Donya introduced a unique accessory that lets you install a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD in the optical drive bay of your notebook (while stripping it of one). Called the DN-69810, these adapters are available in 12.7 mm and 9.5 mm-thick variants with SATA and IDE interface options. The enclosures aren't much more than a SECC cage with an interface relay. Measuring 128 x 126 x 12.7/9.5 mm, the adapters weigh about 60 g. The adapter could be sold through various peripheral brands, worldwide.

With many years of experience in the industrial SSD sector, Apacer has been a customized product manufacturer trusted by industrial computer and server corporations in the U.S. and Japan for a long time. To provide customers with a more diverse product range, Apacer has revealed three models of the new-generation of modular SATA SSDs; the SDM4 MP (SATA Disk Module, Middle Profile), with 7-pin SATA connectors available in three orientations of 90°, 180° and 270°, along with a patented built-in power supply design. These are designed to meet user-specific needs for various form factors and industrial designs.

Compared to that of its predecessor, the reading speed of these next-generation SSDs has been boosted to 85MB/sec. In terms of the chip, in addition to SLC storage solutions, MLC chip product lines can also support operating at industry-level extended-temperatures (-40°C ~ 85°C), and are especially suitable for stable operation under rigorous industrial environments.

RunCore, a leading manufacturer of high-performance and rugged solid state drives (SSDs), today introduced their latest single-chip SATA DOM SSDs, the Mini DOM.

The RunCore Mini DOM SSD is a SATA DOM SSD in a real tiny size. By applying SATA II interface, the RunCore Mini DOM offers even higher performance and reliability as compared to the earlier IDE/ATA models in the market. In order to fulfill different system structures, RunCore Mini DOM provides three different solutions: 7 pin Horizontal-female SATA DOM, 7 pin Vertical-female SATA DOM, and 22 pin Horizontal-male SATA DOM. With different capacity ranges from 8 GB to 64 GB and 2 grades of temperature range, Commercial Grade (0℃ to 70℃) and Industrial Grade (-40℃ to 85℃), RunCore Mini DOM SSD can be widely used in National defense field, Industrial PC and Embedded Systems.

I-O Data and Toshiba added a three new variants to their SSDN-3TB line of solid-state drives (SSDs) in the 2.5-inch SATA form-factor. These include an entry-level 60 GB variant, a 240 GB performance variant, and a 480 GB high-capacity variant. The 480 GB variant takes advantage of SATA 6 Gb/s interface, and provides sequential speeds of up to 480 MB/s (read) with 190 MB/s (writes), and 4K random access throughput of 58,000/27,700 IOPS (read/write); the 240 GB model has the best performance equation among the three, with 470 MB/s sequential reads, but 380 MB/s sequential writes, and 4K random access throughout of 73,600/71,900 IOPS (read/write); the 60 GB variant is capable of 480 MB/s sequential reads, 200 MB/s sequential writes, and 31,900/48,500 IOPS (read/writes) 4K random access throughput. Slated for shipping on May 05, the three models will occupy competitive price points in their respective classes.

Connectivity and optical drives are some of the first casualties of Intel's notebook slimming operation to come up with the Ultrabook specification. As a result, a new market is created for external connectivity solutions such as docking stations, which give users additional connectivity when at their desk, while maintaining the added mobility of Ultrabook, when on the move. Japan's Apricorn introduced one such product. Called the NetDock, the device holds a slimline DVD writer drive (included), provision for a 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD, and a 4-port USB 2.0 hub.

The NetDock draws power from an AC adapter, and connects to your Ultrabook over a USB 2.0 connection. Its DVD writer is capable of writing discs at speeds of up to 8X. One of the four downstream USB 2.0 ports is a high-current port for charging other portable devices (such as smartphones, media players, tablets, cameras, etc.). Both drives (the DVD writer, and the added 2.5-inch HDD/SSD) are visible to the host as USB mass storage devices. The NetDock measures 158.8 x 146.1 x 54.0 mm (WxDxH), and supports Windows 7/Vista/XP, and Mac OS X. It will be priced at 7,980 JPY (US $99.99).

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today unveiled the BDR-2207, Pioneer's most powerful and full-featured drive. The internal SATA drive can read and write to all BDXL disc formats, including BD-R and BD-RE triple-layer 100 GB media, BD-R quad-layer 128 GB media, as well as conventional recordable Blu-ray Disc (single-layer 25 GB media and dual-layer 50 GB media). In addition, the drive features PowerRead and Pioneer's PureRead2, Auto Quiet mode, QuickStart, and Peak Power Reducer technologies.

The BDR-2207 is packaged with CyberLink software that gives users the ability to play standard Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D titles on correctly configured computers, as well as author and record high-definition Blu-ray Disc content and standard-definition DVD content.

ORICO unveiled an interesting portable hard drive enclosure, which doubles up as a wireless NAS and internet access point. Called the WiDrive (model: WDX-8 625), the device can enclose one 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD, and share its contents over a secure wireless network (802.11 b/g/n). As an added value, it can also serve as a wireless internet access point, if an upstream wired internet connection is plugged into its 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port. As a NAS, it packs most modern features, including SAMBA, FTP, Bit Torrent, iTunes server and Media Center. Its storage can be expanded by a USB 2.0 port (mass storage device). The enclosure draws power from an external AC adapter. ORICO plans to charge 899 RMB (US $142) for the WiDrive.

Sharkoon is expanding their "QuickPort" product line. In addition to their popular external docking stations for unobstructed hard drives, the accessory specialist has maintained an assortment of removable, internal SATA hard drive frames known as the "QuickPort Internal" series.

With the Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Intern Multi, Sharkoon now presents a 2-in-1 model, in which two SATA hard drives can operate with a different form factor concurrently: The Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Intern Multi fits into a 5.25 inch bay and offers two separate trays for either a hard drive or SSD in 2.5 inch format, and 3.5 inch SATA hard drives.

Buffalo Inc. has this week announced the HD-IN1.0TS, a 2.5-inch hard drive with a 1 TB storage capacity. Suited for mobile applications, this 1 TB drive has a SATA interface, a one-year warranty, it comes bundled with Acronis True Image HD, and is set to start shipping in early May. The HD-IN1.0TS will cost about $219.

Japanese peripherals company Marshal introduced Easy Go MAL-3435SBKU3, a desktop external hard drive enclosure, which can pack a 3.5-inch SATA hard drive. Apart from close to zero interface bottlenecks, thanks to its USB 3.0 SuperSpeed connection, the enclosure's design focus is on cooling. It packs an 80 mm fan on its side panel for ventilation of the hard drive and other electronics. The fan can be toggled, and its designers claim that running it can lower the drive's temperatures by as much as 10°C. Its native logic features an Eco Mode feature, which completely spins down the drive while keeping its volumes mounted on the host machine, when there is inactivity for a set amount of time. The enclosure is made of rugged materials such as steel and ABS. Measuring 46 x 210 x 146 mm (WxDxH), it weighs a little over 600 g. It is priced at 3,480 JPY (US $43).

StarTech.com, a leading manufacturer of hard-to-find connectivity parts has announced the release of the Mini-SAS to 4x SATA/SAS Backplane (part # SATSAS425BK), which enables users to add four 2.5" SATA or SAS hard drives to a desktop computer, using a single Mini-SAS (SFF-8087) host connection, while requiring only a single 5.25" bay for installation. The backplane offers a versatile solution for adding multiple hot-swappable Serial ATA or Serial-Attached SCSI drives, even in computers with a limited number of drive bays available - ideal for adding removable storage for backups or RAID storage systems.

The backplane supports SATA and SAS Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) and Solid State Drives (SSDs) up to 15mm in height, including high-capacity drives, and each tray features a locking mechanism that prevents unauthorized removal of the individual drive. The hotswap backplane is constructed from durable lightweight aluminum, which helps improve operating heat dissipation, and also features a 40mm cooling fan to increase air flow around the installed drives to ensure peak performance.

To an interview with Anandtech, ASUSTek USA representative JJ carried with him a sackful of new Z77 Express-based motherboards. One of these caught keen eyes at VR-Zone, which attempted to describe what it saw. Called the P8Z77-V Premium, this motherboard is poised to go a notch above the already launched P8Z77-V Deluxe, in terms of features. The new P8Z77-V Premium is a crossover between the Deluxe and WS (Workstation) models, in that it features no less than four PCI-Express x16 slots in its all-PCIe slot loadout. The electrical configuration of these four slots is hard to guess, but there is a tiny PLX bridge chip that adds a few PCIe 2.0 lanes to the board's PCIe budget, to wire out onboard controllers.

Speaking of onboard connectivity, apart from eight angled internal SATA ports, there clearly is an mSATA slot, which is populated by an SSD. Perhaps an SSD that's fit for Rapid Storage and Rapid Start technologies is a standard accessory with the P8Z77-V Premium. Just below the WLAN b/g/n + Bluetooth add-on card, one could spy a mini-DisplayPort. It's highly likely that the port is wired to a Thunderbolt controller apart from Intel Flexible Display Interface. The rest of the rear panel could be similar to that of the P8Z77-V Deluxe. The P8Z77-V Premium could command a price-point over US $300, the source postulates.

Eurocom Corporation, a developer of long lifespan, fully upgradable notebooks is adding the newest AMD Radeon HD 7970M GPU to their extensive options list of Ivy Bridge powered, high performance notebooks. The addition of the AMD Radeon HD 7970M offers users a new level of high performance GPU computing. Eurocom will also offer the AMD Radeon HD 6990M GPUs separately to existing customers as an upgrade option.

The addition of the AMD Radeon HD 7970M, the highest performing mobile solution from AMD, gives Eurocom customers a superior choice of video processor options to configure into their new Eurocom system or upgrade into their existing system. The addition of the AMD Radeon 7970M GPUs in single and CrossFireX offers customers a greater selection of video processor options to fit any preference or performance level.

TYAN, an industry-leading server platform manufacturer and subsidiary of MiTAC International Corp., announces new CPU support for the S5515 and S5517. These embedded motherboards now support the 3rd Generation Intel Core processor product family (codename: Ivy Bridge) with a quick bios update. These two platforms now deliver the benefits of Intel's 22 nm Core i3/i5/i7 processor architecture with stronger performance, consistent reliability, and low cost in small form factor that targets various applications in the embedded industry.

TYAN's S5515 and S5517 embedded motherboards now offer support for 3rd Generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 Processors. Existing motherboards will only need a BIOS update to support the new processors. Intel's 3rd Generation Intel Core processors offer greater performance with multiple expansion options such as PCI-E x16 Gen.3 slots, SATA 6G/3G controllers, U-DDR3 1600/1333/1066 w/o ECC memory slots and USB 3.0 ports. These two products deliver enhanced computing performance, greater 3D (tri-gate) effect and more RAM support. This makes them the ideal platforms for customers with critical requirements from telecom, networking, storage, medical imaging, embedded severs, security and surveillance appliances.

Eurocom Corporation, a developer of long lifespan, fully upgradable Notebooks, high performance Mobile Workstations and Mobile Servers is now supporting the Intel Core i7-3920XM Processor Extreme along with the Intel Core i7-3820QM, Intel Core i7-3720QM and Intel Core i7-3610QM in the Eurocom line of Notebooks including: EUROCOM Neptune 2.0, Racer 2.0 and Monster.

Eurocom's line of high performance Mobile Workstations and Gaming Notebooks will be bolstered by the introduction of the Intel Ivy Bridge processors and complete line of Intel 22nm processors. The Eurocom notebooks will be some of the world's first Ivy Bridge notebooks with Intel HM77 and HM76 chipsets using the uFPGA988B socket. Eurocom Notebooks are ideal for professionals and teams who frequently travel and need access to high performance computing.

MSC Vertriebs GmbH presents the first COM Express modules based on the 3rd generation Intel Core processor family (formerly codenamed 'Ivy Bridge'). The 3rd generation Intel Core processor family utilizes Intel's advanced 22nm process technology with three-dimensional transistors for higher performance at lower power. The new COM Express modules feature a further leap forward in computing power, graphics and video performance in comparison to modules based on the previous generation Intel platform. Important innovations of this new product generation are lower power consumption at higher clock frequencies and improved graphics and video performance. For the first time, the new Intel platform supports DirectX 11.

Acer America today announced a new commercial offering, the Acer AC100 micro-server. It delivers the latest server-class features and utilities in a compact form factor to suit the needs of small and medium businesses.

Featuring an easy to configure micro-tower enabling quick upgrades, the new Acer AC100 not only reduces the time and costs associated with maintenance, but also provides excellent expandability in its class. In addition to Energy Star certification, it boasts a high-efficiency 200W 80 PLUS power supply, which makes the AC100 more than 80 percent energy efficient at 20, 50 and 100 percent rated loads, reducing electricity use and bills.

Shuttle also launched a new line of slimline, fan-less XPC Mini PC barebones driven by the latest Intel Atom D2700 processor. The XS35V3 and XS36V launched today, succeed the XS35/V2 launched last September, which were based on previous-generation Atom D525 chips. Measuring 252 x 162 x 38.5 mm (WxDxH), the XS35V3 features a slimline optical drive bay apart from a 2.5" SATA drive bay to hold an HDD or SSD. It has two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots, supporting up to 4 GB of single-channel DDR3-1066 MHz memory. Front-panel includes a card-reader (supports SDHC/SD/MS/MS Pro), and a USB 2.0 port. Its rear-panel includes stereo line-out and mic-in audio jacks, four USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and display outputs that include HDMI 1.3 and D-sub (VGA). It also features wireless b/g/n LAN.

The XS36V has a slightly smaller chassis, measuring 200 x 160 x 36 mm. It lacks a slimline optical drive bay, its only drive bay is a 2.5" SATA. Most of its logic board is identical to that of its sibling. Apart from the a card-reader (SDHC/SD/MS/MS Pro) and a USB 2.0 port, the front-panel features two RS232 serial (COM) ports. Its rear-panel is identical to that of the XS35V3. Both models include a 40W external power brick. The XS35V3 is priced around US $149, while the XS36V is priced slightly higher.

VIA is out with its latest addition to the Artigo family of compact barebones PCs, the Artigo A1200, the company's latest addition after Artigo A1150. The A1200 is powered by VIA Nano X2 E dual-core processor clocked at 1.20 GHz, and VIA VX900 chipset that packs integrated graphics with enough compute power for smooth 1080p video playback, with hardware-accelerated decoding of MPEG-2, WMV9 and H.264 HD video formats. The system packs one DDR3 DIMM slot, supporting up to 4 GB of memory. There is room for one SATA HDD. Display outputs include D-Sub and HDMI. Other connectivity includes two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, one USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports, optional 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, and one CFAST interface. The system is fan-less, and passively cooled by heatsinks. Pricing and availability information is not known.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash storage application products, announces the availability of the XPG SX900 Solid State Drive for the USA & Canada. With up to 512 GB of storage potential, the biggest model of this SSD line has a 7% capacity increase over common SSDs in the market that use a SandForce controller.

The XPG (Xtreme Performance Gear) family of products has been expanded to include solid state drives, and the SX900 is a perfect match for the performance requirements of this elite group. Built for enthusiasts, the SX900 utilizes a SATA III 6 Gbps connection and SandForce 2281 controller. Its maximum sequential read and write speeds are 550/530 MB per second, with maximum random 4k write speeds as high as 85,000 IOPS.

Western Digital today announced it is now shipping the new WD VelociRaptor 1 TB hard drive, the latest addition to its award-winning drive family, the largest capacity 10,000 RPM hard drive on the market today. Designed for high-performance PCs, Mac computers and professional workstations that require a balance of high performance and capacity, the WD VelociRaptor drive is a favorite among enthusiasts and creative professionals. The WD VelociRaptor will also come in capacities of 500 GB and 250 GB.

Leveraging enterprise-class mechanics to provide 24x7 durability under high-performance workloads, the new WD VelociRaptor 1 TB hard drive is geared for creative professionals who demand the ultimate SATA drive. Creative pros use write-intensive applications that manage large, dynamic files; for example, video editing and digital content creation and management, which ultimately put a strain on storage devices that utilize write-challenged NAND memory for performance enhancement. WD VelociRaptor's outstanding read and write performance across the entire disk capacity makes it a perfect match for the creative professional and enthusiast who want to optimize their tools, enhance productivity, and increase storage space at the same time.

With the 14 nm "Broadwell" architecture, Intel will take a new step towards integration of the platform-controller hub (PCH) with the CPU, by designing it to be a multi-chip module (with the CPU+northbridge in one die, and PCH on the other). This would make "Broadwell" a true System-on-chip (SoC), which allows over 90 percent of the system's I/O to be routed to the processor socket, including memory, PCI-Express, SATA, USB, etc. Although not the first to the industry with single-chip chipsets and integrated memory controllers, Intel rapidly reshaped the arrangement between CPU and core-logic, over the past four years.

It began with transfer of memory controller from northbridge to CPU die (45 nm "Bloomfield"), and transfer of the entire northbridge to the CPU die (45 nm "Lynnfield"). The graphics northbridge transferred a little more gradually, first as multi-chip module with a separate CPU die (32 nm "Clarkdale"), then complete integration with the CPU die (32 nm "Sandy Bridge"). All through, the southbridge, or I/O controller hub (ICH) remained outside the CPU package, with the addition of a display output logic, it transformed into a "platform controller hub" (PCH), which is still just a glorified southbridge. Naturally then, such a drastic relocation of system components will warrant a socket change.

Embedded systems and IPC maker J&W unveiled the first Atom "Cedar Trail" motherboard in the nano-ITX form-factor. The board measures just 120 x 120 mm, and is designed for embedded computing devices. It draws power from a 2-pin 12V DC input. It holds a dual-core Intel Atom D2700 (2.13 GHz) or D2500 (1.83 GHz) processor, one DDR3 SO-DIMM slot (reverse side), which supports up to 4 GB of DDR3-1066/800 MHz memory, and basic connectivity. The lone expansion slot is a mini-PCIe, designed to hold WLAN adapters.

Display outputs include D-Sub (by header), LVDS, and HDMI. Connectivity options include one SATA 3 Gb/s (AHCI), five USB 2.0 ports (three type-A connectors, two via headers), gigabit Ethernet, 6-channel HD audio over HDMI and 2-channel analog audio, RS232 Serial, SD/SDHC card reader, SIM card slot (3G option), consumer IR, and PS/2 (header). The CPU and core logic can be passively cooled. The Cedar Trail Nano-ITX board from J&W will be available to embedded systems and IPC markets, soon.

In order to provide a pure 2.5" to 3.5" SAS conversion, Icy Dock is proud to introduce the new MB982IP-1S-1 2.5" SAS/SATA to 3.5" SAS SSD & HDD Converter. The MB982IP-1S-1 is an addition to the already popular MB982 enterprise series, with an emphasis on industrial level SAS storage applications. The dimensions, connection locations, and mounting hole positions are carefully placed to mimic a standard 3.5" SAS drive or SSD.

The MB982IP-1S-1 also utilizes a full metal design, thus creating the best environment to cool any 10K, 15K RPM mechanical or enterprise SAS solid state drive, meanwhile, the rock solid construction is ideal for industrial, enterprise, and military related applications. A completely standardized SAS connection is implemented to be fully compatible with various backplanes that may be used. The converter is designed specifically to be used for 2.5" SAS/SATA drives that are required in 3.5" SAS internal hard drive bays of tower and rack mount chassis, as well as with backplanes or hot swap modules.

Team Group Inc., one of the leading manufacturers in memory and storage products in the world, is having the eyes on the explosive potential of SSD market, as we are constantly looking for ways to improve ourselves in terms of R&D capability. Last year, the SSD S3 was a blast in the market, and this year, the blast is going to be even bigger when we launch the new generation of S3 PRO to satisfy the yearning of die-hard users. Compared to its predecessor, the S3 PRO features up to 60% more in random writing speed! Any other SSD products in the market can only bite the dusts!

Team Group SSD S3 PRO employs high standard SATA 6 Gb/s transmission interface, and is equipped with SandForce controller that all hard-core players can dream of. This serious piece of work features stability and safety that are consistent with the ultra-high standard of Team Group. The reading and writing speeds are improved to a perfect 550 MB/s. The powerful 520 MB/s write-in speed (240GB) and unprecedented random write-in speed of 90,000 IOPS (input/output per second) are integrated with the protection of S.M.A.R.T technology, RAISE and ECC correction to give pro players the turbo charger that pushes the speed to the limit. S3 PRO is now available with four volumes from 60 GB to 480 GB, allowing all levels of adrenaline seekers to experience the excellent performance of S3 PRO.