users, are storing high definition video content, high resolution digital images, and multi-gigabyte music collections. When you consider that a single HD video can easily be three times the size of the same video in standard definition, it's easy to see why file transfer speeds are just as important as storage capacity," said Manuel Camarena, product manager for consumer storage at Toshiba Storage Device Division. "With the integration of the USB 3.0 interface, Canvio 3.0 drives significantly improve file transfer performance for large media files and dramatically minimize the wait time for backup and recovery processes.

In an exceptional blend of data protection, portability and simplicity, Toshiba has unveiled the newest addition to its Canvio line of portable hard drive solutions - the Canvio Basics Portable Hard Drive family for the PC. Developed with ultimate usability in mind for the everyday consumer, the Canvio Basics requires only a single step to start saving and transporting important files: Plug it in. With no necessary software to install and available with 320 gigabytes (GB1), 500GB, or 750GB of storage space, the Canvio Basics offers a hassle-free, high capacity storage solution right out of the box.

"With the Canvio Basics line, we wanted to bring an effortless digital storage solution to the masses," said Manuel Camarena, product manager for consumer storage at Toshiba Storage Device Division. "This new drive offers a sleek solution with plenty of storage capacity for the growing amount of digital content, from photos and videos to music and documents. The Canvio Basics is a convenient and versatile choice for anyone who needs the peace of mind that comes with high capacity portable external storage."

LaCie debuted sleek USB 3.0 hard drives for your desktop or pocket - the LaCie Minimus and LaCie Rikiki USB 3.0. Proving size does matter, LaCie delivers the industry's fastest transfer speeds at 5 Gb/s* in its ultra-small Rikiki form factor - perfect for users that refuse to sacrifice performance for mobility; and the LaCie Minimus - for users that enjoy their terabytes as much as desk space. Complementing their remarkably small sizes, the Rikiki and Minimus hard drives are encased in sturdy brushed aluminum for an elegant aesthetic appeal. The aluminum offers resilience from blunders, improved heat dissipation, and is fully recyclable.

Designed to be simple from the inside out, the Rikiki and Minimus come with LaCie's Software Suite to ensure seamless setup and backup support for Mac or PC. Additionally, each product comes with 10GB of Wuala online storage so you can securely store and share files online.

Buffalo Japan is readying the new MiniStation HD-PCTU2 series portable hard drives, these will start selling next week. The HD-PCTU2 comes in piano black and pearl white colors, and capacities that include 320 GB, 500 GB, and 640 GB, priced at around $119, $149 and $200, respectively. Measuring 77 x 14 x 114 mm, the drives weigh 165 g. USB 2.0 handles power and connectivity. The bundled EcoManager software cuts down power draw by 20%.

Iomega, an EMC company and a leading innovator in digital protection solutions for consumers and small and medium businesses, is excited to announce that it is moving to the new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface for all Iomega USB 2.0 portable hard drives, beginning with the award-winning line of Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drives. The new all-USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives will feature hardware encryption and super toughness, too, thanks to a drop spec twice the industry average - all at USB 2.0 product prices. This market-leading move continues Iomega's tradition of technology leadership.

"As a market leader in external hard drive solutions, Iomega is proud to be the first to move towards an all USB 3.0 portable hard drive lineup - and at no extra price premium to our customers," said Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega Corporation and the Consumer and Small Business Products Division of EMC. "With a super fast USB 3.0 interface delivering speeds of up to 10 times that of USB 2.0, super tough with a 7-foot drop spec that's twice the industry average and super secure with AES 256 hardware encryption, Iomega's eGo Portable Hard Drives will be the premium must-have portable storage product. Factor in our bundled software Protection Suite with popular titles such as Iomega's QuikProtect, v.Clone and Trend Micro's Internet Security, and that makes Iomega's USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives an exceptional premium solution at the same price as most entry level basic USB 2.0 products."

Toshiba Europe GmbH today presented its new external hard disk drive, the STOR.E ALU2, a successor of the fast-selling STOR.E ALU. It comes in two different versions: A 2.5" hard disk version, offering storage capacity up to 640GB and the other, a 3.5" hard disk providing storage space of up to 2TB. The STOR.E ALU2 will be available in the second quarter 2010 throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The 3.5" model with a 24 Watt 12V/2A power supply is intended for stationary use at home or in the office. The 2.5'' STOR.E ALU2 is designed for users who require a portable device that performs well on the go and at home. The 175g lightweight drive is powered by an USB connection and measures only 129mm x 14mm x 74mm. To ensure fast data transfer, the STOR.E ALU2 features a High Speed USB 2.0 interface which offers a transfer rate of up to 480 Mbps.

Imation Corp., already a market leader in secure data storage, is launching the industry's broadest portfolio of products to protect information on external hard drives, flash drives, CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and similar "at-rest" storage devices from hackers, identity thieves and other electronic intruders. The company's new Defender Collection line of digital storage products is engineered to meet rigorous domestic and international encryption standards, as well as protect government, financial, health care, consumer and other industries for which data security is paramount.

"The need for data-at-rest security solutions is rapidly growing, with data breaches costing U.S. organizations at least $45 billion annually," said Keith Schwartz, director of strategic growth and public sector for Imation's global commercial business. "With decades of leadership in data storage, Imation is in a unique position to help solve the security problems created by the significant expansion of electronic information."

Verbatim released its newest generation of Store 'n' Go portable hard drives. The new drives are lighter, and with higher capacities. The hard drives inside the shell are of the 2.5" form-factor. The main unit measures 81 (W) x 117 (L) x 16 (H) mm, and weighs 135 g. The drives back an energy saving feature that's activated at the press of a "Green Button".

The new range of Store 'n' Go comes in capacities of 250 GB, 320 GB, 500 GB, 640 GB, 750 GB and 1 TB. They [still] rely on USB 2.0 as the connectivity standard. Bundled with each drive are copies of Nero BackItUp Essentials and Burn and Nero Rescue software. In the above order of capacity, the drives are priced at 59, 69, 79, 89, 99 and 189 Euro, respectively, and are avilable in a wide range of shell color options.

WD today announced that it is now shipping 750 GB of storage capacity in a standard-height 2.5-inch notebook hard drive -- the industry's highest capacity to date in this form factor. Designed for mainstream notebook computers, the WD Scorpio Blue 750 GB hard drives utilize WD's leading 375 GB-per-platter areal density and Advanced Format technology.

An ideal solution for notebook computers and other portable devices whose users require extreme capacities in a small package, extended battery life and cool, reliable operation, the WD Scorpio Blue 750 GB hard drive is also one of the quietest 2.5-inch drives on the market.

Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Duo USB3.0: Dual docking station for SATA Hard Drives with USB 3.0 ports / direct PC connection for two external supported SATA hard drives in 2.5" and 3.5" format / MSRP 59.90 Euros.

USB 3.0 has seized the market. Since Sharkoon was the first provider to introduce a USB3.0 controller and equip the Sharkoon SATA QuickPort USB 3.0 hard drive docking station with this terminal as a standard port, the accessory specialist now introduces a USB 3.0 variant model to its popular QuickPort series:

A-DATA has a few nice new storage devices out there. The CH94 drive enclosures have a capacity of up to 640 GB. They are currently shipping in black, white and light blue versions and come with a set of stick-on letters and numbers, so that you may customize the look of it. The USB cable wraps around the plastic enclosure, so you won't have to carry one around separately. Then there are the Superior and Nobility drives. The first is very compact, while the other is intended for the budget minded user. A-DATA is also showing a SATA II based SSD, which features USB 3.0 connectivity as well. A little surprise are the A-DATA power supplies we got to see at the show here. They are all featuring detachable cables and can be had in configurations between 525 W and 825 W.

Scythe announces a brand new accessory for the 5.25" Bay which allows users to store various items inside. Kama Cabinet is available in four different versions which differ by color and material of the front panel. Users can choose between silver and black aluminum, black plastic and black metal mesh to match their PC's front panel.

Supplied soft tray can be used to safely store up to 16 CD- or DVD media. Splitter plates are supplied in order to divide the space inside Kama Cabinet for everyone's requirements. By using Kama Cabinet, unused 5.25" Bays can be occupied and used as storage space for USB sticks, Hard Drives or MP3 players.

Samsung Electronics is releasing a new energy-efficient version of its Story Station external hard drive. Adhering to the European Union's EuP (Energy Using Products) Directive for Standby Regulation, effective January 2010, the new Story Station draws a mere 0.09W of power when in standby, down from its current 2.5W standby power draw. "User requirements for external hard drives now include eco-friendliness and lower power levels in addition to performance, reliability and exceptional design," said C.H. Lee, vice president, Storage sales & marketing, Samsung Electronics. "Samsung's STORY Station, which has been praised for its appealing external-drive design, takes a huge step forward in setting the stage for the timely introduction of environmentally-conscious hard drive technology," he added. The Story Station external hard drive comes in capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. Included are features that automatically backup data on to it, encrypting, and password-protecting it. It uses USB 2.0 for connectivity. The new drives will reach stores next month.

Due to numerous customer requests, Sharkoon has expanded their "QuickPort" hard drive adapter-series with a model that now includes an additional IDE-interface: The Sharkoon QuickPort Combo now offers an interface for IDE-devices located beside the SATA-hard drive connection port.

Sharkoon's QuickPort models are the ideal solutions for hard drive collectors, allowing them to attach their external storage mediums quickly and easily to their PC or notebooks- perhaps occasionally for a fast HD-backup or for also accessing the private hard drive media center as an application for a TV streaming client. The hard drive is simply inserted into the QuickPort and immediately recognized as a device, therefore eliminating time consuming installation to a computer or external housings. The adapter itself is attached via USB to the computer. Like the previous models, the QuickPort Combo also accommodates SATA-Hard Drives in both 2.5 and 3.5 inch formats. A folding mechanism ensures a secure hold on either size model. When finished, users can simply take the hard drive with them by utilizing the eject button.

Cooling and PC accessories specialist Scythe announces the new successor of Kama Bay series. Kama Bay PLUS comes with complete new features and the improved fan of the successful Slip Stream 120 Slim series, which is rotating at 1,200 rpm and generates constant airflow of 41 m³/h (24.03 CFM) at 21.71 dBA. By implementing the Slip Stream 120 mm Slim case fan with 12 mm (0.47 in) thickness, extra space could be used to mount up to 2.5" HDD/SSDs or one 3.5" HDD. This feature provides extra cooling for your Hard Drive while mounting them safely into 5.25" bays. To further improve airflow inside the pc case or cool your system components mounted in a 5.25" bay, it is possible to mount Kama Bay PLUS in vertical or horizontal direction.

The new Kama Bay PLUS is equipped with the improved dust filter, which now can be cleaned and re-used easily. When using Kama Bay PLUS as a system cooler without detachment of Hard Drives, total weight is 275 g (9.7 oz) with overall dimensions of 146 x 127 x 41mm (5.75 x 5 x 1.61 in). Retail version of Kama Bay PLUS is available in black or silver color to match the most popular pc case color. Both versions are listed with the MSRP of 21. 00 EUR (excluding VAT) or US$ 28.00 (excluding tax).

WD today announced that it has commenced volume shipments of its 9.5 mm high, 2.5-inch notebook hard drives with 640 GB capacity. The WD Scorpio Blue 640 GB hard drives utilize 320 GB-per-platter technology and are designed for mainstream notebook computers. The WD Scorpio Blue 640 GB is the highest capacity 2.5-inch hard drive available today in the industry-standard 9.5 mm, 2-disk form factor.

The new WD Scorpio Blue 640 GB drive has a 30 percent reduction in overall power consumption from the previous generation WD Scorpio Blue drive to achieve best-in-class power and performance1, making it an ideal solution for notebook computers and other portable devices that require extended battery life and cool, quiet operation.

WD today announced that it is now shipping desktop 7200 RPM 2 TB hard drives and is qualifying with OEMs enterprise-class hard drives based on WD's 500 gigabytes-per-platter technology. The popular family of WD Caviar Black drives, now led by the new 2 TB capacity, is perfect for gaming, high-performance desktop systems and workstations; while the WD RE4 2 TB is suited for servers, network attached storage and storage networks.

High-performance hard drives by an industry leader in performance, WD Caviar Black and WD RE4 2 TB drives combine 7200 RPM spin speed, 64 MB cache, dual stage actuator technology, SATA 3 gigabits per second (Gb/s) interface, and an integrated dual processor to deliver ultimate performance in a maximum-capacity drive.

Leveraging its proven, fourth-generation high-capacity hard drive technology, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) today announced that it is now shipping the industry's first enterprise-class, 7200 RPM 2TB offering, the Ultrastar A7K2000. The new Hitachi GST Ultrastar A7K2000 is designed, manufactured and tested to ensure enterprise-class mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) of 1.2 million hours in demanding 24x7 nearline applications. With a combination of high capacity and reliability, 7200 RPM performance, low power, and enterprise-class features, the Ultrastar A7K2000 drive is the ideal enterprise SATA drive for applications such as data warehousing, disk-to-disk backup, cloud computing and massive scale-out storage implementations where storage density, GB-per-watt and cost-per-GB are critical parameters.

Data storage specialist Verbatim today introduced its SureFire line of portable hard-drives. These palm-sized, portable HDDs come with storage capacities of 250, 320, and 500 GB, and boast of two interfaces: USB 2.0 and FireWire 800, making it out of the box compatible with PCs and Macs. It measures 81 x 128 x 15 mm, and weighs in at 186 g. Enclosed in it, is a 2.5 inch hard drive with 5400 rpm spindle-speed and an 8 MB cache. It draws its power from an AC adaptor, though when used with USB 2.0, it can rely on the port for all its power. The Verbatim SureFire is compatible with Mac OS X Leopard's Time Machine backup application. Backed by a 3-year warranty, these drives go for US $109.99, $139.99, and $179.99 for the 250 GB, 320 GB, and 500 GB models, respectively.

Scythe announces its first PC Case for the PC DIY market. FenrisWolf PC Case was designed by a cooperation with Germany's most famous case modder called Benjamin "benny" Franz. This cooperation is displayed by the logo "b" on the side panel. The new pc case has more to show than just a nice design, it's equipped with several popular Scythe products.

6 kg (13.23 lb) full aluminum FenrisWolf PC Case has the overall dimensions of 527 × 203 × 455 mm (20.75 × 7.99 × 17.91 inch) and is covered completely in elegant black color. It is equipped with the famous Slip Stream 120 mm case fans which are spinning at 800 rpm, generates a low noise level of 10,70 dBA and constant airflow of 40,17 CFM (68 m³/h). The fan in the front can be mounted in other 5.25" bays which allows an individual optimization of airflow.

Storage boss Seagate today adds a new line of hard drives, the Barracuda LP, to its existing Barracuda series. Barracuda LP stands for low-power and the whole line focuses on low-power, cool and quiet drives that come at an entry-level price. Barracuda LP drives are available in capacities of 2 TB, 1.5 TB and 1 TB and are ideal for desktop applications, such as USB, eSATA, low-power PCs, FireWire external storage, and SOHO NAS markets. All drives carry the latest 500 GB disk platters, 32 MB data buffers and special motors that spin not at the standard 5400 rpm but the rather unusual 5900 rpm. That moves the Barracuda LP drives somewhere between a 5400 and 7200 rpm in the performance chart, while being more energy efficient than normal drives. With this new motor, Seagate measured 3W power consumption at idle and 5.6W during load. Also improved are the noise levels, which now are rated at 19 dB and 20 dB for idle and seek. The suggested retail prices are $118 for the 1 TB Barracuda LP, $156 for the 1.5 TB model, and $358 for the 2 TB drive. Learn more here.

Seagate today introduced its Seagate SV35.5 Series hard drives, designed for optimal performance in digital video surveillance systems. The Seagate SV35.5 hard drive is built for rigorous 24x7 use, and combines best-in-class reliability, performance, capacity, acoustics and power consumption along with features that make SDVR integration easy, making it the ideal solution for the demands of the growing video surveillance market.

WD, the world's leader in external storage solutions, today expanded its My Book family of external hard drives to include a 2 TB capacity, the largest available capacity in a single-drive system. With its wide variety of models, WD offers a solution for every type of user, whether they're a creative power user on a Mac or a home user on a PC. The new 2 TB My Book family includes: My Book Studio Edition, My Book Mac Edition, My Book Home Edition and My Book Essential Edition models.

Market research shows that consumer creation and acquisition of digital media is growing rapidly, driving demand for increasing storage capacities. According to market research firm IDC, the number of digital cameras and camera phones in the world surpassed 1 billion (Mar. 2008). Separately, market research firm GfK reports that HD (high definition) video camcorders are experiencing record growth and now account for 42 percent of total camcorder sales (Aug. 2008). HD video requires massive amounts of drive space: at least 8 GB per hour of video. Since 2006, when Apple began offering movie downloads, the Apple store has already sold more than 250 million TV episodes and sold or rented more than 33 million movies (Apple, Mar. 2009).