Netlist, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of high-performance memory subsystems, today announced the expansion of its Embedded Flash product portfolio with two new mSATA module additions to the SSD Flash product line. The mSATA mini SSD module offers storage capacity of up to 32GB with onboard 64MB DRAM cache. The mSATA slim SSD module offers storage capacities up to 128GB with onboard 64MB DRAM cache. Both products' smaller form-factor and SSD support for ultra-dense applications makes the mSATA mini and slim modules ideal for datacenter equipment and embedded systems.

"As datacenter equipment becomes increasingly compact, Netlist is tackling space limitations with an innovative Flash product portfolio," said Steve McClure, vice president of worldwide sales and marketing for Netlist. "With our new mSATA mini and mSATA slim SSDs, Netlist addresses the constrained space requirements by providing 2x to 5x the storage density of legacy form-factor solutions."

HP today announced a new lineup of powerful mobile workstations, ideal for engineering, power-computing and content-creation customers who need the performance of a workstation with the portability and convenience of a notebook. HP also unveiled the HP Z210 Workstation, demonstrating its continued investment in the desktop and mobile workstations market, where it holds leading market share.

Building on HP's "FORGE"#8221; design framework, the HP EliteBook w-series embodies a timeless construction, with precision-engineered durability features that are designed for maximum reliability and with the environment in mind. The new products showcase HP's first-ever industrial design specific to mobile workstations, with distinctive features including a radial-brushed gunmetal finish, backlit jewel logo and orange-colored accents.

Sharkoon expands their portfolio of internal removable frames for SATA drives. The two new models of the "Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Intern" series fit in a 5.25 inch PC bay, and offers a respective four or six installation bays for SATA hard drives and SSDs in a 2.5 inch format.

The storage medium can simply be removed and re-attached by use of the screwable mounting frame, the lockable front covers guard against unwanted access. Cooling is provided by the fan on the backside of the case. To connect the hard drive slots with the main board SATA ports each has an appropriate number of SATA cables. Power is supplied via a 4-pin power connector.

The GIGABYTE GA-6UASL Series of single socket motherboards for server offers the best platform to deliver the new world class performances available through Intel's brand new processor microarchitecture and chipset series.

Designed for small and medium business applications, the GIGABYTE GA-6UASL Series offers a multipurpose product perfect for applications such as web server, file & print server, e-mail server, storage server, and any type of vertical-specific business applications, but it is also absolutely suitable for high performance computing and embedded applications.

Sharkoon presents two external SATA RAID cases in a stylish, black metal design, which allows multifunctional configuration possibilities for a fail-safe hard drive system. The Sharkoon 2-Bay RAID Box offers two lockable Hot Swap bays for 3.5 inch SATA hard drives, each with up to 3 Terabyte storage capacity. The inserted data medium can be operated in RAID level 0, 1 or JBOD. The desired mode can be selected through a switch on the case's front. Blue LEDs display operation, data transfer and the selected RAID mode. Cooling is ensured by the 70mm fan on the backside. For external connection, the 2-Bay RAID Box provides a USB3.0 interface. The case measures 215 x 130 x 120 mm (L x W x H) and weighs 1926 grams. An instruction manual, power cable, USB3.0 cable and two keys are provided within shipping.

Now-shipping to retailers worldwide: HighPoint RocketHybrid HBA's - delivering cost-effective, high-speed hybrid storage for gamers, media professionals and PC-enthusiasts. RocketHybrid HBA's are cutting-edge PCI-Express 2.0, SATA 6Gb's Host Adapters, powered by Marvell's revolutionary HyperDuo technology.

The performance benefits of SSD's over conventional HDD's are enticing to all, but their high cost of entry and low storage capacity keep many potential customers away. Hybrid storage resolves this dilemma - with RocketHybrid HBA's, you can combine inexpensive SATA hard disks with fast SSD's, into a high-performance and high-capacity storage solution. RocketHybrid HBA's remove the dollar-per-gigabyte barriers imposed by today's high-capacity SSD's.

TYAN, an industry-leading server platform manufacturer, and a subsidiary of MiTAC International Corp., announces new single-socket servers that support the Intel Xeon Processor E3-1200 series (codename: Sandy Bridge). The S5510 and S5512 motherboards are ideal as entry-level servers for both small business and enterprise server customers. For high-density datacenter applications such as web hosting, TYAN has launched the industry-leading FM65-B5511 Micro Server.

The FM65-B5511 supports up to 18 Intel Xeon processors in a 4U enclosure. The FM65-B5511 is based on the Micro Module Server Specification, which addresses the emerging server segment that features scale-out, single-processor nodes with higher density and lower power consumption for web services applications.

G.Skill International Co. Ltd., manufacturer of extreme performance memory and solid-state storage with solid quality, today announces its new Phoenix EVO SSD, utilizing the performance leading controller SandForce SF-1222 and high quality 2xnm NAND flash chips. The Phoenix EVO drive contains 115GB with rated speed of read/write 280/270 MB/sec, and will be available via G.Skill authorized distribution partners in early April.
Keeping pace with the flash manufacturers' transition from 3xnm to 2xnm, G.Skill has utilized 2xnm flash chips for its award winning SSD, Phoenix family. To ensure the best performance and reliability during the transition, G.Skill has teamed up closely with SandForce and has run G.Skill Phoenix EVO through a wide range of rigorous tests with the latest firmware. All Phoenix EVO drives only use strictly selected original flash chips from key suppliers to guarantee the top reliability and stability.

Enermax released 3.5-inch compatible variants of its Jazzmate series portable HDD/SSD enclosures. The first Jazzmate enclosures only supported drives in the 2.5-inch form-factor. Measuring 200 (D) x 123 (W) x 38 (H) mm, these enclosures have a double-sided mesh design to help ventilate the drives, a completely tool-free design, matte black color, and acrylic stands. The 3.5-inch Jazzmate is available in two variants: a USB 2.0 variant, and a USB 2.0 plus eSATA 3 Gb/s variant, priced at €24.90 and €29.90, respectively.

Mach Xtreme Technology Inc., a worldwide leader in top performance, high reliability and user friendly designed PC components, today unveiled the 1.8"micro-SATA MX-MDS Series SSD. Based on the best-in-class SandForce SF1222 controller, the 1.8" MX-MDS Series delivers an enhanced mobile computing experience with much faster application loading, ultra-fast data access, shorter boot-ups, and longer battery life of all laptops with micro-SATA interface.

This series maintains the highest level of read and write performance though the life of the SSD. Highly intelligent block management and wear leveling optimizes longevity of MX-MDS series drives. The MDS series supports DuraClass, DuraWrite and unique RAISE technologies. DuraClass technology provides best-in-class endurance, performance, and low power. DuraWrite technology extends the endurance of MLC memory providing at least 5 year lifecycles with 3-5K cycle MLC flash. RAISE provides the protection and reliability of RAID on a single drive without the significant write overhead.

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world-class NAS servers, NVR Video Surveillance Systems, and Network-based Media Players today announced expansion of their popular Business Series lineup of Turbo NAS servers, to include the new TS-x59 Pro II series: the 4-drive TS-459 Pro II, the 5-drive TS-559 Pro II, and the 6-drive TS-659 Pro II. The TS-x59 Pro II lineup sports the powerful yet energy-efficient dual-core Intel Atom D525 1.8GHz processor along with 1GB of DDRIII RAM (expandable to 3GB). In addition to powerful processors, the new models are the first in the industry to support SATA 6Gb/s hard drives. Also new is USB 3.0 support, ensuring internal and external hard drives deliver the highest performance possible.

Lenovo announced today the ThinkStation E30 workstation and ThinkCentre M81 desktop - two new solutions that bring users speedy performance with 2nd generation Intel Core processors, rapid boot up/shut down and extra productivity features. Designed for creative, engineering and financial professionals who rely on specialized software applications to power their work, users get workstation-class performance and reliability starting at an affordable $599. Meanwhile, the ThinkCentre M81 desktop equips large businesses with the advanced computing features employees need to be most productive.

"Workstation users need the kind of performance that lets them do more each minute. The ThinkStation E30 workstation builds on our strong workstation platform, combining new rapid processing for data-crunching with more vivid and intense graphics capabilities," said Tao Gu, executive director and general manager, Workstation Business Unit, Lenovo. "We created the ThinkStation E30 workstation to offer extremely powerful processing on a software-certified solution at desktop prices."

Intel Corporation announced today its highly anticipated third-generation solid-state drive (SSD) the Intel Solid-State Drive 320 Series (Intel SSD 320 Series). Based on its industry-leading 25-nanometer (nm) NAND flash memory, the Intel SSD 320 replaces and builds on its high-performing Intel X25-M SATA SSD. Delivering more performance and uniquely architected reliability features, the new Intel SSD 320 offers new higher capacity models, while taking advantage of cost benefits from its 25nm process with an up to 30 percent price reduction over its current generation.

"Intel designed new quality and reliability features into our SSDs to take advantage of the latest 25nm silicon, so we could deliver cost advantages to our customers," said Pete Hazen, director of marketing for the Intel Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) Solutions Group. "Intel's third generation of SSDs adds enhanced data security features, power-loss management and innovative data redundancy features to once again advance SSD technology. Whether it's a consumer or corporate IT looking to upgrade from a hard disk drive, or an enterprise seeking to deploy SSDs in their data centers, the new Intel SSD 320 Series will continue to build on our reputation of high quality and dependability over the life of the SSD."

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announced that it has shipped its one millionth solid state drive.

"Solid state drives continue to represent a game-changing technology for both consumers and enterprise clients, and we are proud to achieve this milestone," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ. "But most of all, I wanted to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our loyal customers and partners, without whom this success would not be possible."

Sharkoon rolled out its take on a four-slot HDD/SSD dock, the SATA QuickPort Quattro. The device lets you connect up to four SATA HDDs or SSDs in 3.5" or 2.5" form-factors, like inserting cartridges into ye olde video game consoles. Measuring 285x165x95 mm (LxWxH), the dock, the dock weighs a little over a kilogram. It connects the drives to a host system over USB 3.0 or eSATA 3 Gb/s. There are separate power buttons that let you activate/deactivate individual drives, as well as individual power/activity LEDs. The unit is cooled by two fans, the speed of each fan can be adjusted manually. Sharkoon SATA QuickPort Quattro will be priced at around €99.

NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce the H2, a silent midtower chassis that drastically reduces the chaotic noise produced by powerful gaming PCs. In designing H2, NZXT's challenge was to engineer a decibel reduction solution while allowing components to remain cool through effective airflow. To achieve these feats, the H2 implements a layer of premium noise dampening foam that keeps internal noise from escaping the chassis. A magnetic fan cover on the top 140mm fan adds another element of silence, but can be removed if the user prefers to maximize cooling.

Efficient airflow is further achieved with a unique 3 phase fan controller that allows enthusiasts to adjust speeds at 40%, 70%, and 100%. The removable touch powered fan compartments are wireless so there's no need to open the side panel to rummage through neatly managed cables behind the motherboard to remove the fan. 8 Front facing HDDs give H2 a thermal edge over other silent solutions on the market by enhancing natural airflow in the front of the case.

Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced a new mSATA interface SSD that conforms to new JEDEC MO-300V standard.

SSDs are fast, reliable, non-volatile storage devices used in a variety of portable devices. The recent proliferation of netbook and tablet designs has created the need for a standard to enable easy and efficient integration possibilities. The mSATA JEDEC standard MO-300B is one such standard. It is a SATAII interface SSD using a mini PCIe formfactor.

Intel's 320 series solid-state drives (SSDs) are on track for a March 28 launch. The silicon giant is on a bit of a spree with its SSD product launches over the past few weeks. Intel 320 series, also referred to as "Postville Refresh", succeeds the company's X25-V and X25-M series, consisting of SATA 3 Gb/s SSDs in the 2.5-inch form-factor. The drives achieve sequential read speeds of 250 MB/s, and write speeds of 170 MB/s; Up to 39,500 IOPS random 4 KB reads, and up to 23,000 IOPS random 4 KB writes.

The only major change here is the multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash chips used inside, which are built on Intel's new 25 nm manufacturing process. Other new features include 128-bit AES data encryption, enhanced power-loss management, and up to 1.2 million hours MTBF. 320 series is available in 40 GB (US $109), 80 GB ($189), 120 GB ($239), 160 GB ($329), 300 GB ($569), and 600 GB ($1,119). With the 320 Series, Intel intends to target the business/office and mainstream markets, propagating SSDs to key high-volume segments.

Cubitek presents another unique case series after the successful launch of the "Tank" Series. The "Magic Cube" enclosures are made of 100% Aluminum and offer a revolutionary, modular design. Two models - the Magic Cube B210 and Magic Cube B211 with freely configurable modules are available immediately.

After the success of the "Tattoo" series and the launch of the highly anticipated, all Aluminum "Tank" family of enclosures, Cubitek presents an absolutely unique new case concept. Also constructed purely of Aluminum, all traditional parts of a normal chassis have been modularized with the Magic Cube cases. These sets consist of three separate enclosures: the main module for the motherboard, CPU and graphic cards, the storage module for 3.5 inch hard drives and the drive module for optical drives and card readers.

The Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFI) Working Group, the organization dedicated to simplifying integration of NAND Flash memory into consumer electronic devices, computing platforms, and industrial systems, today published the new ONFI 3.0 standard. By using the non-volatile DDR2 (NV-DDR2) interface, the newly ratified standard reaches speeds of up to 400 megabytes (MB)/sec, doubling the current NAND interface transfer rates.

The ONFI 3.0 standard details the interface and infrastructure that ONFI's more than 100 members can employ to develop products that deliver the industry's fastest NAND interface. Improvements in ONFI 3.0's NAND interface speeds will also enable future NAND controllers to achieve similar performance with half the number of channels, providing both a cost and space savings, which are key requirements for solid-state drive (SSD) design. The ONFI 3.0 incorporates a sophisticated die selection feature that reduces the number of chip enable (CE) pins, which in turn lowers the number of controller pins making PCB routing more efficient. Reducing the number of CE pins is especially important for SSDs, providing a significant cost reduction and allowing the extra pins to be assigned to other applications within the system.

Western Digital, the world's leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its My Book Studio Edition II dual-drive storage system with a massive 6 terabytes (TB) of storage to meet the capacity needs of today's creative pros and Mac enthusiasts who create, store, edit and archive large HD video and photo files. The new capacity provides users 33 percent more storage than the previous capacity, while maintaining the same footprint.

Combining its extended 6 TB storage capacity and compatibility with Apple Time Machine, the new My Book Studio Edition II drive becomes an instant storage solution for a variety of professions including art and design, photography, legal and medical, and a host of other small businesses.

Sharkoon introduced its latest 2.5-inch portable drive enclosure, the QuickStore Portable Pro. Available in USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 (which also supports USB 2.0) variants, the enclosures can house hard drives and solid state drives in the 2.5-inch SATA form-factor, with SATA 3 Gb/s interface. Apart from more common 9.5 mm thick HDDs/SSDs, the enclosure also has room for 12.5 mm thick drives (the 10 mm thick WD VelociRaptor should fit). Measuring 134 x 82 x 18.5 mm (L x W x H), it weighs around 80 g (minus drive). Installation is completely tool-free. A one-touch backup feature works with the bundled backup software. The USB 2.0 variant is priced at around 10 EUR, while the USB 3.0 variant is around 17 EUR.

Cubitek, the new comer of the year in the case market, is presenting their newest case series after the successful launch of the Tattoo family. This new enclosures, called "Tank" is a new highlight in their product line-up. Three different sizes, which are all constructed of Aluminum, every type of mainboard between ITX and HTPX has been covered, giving the user total choice and control. Even though these cases are constructed of the light and high quality material, the "Tank" series also manages to impress with a competitive price point.

After the successful "Tattoo" series, which manages to impress with a unique, practical feature set and three internal color choices, the "Tank" series is clearly aimed at the enthusiast PC user. The three versions - Mini-, XL- and HTPX-Tank - are constructed using Aluminum exclusively, making them very light but retaining the strength to cope with big and heavy hardware. All "Tank" cases offer modern extras and a long list of excellent features.

Seagate Technology today announced its latest enterprise solutions designed to deliver storage for the widest range of application environments. Joining the industry's most award-winning enterprise lineup, these solutions include: two new members of the Pulsar Solid State Drive (SSD) family that deliver the ultimate enterprise performance, endurance and reliability; two next-generation Savvio 15K and 10K hard disk drives (HDD) optimized for a balance of high performance and capacity; and the latest Constellation ES.2 3TB HDD for pure capacity-optimized mass storage needs.

"The surge in storage consumption is being driven not only by the growth of content and use within the enterprise, but also by new applications and devices that directly or indirectly consume enterprise storage," said Kurt Richarz, Seagate EVP of Product Line Management. "Seagate's new family of enterprise storage solutions meets the diverse storage needs of these high growth application environments, whether it's fast transactional database servers, bulk storage and archiving, or everything in between."

Active Media Products, a leading manufacturer of DOMs and small form factor SSDs, announced that two of their low-profile 7-pin SATA DOM (Disk on Module) drive types now feature a write enable/write protect switch, which is useful in many embedded applications to prevent inadvertent deletion of files.

Most embedded computers are optimized to run a single application reliably year after year. Once deployed they are usually expected to operate continuously, maintenance free. DOMs are perfect for such applications because they are very reliable and have outstanding endurance, with a MTBF up to two million hours. The write protection switch improves reliability by allowing embedded system makers to write protect the drive after loading the OS and applications onto it. Write protection adds an extra level of security against viruses, file corruption, or inadvertent file deletion which could cause a failure of the embedded system. This improves field reliability of embedded computers and helps keep maintenance costs to a minimum.