Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced a version of its SSDNow KC300 that allows corporations and organizations the ability to manage the drive. The custom Kingston KC300 SSD is fully compliant with the Opal specification of the Trusted Computing Group (TCG).

The TCG Opal 1.0 compliant KC300 is ideal for companies implementing centralized management software to manage security policies, password recovery, compliance logging, automatic updates and user creation/deletion. The self-encrypting drive provides organizations with strong, easy-to-use and high performance built-in security. The custom KC300 SSD is designed to work with popular enterprise management applications including WinMagic SecureDoc, Wave Embassy and McAfee Endpoint Encryption for PC (EEPC).

The S20 Slider 2, the ideal mobile work station and leisure companion, just hit the market. Its elegant streamlined exterior, all-in-one design, Intel's 4th generation Haswell Core i5 processor, and all-weather, long-life battery meet are designed to meet your work and leisure needs and make the S20 Slider 2 stand out from the crowd of other ultrabooks.

Another MSI ingenious design, the S20 Slider 2 not only offers all the audio, visual, multimedia, reading, and gaming enjoyment of a tablet, it also sports a keyboard, USB, and HDMI capabilities of a mobile office notebook. This chicly mobile machine satisfies the needs of both on-the-go business people and students and the extended battery power ensures that you have plenty of time to do what you're doing. Ideal for Internet browsing, social networking, and word processing, the S20 Slider 2 is the perfect choice for anybody on the go. The S20's design with keyboard and sliding cover eliminates the limitations most people feel when they use tablets. MSI's innovative, user-friendly design have you the user in mind.

Buffalo Technology, the global manufacturer of innovative storage, networking and wireless solutions, today launches one of the world's fastest portable storage devices, the DriveStation Mini Thunderbolt SSD edition (SSD-WAT).

Featuring two SSD drives as well as two Thunderbolt ports; the device offers unparalleled interface transfer speeds, more than double those of regular Thunderbolt SSD drives and at least four times faster than USB 3.0. Its read speed exceeds 760 MB/s and write speeds are more than 615 MB/s, enabling users to transfer up to 800 MB of data (or 1,000 photos) in just 1.3 seconds.

Samsung extended RAPID mode, a burst performance enhancing feature enabled through its Magician software, to its 840 Pro series SSD. The mode was exclusive to its recently launched 840 EVO series. RAPID mode is known to exploit various sub-systems of the machine and time transfers through SATA 6 Gb/s in a way that produces throughputs as high as 1.1 GB/s on the 840 EVO. TheSSDReview put the mode to test on the 840 Pro, and found it to offer throughputs nearing 1 GB/s, again, in short bursts. To get RAPID mode, simply update your Samsung Magician software to the latest version available, and the mode should show up on the side-pane.

Toshiba Corporation today announced that it will expand its family of enterprise SSD with new models designed to support read intensive applications with SATA interface. The new "HK3R series" will start shipping from the end of this month.

"HK3R series" SSD have a 2.5-inch form factor, implement a 6 Gb/s SATA interface, and will be available in capacities up to 480 GB. The drives support one full DWPD and are suited for server and storage systems for online transactions, cloud computing, online gaming and big data analytics, especially where customers are looking for a balance between cost, endurance and performance.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled a new, compact storage solution, the 840 EVO mSATA solid state drive. Pictured below, this SSD makes use of 128 gigabit (Gb) 1x-nm NAND flash memory, it has a Samsung controller with TurboWrite technology, and is capable of 98,000 random read and 90,000 random write IOPS, as well as sequential read/write speeds of up to 540/520 MB/s.

The 840 EVO mSATA will be available this month globally in 120 GB, 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB capacities.

According to some newly-leaked slides, Intel is planning quite a solid state drive release spree for the second quarter of 2014, one that will see the introduction of three storage solutions - the SSD Pro 2500 Series (codename Temple Star), SSD DC P3500 Series (Pleasantdale) and SSD DC P3700 Series (Fultondale). All three SSD families are going to utilize 20 nm MLC NAND Flash memory, will be available in two form factors and will be backed by a five-year warranty.

Plextor, a leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media and storage equipment, and NCIX, Canada's biggest technology e-retailer, have built a strategic partnership in which Plextor will supply solid-state drives for NCIX custom PC division, NCIXPC. Known previously for the stellar quality of its optical-disk drives, Plextor has emerged as a top player in solid-state storage, making Plextor SSDs a top choice for gamers looking for speed, consistent performance, durability, and reliability. Consequently, Plextor is now a go-to resource for NCIX, which builds customized, high-performance gaming systems.

Plextor and NCIX co-featured an exhibit at the E3 Expo video-game industry conference earlier this year. That collaboration was so successful that NCIX has decided to use Plextor SSDs in two of its gaming systems, the 901-M and IR-57M models, respectively. NCIX's 901-M "MilSpec 3.0" includes Plextor's M5Pro 256GB SSD, while Plextor's M5S 128GB solid-state drive is a key component of NCIX's IR-57M, a MinMax build that emphasizes graphics performance and scores high on longevity, quality and power.

Toshiba Corporation today announced that it will expand its family of enterprise SSD with new models designed to support read intensive applications. The new "PX03SN series" will start shipping from the end of this month. "PX03SN series" SSD have a 2.5-inch form factor, implement an SAS interface, and will be available in capacities up to 1.6 TB. The drives support one full DWPD and are suited for server and storage systems for online transactions, cloud computing, online gaming and big data analytics, especially where customers are looking especially for a balance between cost, endurance and performance.

As SSDs play catch-up with HDDs on the capacity front, the focus will shift to NAND flash memory designers increasing transistor densities using newer silicon fabrication technologies. In the absence of that, SSD designers will have to cram more number of NAND flash chips to achieve desired high capacities. That throws up two key issues with having too many chips in one place - heat and power. Intel is gearing up to deal with heat on its upcoming "Fultondale" and "Pleasantdale" SSDs for data-centers. Leaked company documents seen by VR-Zone reveal renders of what Intel expects the drives to look like.

Built in the 3.5-inch form-factor the drives are built almost entirely of chunky metal, with a retractable top lid, and its body. The body doubles up as heatsink, it features metal ridges which dissipate heat drawn from the NAND flash chips of the SSD to the air. Internally, the drive will feature at least two PCBs, one which holds the controller, cache RAM (if any), and some NAND flash chips; while the other holds NAND flash chips entirely. How hot can things get? According to the source, the drive could draw as much as 25W of power. That could amount to enough heat to warrant a passive heatsink. Intel is expected to unveil the two drives at IDF Beijing, slated for Q4-2014.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announced that the Company has signed an asset purchase agreement with Toshiba Corporation, a global technology leader and manufacturer of NAND flash memory, to acquire substantially all of OCZ's assets in a chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding for $35M.

Under this agreement Toshiba will acquire OCZ's client and enterprise solid state drive business. OCZ will continue to operate and serve existing and future customers during this process. Toshiba has agreed to provide the Company with DIP (Debtor-in-Possession) financing to ensure that there is adequate capital and flash supply to support the business during the contemplated sale period. The consummation of the asset purchase agreement is subject to an auction and approval by the bankruptcy court in the Company's bankruptcy case.

Toshiba, a committed technology leader, announces the slim, 7mm MQ01ABF solid state hybrid drive (SSHD) series. Equipped with Toshiba's NAND flash and available in 500GB1 and 320GB capacities, the MQ01ABFH series is the first Toshiba SSHD drive family in 7 mm. The series continues Toshiba's legacy of providing world-class storage products, and offers customers a complete lineup of 2.5-inch solid state hybrid drives with the previously announced 1TB2 and 750GB MQ01ABDH series 9.5mm SSHDs for ultrathin and thin and light notebook PCs, multimedia and gaming applications, and traditional laptop PCs.

Drawing upon its knowledge and experience in NAND flash, Toshiba optimized the NAND flash performance into a tiered-storage approach that uses the speed of the DRAM and NAND components with the high-capacity of rotating media. The SSHD delivers SSD-like performance without dependence on external drivers or assistance from the host system. The PC Mark Vantage Score, the established industry method for measuring SSHD read/write performance and responsiveness, for the MQ01ABFH series is approximately 20,000, surpassing the 16,000 industry standard result.

Organizations with a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) can now get a significant performance boost with the Intel SSD Cache Controller RCS25ZB040. Powered by LSI Nytro Technology, the Intel RCS25ZB040 is designed to expedite data across a VDI while decreasing the cost per desktop.

The Intel RCS25ZB040 accelerates VDI performance with intelligent caching technology, which monitors frequently accessed data and retains it on its enterprise-grade flash for faster access. Plus, it moves data faster across a VDI and reduces the cost per desktop within the infrastructure.

WD, a Western Digital company and storage industry leader, today announced the release of the WD Black2 dual drive, a unique storage innovation that fuses a 2.5-inch 120 GB solid state drive (SSD) with a 1 TB hard disk drive (HDD) to offer a powerful dual drive solution. Perfect for consumers and service providers looking to upgrade notebooks, small form factor desktops, and single-slot and all-in-one (AIO) systems with both SSD level performance and HDD capacity, the WD Black2 dual drive connects through a single cable and fits into a conventional 9.5 mm slot.

"Our customers told us they like our Solid State Hybrid Drive technology, but our tech savvy users asked for more control of where they store their data," said Matt Rutledge, senior vice president of WD's Storage Technology business unit. "The WD Black2 dual drives empower our customers to enjoy SSD performance and access high capacity storage in a no-compromise package. The WD Black2 dual drive is a direct result of our interaction with our customer base through WD Labs initiatives. WD devised its beta labs program to provide an exclusive testing arena for key customers and technology influencers of existing and emerging WD storage products."

Everspin Technologies today announced that Buffalo Memory is introducing a new industrial SATA III SSD that incorporates Everspin's Spin-Torque MRAM (ST-MRAM) as cache memory. In addition to breaking new ground as a SATA III SSD, this product is also the first to specify STMRAM for its cache. Buffalo Memory will showcase the new product at its booth (B-05) at the Embedded Technology 2013 conference held in Yokohama, Japan on November 20-22.

Buffalo's SS6 series SATA III SSD with Everspin ST-MRAM cache improves tolerance for sudden power loss and reduces power consumption. SATA III runs up to 6.0 Gigabits per second, twice the rate of SATA II, which improves quality of service in high data rate applications.

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it will exhibit at the LSI Accelerating Innovation Summit (AIS) 2013. A gold sponsor, Kingston will showcase its robust range of enterprise- and client-based SSDs. Kingston will exhibit in Booth 14 during the show, November 20 and 21 in San Jose, Calif.

In addition to its current SSD range, Kingston will preview its forthcoming solutions using the LSI SandForce SF3700 flash controller family. In 2014, Kingston's next generation of SSDs will provide even greater performance, reliability and higher capacities. Future SSDNow enterprise SSDs will further enhance datacenters of all sizes and functions from hyper scale to traditional corporate, which will make it easier to bring the power and benefits of Flash memory into the server environment. These future enterprise SSDs will make it possible for exponential numbers of virtual servers and increased computing performance without investing in costly storage systems that take up more physical space and use more power and cooling.

Silicon Power, the world's leading provider of memory storage solutions, announces the revolutionary Thunderbolt solid state drive- Thunder T11. As the pioneer of storage technology advance, Silicon Power's endeavors to optimize professionals' user experience and is honored to present the brand new SSD- Thunder T11. The revolutionary palm drive utilizes Intel's Thunderbolt technology and is now officially certified by Intel and Apple. With the adoption of advanced Thunderbolt technology, Thunder T11 symbolizes the new age of storage solutions and assures users of absolute reliability, capability and compatibility for both MAC and PC users.

"Thunderbolt technology can come in small palm size packages for true mobility", said Jason Ziller, Intel's Director of Thunderbolt Marketing, "We are pleased with Silicon Power's support for Thunderbolt technology and bringing Thunderbolt mobile storage to the next level for professional consumers."

LSI Corporation today unveiled the third generation of its market-leading SandForce flash controller line, the industry's most widely deployed flash management technology for driving PCIe and SATA solid state drive (SSD) and flash card solutions. Designed to support power-sensitive client computing applications as well as I/O-intensive enterprise and hyperscale environments, the new LSI SandForce SF3700 flash controller family provides the increased levels of flash performance, reliability and endurance needed to meet the exacting needs of SSD manufacturers.

The SF3700 family is the industry's first flash controller that provides the flexibility to support both native PCIe Gen2 x4 and SATA 6 Gb/s host interfaces in a single ASIC design. This unique capability greatly simplifies SSD designs and helps to significantly reduce development and manufacturing costs for SSD makers.

In addition to the 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch models mentioned earlier, Green House's new line of Phison controller-equipped solid state drives includes a trio of compact solutions, the mSATA GH-SSD3MA Series (SATA 6.0 Gbps) and GH-SSD2MA Series (SATA 3.0 Gbps) and the Half-Slim SATA 6.0 Gbps GH-SSD3HA Series.

These SSDs make use of MLC Flash memory, have a three-year warranty, and come in 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB capacities. The GH-SSD3MA and Gbps GH-SSD3HA models can reach speeds of up to 470/160 MB/s (read/write) while the GH-SSD2MA units top 200/120 MB/s. The drives will go on sale at the end of this month.

Japanese company Green House has today announced multiple solid state drives based around controllers from Taiwan-based Phison Electronics. Among the models presented are the GH-SSD32B Series (2.5-inch form factor / SATA 6.0 Gbps interface), the GH-SSDP2A Series (2.5-inch / PATA) and GH-SSD21A Series (1.8-inch SATA 3.0 Gbps).

The GH-SSD32B line includes 60 GB, 120 GB, 240 GB and 480 GB units that utilize MLC NAND Flash memory and deliver speeds of up to 520/420 MB/s (reading/writing). The GH-SSDP2A SSDs reach 80/60 MB/s (reading/writing) and come in 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB flavors, while the GH-SSD21A family tops 200/120 MB/s (read/write) and goes from 32 GB to 128 GB. All these SSDs have a three-year warranty and are set to become available at the end of this month.

ADATA Technology has announced its presence at the 6th annual Accelerating Innovation Summit (AIS 2013) as a gold sponsor. Responding to the latest industry and market needs, ADATA will display two potent solid state drive (SSD) offerings: the SX1000L server SSD and the company's groundbreaking PCIe based SSD solution. These storage systems are designed for both server applications, and for system integrators to effectively manage the rising data challenges faced by today's organizations and systems planners.

The SX1000L server SSD is a 2.5" form factor SATA 6Gb/sec solution that is provided with customized over-provisioning and high data compression efficiency. With the majority of data in enterprise environments being compressible, the SX1000L provides sustained performance, as well as superior endurance and reliability. Sequential read speeds reach 550 MB/sec, and sequential write is as high as 500 MB/sec, with IOPS of 75K and 45K (Maximum 4K random read and write, respectively).

Elgato today launched the Thunderbolt Drive+, a portable storage solution that houses a solid state drive and features both Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 connectivity. This new drive measures 83 x 21 x 131 mm. it weighs 270 grams, has an IP64-rated (dust and water splash resistant) metal enclosure, and delivers transfer speeds of up to 420 MB/s.

The Thunderbolt Drive+ comes in 256 GB and 512 GB versions which are priced at $499.95/€499.95 and $899.95/€899.95, respectively.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announced its new Vector 150 SATA III SSD Series that utilizes the latest cutting-edge 19 nanometer (nm) NAND flash process geometry and an in-house controller design that shatters barriers by delivering OCZ's highest performing SATA III solid state drive series to date. At the forefront of Vector 150 innovation is OCZ's proprietary Barefoot 3 controller which was designed completely in-house by the Company's hardware and firmware teams to enable full design control over the product roadmap while delivering high performance flash-based storage, enhanced endurance, and a host of differentiated features for laptop, desktop and workstation applications.

Building off the success of the original Vector SSD Series, the Vector 150 SSD Series implements industry-leading performance by delivering consistent, sustained speeds over time regardless of whether the data is in compressed or uncompressed formats. It provides superior speeds across all capacities to dramatically accelerate gaming, content creation, and multimedia applications, supporting read bandwidth of up to 550 MB/s, write bandwidth of up to 530 MB/s, 4K random read speed of up to 100,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS), 4K random write speed up to 95,000 IOPS and sustained 4K random write performance of 26,000 IOPS.

In addition to readying the RUF3-PW Series flash drives, Buffalo is also set to introduce a speedy new external drive that uses Thunderbolt connectivity, the SSD-WAT Series. Suited for video editing and other intensive work, the upcoming drive measures 154 x 102 x 45 mm, it weighs 540 grams, has an aluminum chassis, active cooling, and it packs two solid state drives set in RAID0 which enable speeds of up to 763 MB/s. The drive includes two Thunderbolt (10 Gbps) ports to allow daisy chaining of up to six devices.

The SSD-WAT Series drive will ship in 256 GB (78,015 yen / ~ 790 USD), 512 GB (111,615 yen / ~ 1,131 USD) and 1 TB (189,000 yen / ~ 1,916 USD) capacities.

TDK Corporation announced today the launch in November 2013 of the SHG4A series of half slim type solid state drive (SSD) modules for industrial applications. The new NAND flash memory modules support the serial ATA II standard and enable storage capacities of up to 128 GB also with SLC type NAND flash memory. Measuring only approx. 54 x 40 mm, the modules are about one half the size of a 1.8-inch hard disk drive (HDD).

The SHG4A series of half slim type industrial SSDs employs the standard SATA connector also used for 2.5 inch type SSDs, which eliminates the need for a special connector at the customer's host side. The GBDriver power interruption tolerance algorithm which has won high acclaim especially among industrial users, and an integrated power supply protection circuit are standard features, making this compact SATA flash drive resistant against power supply problems, a highly desirable characteristic for demanding industrial applications.