RISC-V architecture is a relatively new Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) developed at the University of California Berkeley. Starting as a "short, three-month project" the RISC-V ISA is a fifth generation of the Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) ideology. A company working on this technology and helping to grow the ecosystem is SiFive. Today, they announced a big step forward for the ecosystem that will enable developers to make and optimize even more software for this architecture and platform. Called the HiFive Unmatched, the development board represents the first entry of RISC-V ISA to the world of personal computing, with its Mini-ITX form factor and PC-like connectors of power supply and I/O.

The board is home to SiFive's FU740 SoC, a five-core heterogeneous, coherent processor with four SiFive U74 cores, and one SiFive S7 core. This SoC is capable of smooth Linux OS operation, giving the developers a good platform to do their optimizations for. There is 8 GB of onboard DDR4 RAM (unknown frequencies and timing), a MicroSD card slot, and one PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slot for system storage. To connect the board to the outside world, you get one Gigabit Ethernet port. For user I/O there are four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports (1 Charging port) and one MicroUSB Console port. To power the board, you need a proper power supply with a 24-pin power connector. If you plan to build a PC based on the Unmatched board, you would need a standard ITX case, as it comes in the standard Mini-ITX (170x170 mm) form factor. For more information, please check out SiFive's website.

TEAMGROUP is launching two new products today: the blazing-fast Gaming A2 CARD designed for the growing number of competitive gamers and the magnetic SSD Adaptor, which provides PC building enthusiasts and consumers space for quick and comfortable SSD installation. To take the lead in the competitive gaming hardware market, TEAMGROUP adopted novel approaches and considered the needs of different users to create these one-of-a-kind products for the T-FORCE Series product line.

Recognizing the booming development of the mobile gaming industry combined with the mass adoption of smartphones, T-FORCE has seized the opportunity to launch the first microSD memory card designed specifically for mobile gamers with the Gaming A2 CARD. It has read/write speeds up to 100/90 MB/s and the UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and Video Speed Class 30 (V30) ratings, meaning players will be able to use it to instantly record games in 4K video. In addition to being excellent for recording long sessions, the card also offers 256 GB and 512 GB of storage and is capable of random read/write speeds of over 4000 IOPS and 2000 IOPS, respectively, easily meeting A2 standards. The Gaming A2 CARD is optimized for mobile applications and devices, such as Android smartphones and tablets, the 100% compatible Nintendo Switch, and other portable gaming devices. With this specially designed card, storage for all these devices can be easily expanded for a more enjoyable and smoother gaming experience.

Transcend introduced the first microSDXC memory card to feature SLC caching technology. The new USD230I memory card from Transcend features a host-transparent internal logic that treats a small portion of the 3D TLC NAND flash as SLC, to improve write performance in short bursts. This should particularly help in usecases such as high-quality burst photography or high-resolution video recording. The card is also endowed with a broad operational temperature range of -40 to 85 °C. The USD230I offers sequential transfer-rates of up to 100 MB/s, with up to 3,400 IOPS random access. It comes in capacities of 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB, offering endurance (TBW) of 36 TB for the 8 GB variant, 70 TB for the 16 GB and 32 GB variants, and 140 TB for the 64 GB variant. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Greenliant has expanded its ArmourDrive portfolio with high reliability Secure Digital (SD) and microSD industrial memory cards. Built with advanced 3D NAND in 3-bit-per-cell (TLC) and 1-bit-per-cell (SLC) configurations, SD and microSD ArmourDrive products offer endurance options of 3K (PX Series) and 30K (EX Series) program-erase (P/E) cycles, respectively. See SD and microSD ArmourDrive product information here.

SD and microSD ArmourDrive EX Series cards with SLC configurations are available in capacities from 8 GB to 64 GB, and PX Series cards with TLC configurations are offered from 32 GB to 256 GB. UHS Speed Class 10 and SD Specification 6.10 compliant, SD and microSD ArmourDrive cards reach up to 95/85 MB/s sequential read/write performance. These memory cards provide reliability, stability and removability, making them ideal for a wide range of demanding and space-constrained applications, such as handheld data loggers and scanners, professional video and photo cameras, portable medical diagnostic tools, ticket and vending machines, transportation diagnostics, telematics, test and measurement equipment, surveillance and industrial automation systems.

Kingston Digital Europe Co LLP, the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced it is shipping the new Canvas Select Plus microSD and SD card lineup. With the addition of Canvas Select Plus, Kingston moves to replace the original Canvas Select card lineup with new higher-speed, higher-capacity models making them essential for smart phones and digital cameras.

Kingston's Canvas Select Plus line of Flash memory cards are built to maximise the user experience with faster speeds, more reliability and higher capacities up to 512 GB. Canvas Select Plus helps move high-quality content faster as it reaches Class 10 UHS-I speeds up to 100 MB/s, perfect for heavy workloads such as loading apps faster, transferring high-resolution photos, and recording and editing full length HD videos.

ADATA Technology a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today announces the launch of its industrial-grade ADATA IUDD362 microSD cards that features high-quality SLC NAND Flash for enhanced durability and a prolonged lifespan, ideal for automated systems.

The ADATA IUDD362 microSD card is ideally suited for industrial systems that are in continuous operation. Equipped with SLC NAND Flash, the IUDD362 offer improved stability, durability, and performance over its counterparts that utilize MLC or TLC NAND Flash. What's more, the IUDD362 is designed to operate in a wide range of temperatures, from -40°C to 85°C, ensuring optimal performance, even in harsh conditions. Also, the IUDD362 is rated at 3 million MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) for added trustworthiness.

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today introduced its new High Endurance microSD card. The card is especially designed for write-intensive application use such as home security and surveillance cameras, dash cams and body cams.

As write-intensive applications critically depend on a high level of reliability and performance, Kingston's High Endurance microSD card provides durability, high-storage capacity and prolonged endurance to meet the unique recording demands of security cameras and dash cams. The High Endurance microSD card stores up to 20,000 hours of seamless video recording in full 1080p HD to capture a reliable record of what happens whether at home or on the road.

A quick trip to see Patriot at CES 2019 netted us a chance to look over a massive number of products from SSDs and DDR4 memory, to flash drives and Micro SD cards. In general, when it comes to anything memory or storage related they had everything but the kitchen sink on hand. That said, let's start with system memory. To begin with, they had their Signature Line on hand which uses a simple black aluminum heatshield and comes in capacities up to 16 GB per module with speeds up to 2666 MHz. For a single 16 GB stick at 2666 MHz the listed the timings at 19-19-19-43. Next was the new Viper Steel DDR4 SODIMMs with capacity that ranged from 8 GB to 32 GB and feature XMP 2.0 support for automatic overclocking. As for speeds they top out at 3000 MHz for these kits. Next up was the Viper RGB memory which comes in speeds of up to 4133 MHz and with timings listed at 19-21-21-41. They are also compatible with motherboard RGB sync applications and have been tested on the latest Intel and AMD platforms. Last but not least were the Viper Steel kits which top out at 4400 MHz with 19-19-19-39 timings.

Today marks the debut of the ASUS Chromebook Education series that provides lightweight, ruggedized Chrome OS computer solutions for educational use, and continues the ASUS commitment of providing an extensive range of innovative products and services for the education sector.

The series includes two traditional clamshell laptops - the 11.6-inch ASUS Chromebook C204 and the 14-inch ASUS Chromebook C403 - and the 14-inch ASUS Chromebook Flip C214 convertible. There's also a brand-new form factor introduced, with the ASUS Chromebook Tablet CT100, a stunning 9.7-inch QXGA wide-angle touch-display tablet. The new series features durability, spill- and tamper-resistant keyboards and all-around rubber bumpers to withstand the rigors that electronics often face in schools. This lineup provides educators and parents with a full-range of lightweight, ruggedized options that can cater to their specific curriculum choices and unleash the creativity and productivity of their students. The new ASUS Chromebook Education series will be available in the coming months with configurations, pricing, and availability to be announced at launch.

Patriot, a global leader in performance memory, SSDs, gaming peripherals and flash storage solutions today announced the immediate availability of its new series of microSD memory cards. Nowadays, just about every gadget is designed to use microSD memory cards from smartphones, tablets, action cams, DV cams to dash cams and even drones - you name it, they all use microSD cards for massive DATA storage and the option to upgrade by just replacing the card. Even some domestic surveillance cameras have started to record directly to microSD cards giving owners an easy way to archive footage as a raw data stream. Recording and storing high-quality video and photos depend on two things, speed and capacity and is why you must select the right microSD card for the job.

Patriot EP series A1-rated microSD cards not only allow users to store apps in the device's microSD card but also enables the device to run those apps from the same memory card. Devices such as smartphones and handheld game consoles can benefit from this greatly as the apps that run on these devices interact with memory space differently. Furthermore, EP series A-1 rated microSD cards meet the UHS Video Speed Class 30 (V30) standards set by the SD Association. These cards offer minimum write speed up to 30MB per second, which supports 4K Ultra HD video recording and is a minimum for many of the latest action cameras, DV cams and drones. In addition, smartphones benefit from the EP series to write high-resolution videos and images with little to no lag. The series offers capacities from 64GB to 256GB, and its read and write speeds are up to 100/ 80MB per second, Patriot EP series microSD cards are perfect for recording the fast-paced action and capturing Full HD and 4K Ultra HD videos smoothly. These cards work equally as well in drone cams, dash cams, smartphones, tablets for 4K ultra HD video capturing.

The world's leading memory brand TEAMGROUP today announced the release of Dash Card, a memory card specially made for dashboard cameras. It is designed to offer long term and stable storage performance and high compatibility with dashboard cameras on the market. Having passed rigorous quality tests and compatibility verifications, it is proven to be dashcam's best partner for memory storage.

TEAMGROUP's Dash Card is a memory card which carefully designed for dashboard cameras and video surveillance. With UHS-I U1 (Class 10) specification, it allows dashboard camera to record Full HD 1080p (30fps) high quality video without any lag or unsmooth motions. It can record driving images or crucial moments clearly and provided as evidence to clarify the cause and responsibility of the accident. Dash Card has passed compatibility verifications with many major dashboard cameras on the market, and it was also tested respectively for functions such as video record, photo, etc. It has high compatibility, long term and stable storage performance that can completely record the trip and crucial images. Driving safety of consumers can be guaranteed; moreover, the rights and interest can also be protected in crucial moments. It is the most powerful backing when it comes to record driving.

As the adoption of 4K Ultra HD video, emerging artificial intelligence (AI) applications and analytics drive the rapid growth and evolution of data in surveillance, Western Digital Corp. today unveiled the Western Digital Purple microSD card, purpose-built for the complex and dynamic data demands of modern surveillance cameras and edge systems.

Whether it's a business employing surveillance video to keep their assets secure or a retailer utilizing surveillance to accurately analyze shopping behavior through video facial recognition, capturing and assessing every moment is critical. Optimized for 24/7 surveillance video capture, surveillance system operators can count on the robust Western Digital Purple microSD card to support a continuous surveillance workload. With its outstanding performance, the card captures and preserves video in a variety of high-definition and next-generation formats, including 4K Ultra HD video, as well as nimbly supports the movement of data to core data systems for analytics and fast business insights. The rugged and humidity-resistant design of this new card enables trusted video capture in a wide range of environmental conditions, including outdoors in snowy winters and indoors in hot and humid factory settings.

Micron today announced general availability of the 128GB and 256GB density of edge storage microSD card solutions and collaboration with several leading video surveillance solution providers to promote surveillance-grade edge storage. Built on Micron's industry-leading 64-layer 3D TLC NAND technology, the newly released solutions enable greater capacity in a smaller space, delivering up to 30 days of surveillance video storage in the camera itself.

Over 98 percent of all microSD cards sold globally in 2017 were used in consumer applications, according to IHS Markit. These consumer-grade memory cards are not designed and validated for commercial use in video surveillance applications. Micron's industrial microSD cards are designed specifically for professional video surveillance use cases and include a three-year warranty for 24x7 continuous video recording usage. The Micron microSD card design and firmware is optimized to ensure a reliable, robust and low-maintenance system design that delivers 24x7 continuous recording capability with minimum video frame drops.

Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a leading manufacturer of storage and multimedia products, announced today the release of the 500S and 300S series of SD and microSD cards. These memory cards, produced in capacities of up to 512GB and featuring transfer speeds of up to 95 MB/s*, are a ready-made solution for the storage needs of today's users. The gold 500S series, constructed of durable MLC flash, is ideal for action cameras and drones, while the silver 300S series SD cards are offered in capacities up to 512GB, and the microSD cards have been crafted with the smartphone market in mind.

Meeting A1 performance specifications
Transcend's 128GB 300S microSD cards meet the SD Association's latest Application Performance Class 1 (A1) standards for responsiveness, which call for performing 1,500 IOPS on random read operations and 500 IOPS on random write operations, and sequential speeds of at least 10 MB/s. The 300S series tops out at 95 MB/s read and 45 MB/s write speeds*, making it ideal for storing and running mobile apps.

Integral has done it again as they did before in the 256 GB MicroSD card release: their new, announced 512 GB MicroSD will officially be the biggest (and first) of its kind in the tech world when it comes around to retail shelves next February. Integral is a company that specializes in memory products, and already has 2 TB M.2 SSD releases under its belt as well. And it will also be the smallest-ever 512 GB storage card medium.

Now, I understand that MicroSD cards aren't exactly what we here at TPU boot our website to look at; however, I take this opportunity to just invite our readers to stare in awe at how far ahead we've come since the time of 3½-inch floppy disks. The previous biggest MicroSD card record-holder was Sandisk, with their 400 GB offering; and still is the fastest of the high-capacity MicroSD cards at 100 MB/s. However, Integral's MicroSD is no slouch either, still managing to deliver 80 MB/s max speeds, with a minimum 10 MB/s writes guaranteed (it's classified as an SDXC UHS-I U1 card, and meets the V10 standard for video transfer rates, so it's designed to capture full HD video off cameras). Expect this tiny MicroSD to deliver quite the blow to your monthly earnings should you be looking to buy it come February, though. And I do hope you never lose it.

Today TDK Corporation (President: Shigenao Ishiguro) announced the gradual launch of SD Memory cards (MMRD4 series) and microSD Memory cards (MURD4 series) from January 2018. Both series support UHS-I for industrial application. The rapid progression of IoT has increased demand for smaller SD/microSD Memory cards with low power consumption for the storage of sensor information. However, as SD/microSD Memory cards for general use adopt TLC and MLC type flash memory to reduce costs, they are largely unsuitable for industrial application in terms of durability and reliability.

The MMRD4 and MURD4 series consist of highly reliable SD/microSD Memory cards equipped with very durable SLC/pSLC flash memory as well as the newly developed SD controller, TDK GBDriverRD4. In addition to data retention capacity and durability, the cards feature robust data security in the event of power interruption, ensuring safe usage in IoT devices that are often turned off to conserve power.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of highperformance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products,today launched industrial-grade ISDD336 SD cards and IUDD336 microSD cards. Diversifying ADATA offerings for industrial storage, all models feature wide temperature tolerance as well as shock, vibration, and humidity resistance well beyond consumer product ratings. ISDD336 and IUDD336 cards utilize durable and long-lasting 3D MLC NAND Flash, and are fully compliant with SD 3.0/SPI specifications, making them reliable choices for embedded systems. Performance across the board reaches 95MB/s read and 90MB/s write. Customers can choose ISDD336 SD cards in 16GB to 256GB capacities, and IUDD336 microSD cards in 16GB to 128GB capacities.

ADATA continues to increase its focus on industrial-grade products, with more offerings for users. As the SD standard has clear advantages for industrial customers thanks to its compact form factor, durability, and low power requirements, ADATA strives to provide more choice in the SD space. Thus, ISDD336 cards arrive in SD form factor while IUDD336 cards deliver the same quality and performance in microSD.

Integral Memory is first to market with a 256GB microSD card that offers a double portion of memory for storage hungry mobile devices. Recent generations of smartphones and tablets, demand increased capacity to save high-resolution photographs and video as well as to accommodate increasing numbers of app installs and music downloads.

The arrival of the new generation of microSDXC cards is set to deliver twice the memory capacity and the fast speeds required to manage Full HD resolution files without the fear of 'maxing out'. Smartphones and tablets fitted with the new 256GB capacity memory card can now accommodate 31 hours of Full HD footage or an equivalent 43,288 photographs, allowing consumers to worry less about running out of memory and to enjoy their devices more.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., an expert provider of advanced memory solutions, today unveiled its newest memory card globally - the EVO Plus 256GB microSD card. The EVO Plus 256GB offers the highest capacity for a microSD card in its class, delivering fast speeds and an expanded memory storage for use in premium smartphones and tablets, 360-degree video recorders, action cameras, and drones. Consumers can now record up to 12 hours of 4K UHD video or 33 hours of Full HD video on their mobile device or action camera without needing to change or replace the memory card, allowing them to experience more and worry less about running out of memory.

The EVO Plus 256GB raises the bar for capacity and performance of microSD cards thanks to Samsung's advanced V-NAND technology, offering high read and write speeds of up to 95MB/s and 90MB/s, respectively. This level of performance will provide general consumers and professionals with superb user convenience for storing heavy-loaded, high-resolution photography and 4K video recording, as well as graphic intensive multimedia like virtual reality (VR) and gaming.

Creative Technology Ltd today announced the Creative Outlier, a powerful feature-rich Bluetooth MP3 headphones with changeable colorful acoustic rings. The headphone is specially designed for urban commuters and health enthusiasts who want to enjoy their music indoors or outdoors, with or without their smartphones. Creative Outlier is extremely lightweight -- weighing just 3.28 oz (93 g) -- and will fit easily into just about any rucksack, tote bag or attaché case. The headphone also comes with useful features for health enthusiasts such as the Pacer Mode to keep track of lap or workout timings.

When worn, the lightweight headphone is designed for comfort and durability -- it features an extremely flexible and durable headband construction with soft protein leatherette ear cushions. Customized for Creative Outlier, these soft ear cushions fit snugly on the ears for all day comfort.

Creative Technology Ltd today announced the Creative Woof 3, the ideal micro-size Bluetooth speaker companion for smartphone and tablet users who want to enjoy their music out loud on the go. The series comes in a flourish of rich metallic colors inspired by the four seasons: Spring Crystallite, Summer Rouge, Autumn Gold, and Winter Chrome; ideal for users who appreciate both great aesthetics and audio.

Shaped like an inverted bell, the speaker produces clear audio that is directed upwards and well distributed. Creative Woof 3 has been designed to deliver audio that punches above its weight for speakers in its class. Encased within the durable premium metal alloy housing is a 45mm driver (12% larger than its predecessors in the Woof series), and an additional oversized passive bass radiator for an enhanced audio performance. It even doubles up as a speakerphone with its built-in invisible microphone when connected via Bluetooth with a smartphone.

Team Group Inc. today launched the Team MiDRIVE, an all new storage expansion solution for Apple MacBook. For MiDRIVE's compact plug in design and with the use of Team UHS-1 high speed memory card, it is specifically customized for MacBook series to meet the needs of many Mac users. The overall design is simple, clean and neat as well as colorful, which emphasize the idea of a simple and smart living with a personalized taste. To form a contrast in design between the cap and the body of the USB drive, we use elegant matte finish and bright white gloss finish.

With the expandable design and through the help of the high speed memory card, MiDRIVE is able to take a step further to improve the storage capacity and the file management efficiency. Continuing Mac's exquisite minimalist design and also satisfying users' needs for both practical and personal style, the exterior features an ultra slim and short design with classic black and white pattern.

Creative Technology Ltd., today announced the launch of a brand new variant of the critically acclaimed Sound Blaster Roar portable Bluetooth wireless speaker − the smaller, lighter, sexier Sound Blaster Roar 2. The all new Sound Blaster Roar 2 portable Bluetooth wireless speaker retains the same 5 speaker drivers, electrical design, and
battery life as the Classic Sound Blaster Roar − but is now 20% smaller and 10% lighter. And it is available in black or white. Encased in a stylish sleek housing that exudes the understated sophistication of a well-designed audio instrument, the smaller-lighter-sexier Sound Blaster Roar 2 continues to impress, whether it is used at the office, in a designer home, or at a party.

As in 2014 wearable devices begin to emerge in the market, personal applications like communication and music are more compact. Besides, with these devices, users are now able to record and store physical function statistics such as their heartbeats, pulse rates, daily step numbers etc. This propelsthe vigorous development of medical and health industry. According to the prediction of market research firm IDC, "wearable devices will soon be widely applied in industries including retailing, construction, and mining by enterprises, in addition to their applications in medical industry." And the small and handy Micro SD/Micro SDHC memory cards will be the best choice for expanding mobile storage capacity.

In response tothe growth trend of mobile and wearable devices, Apacer launches industrial Micro SD/Micro SDHC memory cards which conform to SD 2.0 specifications. Although the size is only one-tenth of general SD card, the Micro SD/Micro SDHC memory cards have a complete range of product types, providing SLC and MLC chips for choice. The highly reliable SLC chips have capacities ranging from 256 MB to 4 GB, which best satisfy industrial devices' demand of small capacity and high stability as a system disk. The more economic MLC chips' capacities range from 4 GB to 32 GB, meeting the high-capacity storage needs.

Samsung Electronics, a market leader in advanced memory technology and an innovator in consumer electronics, announced today that it is now shipping a new line of advanced SD and microSD cards that are ideal for digital imaging and mobile devices. The products will be available in PRO, EVO and Standard categories, suited for various use cases and performance levels for consumers and professionals.

Samsung's extensive memory card lineup offers SD cards and microSD cards for use in many different consumer electronic devices. The PRO, EVO and Standard lineups are available in a wide range of capacities from 4 gigabyte (GB) to 64 GB. While SD cards are most often used in digital cameras, DSLR cameras and camcorders, microSD cards are mainly used in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as certain cameras and camcorders with microSD card slots.