Western Digital made a significant change to the way it sells its products, which sees the SanDisk brand return to prominence. The company spun out SanDisk.com as a separate website, with product information, support, and in select regions, online retail, of all its NAND flash-based products, including SSDs, memory cards, USB flash drives, etc. Meanwhile, its main website, WesternDigital.com, now only lists out non-flash products, such as hard disk drives (HDDs), NAS, and other enterprise hardware such as rackmount DAS or NAS.

The decision splits WD's portfolio vertically, regardless of market. SanDisk now includes both client- and enterprise flash-based products, while Western Digital covers both enterprise, SMB, and client HDDs, including HDDs with gamer centric WD_Black branding. Meanwhile, the SanDisk website includes all of Western Digital's flash-based products, including SSDs and portable SSDs that retain the Western Digital brand. So, the easiest way to understand this split would be: if it has disks that spin, find them on WesternDigital.com, and if it's solid-state, find it on SanDisk.com.

UnifyDrive, a leading global brand in network-attached storage (NAS), has announced their latest portable storage device, the UnifyDrive UT2. This groundbreaking personal NAS combines the power and versatility of traditional NAS with the convenience of portability, offering unmatched data management and backup capabilities.

The UnifyDrive UT2 is designed for creatives, professionals, travelers and photography enthusiasts who need high-performance, portable data storage. With its pocket-sized form, the UT2 integrates the functionality of a NAS, backup system, media server, Blu-ray player, and portable storage device into one compact unit. This versatility allows users to manage, access, and protect their data effortlessly, whether at the office, at home, or on the move.

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading provider of computing, networking, and storage solutions, today announced the launch of Airgap+, an advanced air-gapped backup feature integrated into Hybrid Backup Sync (HBS). This innovative solution offers businesses enhanced data security, rapid recovery, and robust ransomware protection. As cyber threats continue to escalate in their sophistication and impact, air-gap backups have become essential for safeguarding corporate data. Air-gap backup represents the "1" component in the 3-2-1-1-0 backup plan, where one backup copy is stored offline and disconnected from the network. Airgap+ addresses this need by creating a logical air-gap between NAS systems, providing an extra layer of backup security and enhanced integrity. Airgap+ works with QNAP's QHora router series (supported models listed below). QHora permits connections between the source NAS and the backup destination NAS only during the backup process, and blocks connections at other times.

TerraMaster, a leading brand in home and enterprise storage solutions, has recently announced the launch of 9 new NAS models, all equipped with its latest TOS 6 operating system. This lineup includes two 8-bay all-flash NAS models specifically designed for high-performance needs. All new products were officially launched on September 19, 2024, on the TerraMaster official website and various global e-commerce platforms.

Comprehensive Range
The new TerraMaster product series covers a wide spectrum of users, from individual consumers and SMBs to high-end devices for business and enterprise sectors, fully addressing different needs.

Toshiba today introduced the updated N300 series 3.5-inch internal SATA hard drives targeting NAS applications. These drives come with new product branding the company introduced with its recent S300 series HDDs for surveillance/NVR applications. The drives come in capacities of 2 TB, 4 TB, 6 TB, 8 TB, 10 TB, 12 TB, 14 TB, 16 TB, 18 TB, 20 TB, and 22 TB, with the higher capacity models—12 TB and above—being helium-filled, to reduce power/noise characteristics. All models in the series come with CMR (conventional magnetic recording), which ensures predictable write and rewrite performance. The drives come with 7,200 RPM spindle-speed, and depending on the capacity variant, between 64 MB to 512 MB of write cache. The drives come with SATA 6 Gbps host interface, and offer sequential transfer speeds of up to 281 MB/s reads, with up to 268 MB/s writes, with an MTBF rated between 1-1.2 million hours.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today officially announced the release of the QTS 5.2 NAS operating system. A standout feature of this release is the debut of Security Center, which actively monitors file activities and thwarts ransomware threats. Additionally, system security receives a boost with the inclusion of support for TCG-Ruby self-encrypting drives (SED). Extensive optimizations have been implemented to streamline operations, configuration, and management processes, significantly elevating the overall user experience.

"We greatly appreciate the invaluable feedback provided by our dedicated QTS 5.2 beta testers, which has been instrumental in putting the finishing touches on this official release," said Tim Lin, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "QNAP remains committed to ensuring our data storage and management solutions stay current, offering dependable NAS storage solutions that meet the heightened expectations of today's users."

Surveillance Center is no longer limited to Windows! If you run a computer that supports a modern web browser, Surveillance Center 3 Beta will run! Simply upgrade your ASUSTOR NAS to ADM 4.3.0 or above, then download and install Surveillance Center 3.0 Beta from App Central. Set up network cameras for surveillance, view multichannel live streams as well as play back recordings on browsers like Firefox Edge, Chrome, and Safari, ensuring a seamless and secure surveillance experience.

In addition, ASUSTOR NAS devices provide comprehensive data protection for users. When using web browsers like Firefox or Chrome, your connection between your PC and Surveillance Center 3.0 Beta can be encrypted with HTTPS. For maximum security, use TLS 1.3 to ensure privacy and enhanced communication security while creating a smart home environment.

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking, and storage solution innovator, today launched new entry-level business NAS models including 4-bay TS-432X and 6-bay TS-632X, tailored for personal studio and SMBs to optimize workflows and collaboration. Featuring a quad-core processor, high-speed 2.5GbE/10GbE ports, and PCIe expansion capabilities, both new models excel in performance and versatility to streamline multi-device file backups, data security, and file management while also simplifying data storage, search, and sharing tasks.

Andy Chuang, Product Manager of QNAP, stated "With the rising popularity of 10GbE applications, the TS-432X and TS-632X offer ideal solutions for small to medium-sized businesses seeking smaller-capacity 10GbE NAS options. Users can benefit from a versatile storage solution featuring multiple LAN ports and PCIe expandability, all within a modest budget."

Amid a field of over 20,000 submissions from 60 countries, the QNAP Thunderbolt 4 NAS TBS-h574TX and TVS-h874T won the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2024. The TBS-h574TX Thunderbolt 4 all-flash NASbook is designed for film sets, small studios, small-scale video production teams and SOHO users. Powered by an Intel Core i9 16-core / i7 12-core processor, the TVS-h874T Thunderbolt 4 NAS is a great sidekick for your creative talents. The professional jurors of the Red Dot Jury highly recognized the TBS-h574TX and the TVS-h874T with distinction, signifying high quality design.

The TBS-h574TX packs high-speed I/O and Intel Core performance required by video production, allowing creators using Mac or Windows to enjoy the smoothest experience ever in real-time video editing, large file transfer, video transcoding, and backup. The TBS-h574TX, acting as the bridge between pre-production and post-production, takes video projects and team collaboration to the next level. The TBS-h574TX runs the ZFS-based QuTS hero operating system that ensures data integrity. You can also switch to the QTS operating system based on your needs.

TerraMaster, a professional brand focused on providing innovative storage products for homes and businesses has specially launched a limited-time promotion for T-series NAS in order to help SMB users better manage data and improve work efficiency! During different event periods, SMB users can enjoy super discounts of up to 25% when purchasing TerraMaster T-series NAS, including T6-423, T9-423, T9-450, T12-423 and T12-450.

TerraMaster 6-12bay T series NAS products can provide ultra-large storage capacities of up to 144 TB-288 TB respectively and support central backup, dual backup and external USB device backup to meet a variety of backup needs. They also compatible with multiple data storage such as AES IN hardware encryption and TRAID+ ensures that users' data is easy to access, safe to store, and easy to use.

TerraMaster, a professional brand focused on providing innovative storage products for homes and businesses, recently introduced the F2-424, a new upgrade of F2-423. The brand-new F2-424 adopts the Intel Celeron N95 4-core 4-thread processor, 8GB DDR5 memory, two 2.5GB network ports, two M.2 NVMe sockets, and adds a USB Type-C host interface and a USB Type A interface, achieving a 40% improvement in overall performance compared to the previous generation.

The F2-424 will come with the new generation TOS 5.1 operating system and can be smoothly upgraded to the TerraMaster TOS 6 operating system in the nearly future. With its robust features and state-of-the-art technology, the F2-424 NAS redefines data storage and management for both personal and business users.

QNAP Systems, Inc. is committed to enhancing the security of its products by engaging in international collaborations. Recently, the company participated in the Pwn2Own Toronto 2023 competition organized by Trend Micro's Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), resulting in valuable experiences and achievements. QNAP will continue to deepen its cooperation with international cybersecurity organizations to continuously improve product security, ensuring the best protection for users' data.

Pwn2Own is a global cybersecurity competition organized by ZDI aimed at challenging security vulnerabilities in various software and hardware. Participants utilize various techniques, including exploit and zero-day attacks, to breach target systems. This competition not only provides a platform for security experts to showcase their skills but also enables vendors to understand and address security vulnerabilities in their products, benefiting users worldwide.

Radxa is a Chinese manufacturer of various Arm based devices and something of a minor competitor to the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The company has just launched its latest product which is called the ROCK 5 ITX. As the name implies, it's a Mini-ITX form factor motherboard, which in itself is rather unusual for Arm based hardware to start with. However, Radxa has designed the ROCK 5 ITX to be a NAS motherboard and this is the first time we've come across such a product, as most Arm based boards are either intended for hobby projects, software development or routers. This makes the ROCK 5 ITX quite unique, at least based on its form factor, as it'll be compatible with standard Mini-ITX chassis.

The SoC on the board is a Rockchip RK3588 which sports four Cortex-A76 cores at up to 2.4 GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores at 1.8 GHz. This is not exactly cutting edge, but should be plenty fast enough for a SATA drive based NAS. The board offers four SATA 6 Gbps connectors via an ASMedia ASM1164 controller, each with an individual power connector next to it. However, Radxa seems to have chosen to use fan-header type power connectors, which means it'll be hard to get replacement power cables. The board also has a PCIe 3.0 x2 M.2 slot for an NVMe drive. The OS boots from eMMC and Radxa supports its own Roobi OS which is Debian Linux based.

QNAP Systems, Inc. (QNAP) today released the upgraded Security Center with the new feature "Unusual File Activity Monitoring", which has been designed for QNAP NAS as a tool for system risk assessment and protection center. Security Center proactively scans, monitors and analyzes NAS status, file activity, potential security threats while also offering instant protective measures against attacks. Security Center also integrates virus scanning and malware removal software to ensure the complete protection of the NAS to reduce the risk of data loss.

"QNAP have developed active protection measures for robust security checks and data protection of NAS" said Jimmy Tan, product manager of QNAP, adding "Security Center supports the new feature 'Unusual File Activity Monitoring' which takes a proactive approach to monitor unusual file activities on NAS and provides instant security measures against potential or confirmed security threats to ensure users precious data. We welcome all QNAP users to join the beta test of Unusual File Activity Monitoring feature and provide feedback to help us continually develop and improve our solutions with better user experiences."

Synology today announced that Surveillance Station will support automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) in collaboration with Plate Recognizer. This partnership provides added capabilities that Synology NAS and AI-enhanced NVRs bring to a variety of deployment needs, such as those in commercial property management, transport infrastructure monitoring, and more.

"ALPR capabilities are game-changers for video surveillance," said Nini Hsieh, Synology Product Manager for video surveillance. "Synology's Surveillance Station plus Plate Recognizer combines two powerful systems into a comprehensive but easy-to-use solution." Customers of Synology and Plate Recognizer gain automated footage labeling capabilities, allowing efficient post-event reviews. The advanced detection capabilities offered by Plate Recognizer is able to tackle a wide variety of license plates, even under challenging lighting or extreme camera angles. Combined with Surveillance Station's scalable recording, archiving, and multi-site management capabilities, customers gain robust real-time vehicle identification and assurance of footage for post-incident analysis.

A Chinese Topton company has brought new life to the AMD Vega graphics architecture by integrating it into a Network Attached Storage (NAS) motherboard. The Topton N9 NAS motherboard features the Intel Core i7-8705G processor, a unique chip that combines Intel CPU cores with AMD's RX Vega M GL graphics. The Intel Core i7-8705G, initially released in 2018, is an unusual choice for a NAS system. This 14 nm processor features four cores, eight threads, and a boost clock of up to 4.1 GHz. What sets it apart is the integrated AMD RX Vega M GL GPU with 20 Compute Units and 4 GB of HBM2 memory.

The Topton N9 NAS motherboard is designed for the 17×17 cm ITX form factor and offers a range of features like maximum support for 64 GB of DDR4 RAM, M.2 NVMe/SATA and SATA 3.0, eight Intel i226-V controllers for 2.5 Gbit networking, USB 3.0, USB Type-C, and HDMI 2.0 connectivity. While the Intel Core i7-8705G may not be the most obvious choice for a NAS system, the Topton N9 motherboard demonstrates how this unique processor can be repurposed to provide affordable computing power. The integrated AMD RX Vega graphics offer capabilities beyond typical NAS requirements, making this motherboard suitable for various applications, such as home firewalls and routers. The collaboration between Intel and AMD in creating the Kaby Lake-G processors was a rare occurrence in the industry. The Topton N9 starts at $288.56 without a fan/cooler, and adding another $20 bumps the price to $308.46.

Ugreen, a leading innovator in consumer electronics, is excited to announce the launch of its inaugural Network Attached Storage (NAS) series. The launch is scheduled for March 26 on the popular crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter.com. This campaign is specifically aimed at users in the United States and Germany. As a special incentive, UGREEN is offering an early bird discount of 40%, with prices commencing at just USD $239.99. Visit Kickstarter.com to be among the first to experience UGREEN's innovative NASync series.

UGREEN NASync series is a versatile range designed to cater to a variety of use scenarios. The NASync DXP2800 and NASync DXP4800 and DXP4800 Plus are tailored for personal and home users. For power users and business solutions, UGREEN offers the NASync DXP6800 Pro and NASync DXP8800 Plus. Lastly, the NASync DXP480T Plus is specifically designed to meet the needs of creative and media professionals.

Know more about the Kickstarter campaign here.

ASUSTOR Inc. has updated the hard drive compatibility list by adding Seagate's IronWolf Pro 24 TB high-capacity NAS hard drive. The listed model is ST24000NT002. IronWolf Pro is designed for businesses and those that want the very most in data capacity. Using Seagate's 24 TB hard drives in conjunction with the largest ASUSTOR NAS devices means that some ASUSTOR NAS devices can support up to just under 400 TB.

24 TB drives also help ASUSTOR's MyArchive feature. The use of 24 TB hard drives helps make the backup process with MyArchive easier by using fewer drives. This helps facilitate safe 3-2-1 backups as well as providing as much archival storage as needed. Need even more space? Use the Xpanstor 4, one of the only expansion units featuring a 10 Gbps USB interface. It also supports MyArchive cold backup technology even on NAS devices that don't support hard drives. In addition to the additional 96 TB storage space provided by the four hard drive bays, the USB 3.2 Gen 2 port greatly increases the performance.

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking, and storage solution innovator, today launched the TS-216G NAS, a high-performing and substantial 2-bay NAS designed for individuals, families, and workgroups. The ARM quad-core processor with a 2.5GbE port, 4 GB RAM, and NPU (Neural network Processing Unit) takes 2-bay NAS performance to the next level. Not only can it streamline backup from multiple devices and improve overall data security, but also creates a comprehensive file management center for home or work users - making the TS-216G one of the most cost-effective and high-efficiency 2-bay NAS on the market.

The built-in NPU, designed for AI applications, can remarkably accelerate image recognition for the AI-powered QuMagie smart photo management, especially when users import hundreds or thousands of photos at a time. It also reduces CPU workloads, resulting in higher computing performance and lower power consumption for the TS-216G.

Synology today announced the launch of BeeStation, a new addition to its product line designed to bring personal cloud storage to everyone, particularly those who seek simplicity and ease of use. BeeStation will make backing up, managing, and sharing files adaptable to any lifestyle without subscription fees and with maximum control over your private data.

Lewis Sheng, Product Manager at Synology Inc., emphasizes the role of BeeStation within the Synology ecosystem: "For nearly two decades, Synology has been a leader in NAS solutions, offering advanced features for tech enthusiasts and professionals. With BeeStation, we're addressing a different need. BeeStation packs all the file management and backup essentials into a more accessible and simplified hardware and software experience."

QNAP Systems, Inc. today launched the new PCIe JBOD storage enclosure TL-R2400PES-RP, featuring PCIe Gen 3 x8, and providing up to 64 Gb/s data transfer. Following the release of 12 and 16-bay models of the TL-Rx00PES-RP PCIe JBOD series, QNAP extends the series lineup by introducing the 24-bay 4U rackmount TL-R2400PES-RP model. Users can expand existing NAS storage volumes to petabyte-class by connecting multiple TL-Rx00PES-RP series JBODs, without requiring RAID-rebuilding on the host NAS. The TL-Rx00PES-RP series uses SATA drives, allowing businesses to choose from a wide range of enterprise hard drives. This series is ideal for businesses who want to archive/back up virtualization applications, surveillance recordings, multimedia, and other large data.

The TL-Rx00PES-RP series power on/off is linked with the host NAS, which helps reduce hardware management tasks for IT staff. Storage expansion cards QXP-3X8PES (PCIe Gen 3 x8) or the QXP-3X4PES (PCIe Gen 3 x4) are required for the NAS to scale up using TL-Rx00PES-RP series expansion enclosures.

Jonsbo over the weekend introduced the N4 White and N4 Black, a series of cube-shaped Micro-ATX cases designed for DIY NAS server builds. The case has eight drive caddies, six of which are 3.5-inch, and two 2.5-inch. All 8 bays come with SATA 6 Gbps backplanes, so you can hot-plug them. These drive caddies, along with an SFX PSU bay, and a 120 mm fan vent, make up the lower 60% of the case. The upper 40% holds a Micro-ATX motherboard tray with four half-height expansion slots. Besides low-profile expansion cards, you can have a CPU cooler as tall as 70 mm up there.

The lower compartment has a perforated front panel covering the drive caddies, while the front side of the upper compartment has a classy wood embellishment. This wood embellishment has the power/reset buttons, a type-A USB 3.2 port, and a USB 3.2 type-C. The upper compartment has panel perforations along the sides and top. The Jonsbo N4 comes in two trims as we mentioned—black and white. The case measures 286 mm x 300 mm x 228 mm (WxDxH), weighing 3.75 kg. The company didn't reveal pricing information.

Asustor unveils the NAS for everyone—the Drivestor 2 Lite. The Drivestor 2 Lite and Drivestor Pro Gen 2 use efficient Realtek RTD1619B Quad-Core CPUs. The increased CPU frequency at 1.7 GHz and increases in the performance of the GPU make this the entry-level NAS to have inside your home or small office. Take advantage of blistering speeds of up to 2.5 Gbps on the Drivestor Pro Gen 2 when connecting with a compatible switch in a 2.5-Gigabit ecosystem to instantly upgrade your high-speed home network environment.

Btrfs for ASUSTOR NAS devices featuring Realtek CPUs is here! Schedule or manually create Btrfs snapshots in Snapshot Center to help protect data in real time and restore data. If data is encrypted by ransomware, snapshots can be the first line of defense towards recovery and is often able to turn back the clock and reverse changes. In addition to snapshots, the new Drivestor Pro Gen 2 and Drivestor 2 Lite NAS devices continue ASUSTOR's commitment to easy, safe and convenient backup technologies, when combined with snapshots, make your data safe and secure.

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking, and storage solution innovator, today officially launched NetBak PC Agent, a license-free full system backup solution for Windows. NetBak PC Agent is a utility that requires Hyper Data Protector, a NAS application which support endpoint devices backup (including VMs, Windows PCs and servers), to be installed on the user's NAS.

Existing NetBak Replicator users are encouraged to switch to NetBak PC Agent to enjoy a modern user interface and block-based backup for full systems, drives, folders, or files. Besides backup format updates, NetBak PC Agent supports new features such as:

• Bare-metal restoration: Restore a full PC/server system by creating a USB boot disk.
• Synthetic Incremental Backup: Reduce backup/restore time with QNAP's game-changing Synthetic Incremental Backup technology to increase IT efficiency and end-user productivity, helping to maintain data integrity by reducing RTO and RPO.
• Backup Explorer: Use the intuitive user interface of Backup Explorer on Hyper Data Protector to find a specific folder or file in various backup versions and restore them to client devices.
• Scheduled backup: Once users set backup rules, NetBak PC Agent does the rest.
• System backup restoration destination: Both local and remote site supported.

Changwang has released an interesting looking Mobile on Desktop (MoDT) Mini-ITX motherboard in China—as spotted by HXL—for AMD Ryzen 7000 series mobile processors. The manufacturer has chosen to forego with a short plus catchy model name—Changwang's product page lays out the basic facts within the board's title. This a 170 x 170 mm compact form factor board that is NAS and storage oriented—with an AMD FP8 socket that accommodates Zen 3+ "Rembrandt" and Zen 4 "Phoenix" processors. At present, the only available options to purchase are Ryzen 7 7840HS configurations (with or without an air cooler). The specification sheet lists other processor options, including the recently launched "Hawk Point" Ryzen 7 8845HS model, as well as Ryzen 9 7940HS, Ryzen 7 7735HS (Zen 3+ Rembrandt), and Ryzen 5 7640HS.

You are limited to SODIMM (up to 5600 MT/s with the 7840HS config), due to Changwang choosing a mobile processor platform for a compact desktop motherboard that offers little in terms of upgradability. As pointed out by Tom's Hardware: "These motherboards with integrated Ryzen 7000 "Phoenix" processors might have been pretty killer a few months ago, but just days ago, AMD launched its Ryzen 8000G series APUs for the desktop, which use the same Phoenix chip that the Ryzen 7040HS chips use. Ryzen 8000G chips are a little faster, more customizable, and can be installed and upgraded like regular desktop chips, which are all significant points against Changwang's motherboard...However, when it comes to price, Changwang has the advantage. With a cost of 2888 RMB or about $400, the Ryzen 7 7840HS-equipped board looks pretty decent. A Ryzen 7 8700G retails for $329, and the cheapest AM5 Mini-ITX boards cost $130 at minimum (and come with the A620 chipset)." The Changwang board also offers an unprecedented number of interface options—its unique selling points include support for nine SATA drives, four 2.5 Gbit NICs, Thunderbolt 4, USB 4, PCIe Gen 4x4, etc.