Exactly a month after rolling out the 3.5-inch optimized PF-213CR3 multi-functionality front-panel, Japanese peripherals vendor Ainex rolled out its larger sibling for your empty 5.25-inch bays, the PF-107CR3. Featuring a matte black bezel, the device provides a lot more connectivity than its 3.5-inch sibling, featuring three USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports (two by standard headers, one by cable), five USB 2.0/1.1 ports, of which one features a high-power (850 mA) output, for charging your gadgets; and a multi-format card reader that supports standard SDHC/SDXC, micro SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro/Duo/Pro Duo, and CompactFlash Type I/II. In addition to the three USB 3.0 inputs, its back-panel features a 2-port USB 2.0/1.1 header, and a SATA power input. The PF-107CR3 is expected to ship later this month.

Japanese peripherals maker Logitec announced the LHR-DS05EU3 line of 3.5-inch external HDD enclosures. Available in four color options - silver, red, black, and purple; the enclosure is sold empty/dry, priced at 4,280¥ (US $50), with a 3 TB WD Green HDD pre-installed for 19,980¥ ($237), and a 2 TB WD Green HDD pre-installed for 13,980¥ ($166); and WD Red HDD pre-installed options priced at 22,980¥ ($273) for 3 TB and 15,980¥ ($190) for 2 TB.

The enclosure features a front-loading caddie that makes it easy to swap out the enclosed HDD, lending it hot-plugging capabilities. Internally, it features a SATA 6 Gb/s interface, which is wired out as both eSATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0 SuperSpeed. The enclosure features shock and vibration dampening material to protect the enclosed drive, which is also kept cool by a temperature-controlled 40 mm fan. The body, made of steel and ABS, is designed to be stackable. Measuring 50 x 195 x 134 mm, its dry-weight is about 340 g.

Ratoc thinks it solved the problem of left/right plane's misalignment found with amateur 3D video recordings, caused by filming equipment that write each plane's video onto a separate memory card. The misalignment issue, according to Rotac, is usually caused during production, when each plane's memory card is separately loaded. Its answer: a card reader two two independent SDXC bays.

The MR08 line of readers, from Ratoc, available in internal 5.25" form-factor and an external one measuring 192 x 274 x 60 mm, feature dual SDXC bays, a variety of other single bays (such as MS, CF, 2.5-inch SATA), and USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface to make sure bandwidth is never an issue. The production software can access both memory cards simultaneously, cutting down production time, and potential latency issues. The two will be launched soon, in markets around the world.

Freecom Technologies announced the "Hard Drive Classic" line of portable HDDs, which provides 2 TB capacity, with fast USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface, and a single cable that handles both power and host-connectivity. Available in matte red and matte black, the drives measure 32 x 176 x 112 mm (WxDxH), weighing about 760 g. The drives include software for secure erasing, encryption, and an eco-mode, which spins down the internal drive when idling, to conserve your laptop's battery. It is priced around 14,980¥ (US $180).

Still using an old case with not much front-panel connectivity? This one's for you. Japanese peripherals maker Ainex announced the PF-213CR3, a 3.5-inch front-panel that adds a plethora of connectivity. It includes two common USB 2.0/1.1 ports, two high-powered (800 mA) USB 2.0/1.1 ports (yellow), which allow quicker charging of smartphones and tablets, a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port, a multi-format card reader, and a USB 3.0 SuperSpeed port. The device draws power from a SATA power connector, to drive its card-reader and high-power USB ports. It connects to the system over standard USB 2.0/1.1 front-panel header, standard USB 3.0 header, and common HDMI. Slated for December 18, it is priced at 3,980¥ (US $48).

Kanex, a leader of innovative Apple and iOS connectivity solutions for homes and businesses worldwide, today announced two new USB 3 solutions including the 4-Port USB 3 Hub and the USB 3 Gigabit Adapter. These new USB 3 solutions provide users with additional USB 3 ports or a Gigabit port for their Mac or PC.

NPD In-Stat research forecasts SuperSpeed USB-enabled device shipments will surpass one billion in 2014, up from 70 million last year. "Our customers are asking us for solutions to connect the growing number of USB 3 devices," said Kelvin Yan, president of Kanex. "Our new USB hub and adapter enables our customers to extend their capabilities at home, in the office or on the road. We want to help our customers solve their technology challenges by enabling more ports or giving them ports that their computers may not have."

Transcend announced the ESD200 line of portable SSDs. Measuring 62 x 92 x 10.5 mm (WxDxH) and weighing just 56 g, the drives are available in 128 GB and 256 GB capacities, and take advantage of USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface, with a single cable handling both power and host connectivity. The drives provide sequential read speeds of up to 260 MB/s, and up to 225 MB/s sequential writes. In addition to data encryption software, the zippy road-warriors come with ECC support, and one-touch data backup. The included Transcend Elite software also syncs files and settings between computers although it's not [yet?] Windows to Go certified. The 256 GB and 128 GB variants are priced around $250 and $125, respectively.

Have you ever felt the need to have control (which can't be second-guessed by the OS) over which drives stay active in your multi-bay drive enclosure? If so, this enclosure (model: CRCH35U3IS) from Japanese peripherals vendor Century could be a Godsend. The enclosure allows you to manually toggle power to individual drives. It features four 3.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s lockable caddies, and connects to its host over USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface. A single SSD has been tested to achieve transfer rates as high as an honest-sounding 400 MB/s. The enclosure is cooled by a temperature-activated fan, which can be overridden. Measuring 130 x 260 x 185 mm (WxDxH), the enclosure weighs about 3.2 kg (probably because it includes a power supply). Slated for early-December, it is priced at 17,800¥ (US $220)

Imation Corp., a global scalable storage and data security company, today announced beta availability of its IronKey Workspace, certified for deployment of Windows To Go. The IronKey Workspace lets organizations outfit mobile professionals with a secure, fast USB platform to run Windows To Go from a USB stick on multiple compatible PCs, an ideal solution for teleworkers, contractors, and those implementing BYOD ("bring your own device") strategies. The IronKey Workspace is certified for deployment of Windows To Go, a feature of Windows 8 that lets enterprise users boot a full version of Windows 8 from an external USB drive on compatible host PCs.

"The traditional and static arrangement of the software instance of the user's workspace bound to a single hardware device no longer fits the personal computing requirements of a growing population of workers and, for that matter, their employers; breaking this software-to-hardware linkage is essential," said Michael Suby, Stratecast's vice president of Research at Frost & Sullivan. "PC on a Stick addresses this need by infusing complete and secure workspace portability into the realm of personal computing."

I-O Data unveiled the HDPX-UTSS line of Portable solid state drives. Built with a 9 mm-thick chassis that encloses a 7 mm-thick SSD originally manufactured by Intel (most likely Intel SSD 330 series) , the series includes 60 GB (HDPX-UTSS60K), 120 GB (HDPX-UTSS120K) and 240 GB (HDPX-UTSS240K) models, priced at 10,920¥ ($137), 16,485¥ ($207) and 31,080¥ ($391), respectively. The drives feature USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface, to alleviate bandwidth bottlenecks. Real-world benchmarks show the drives to provide up to 250 MB/s of transfer rates. The drives are Windows to Go (WTG) compliant. Measuring 75 × 110 × 9 mm, the drives weigh about 110 g.

Elecom Japan announced three new portable multi-format memory card readers that take advantage of the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface, the MR3-C002, MR3-C003, and MR3-C004 (pictured below in that order). Built in a cabled form-factor, the MR3-C002 supports as many as 54 kinds of media across the CF, SD, mini-SD, micro-SD, MS, M2, and MS Pro Duo form-factors. The MR3-C003 is built in a capped form-factor, resembling USB flash drives, it supports 49 kinds of media in the SD, mini-SD, micro-SD, MS, MS Pro Duo, M2 form-factors. The MR3-C004 is the cheapest of the lot, also built in the capped form-factor, supporting 32 kinds of media in the SD, mini-SD, and micro-SD form-factors.

The three are available in black, graphite, red, and silver color options. The MR3-C002 measures 69 x 43.5 x 15 mm (WxDxH), weighing 42 g; the MR3-C003 82 x 21.5 x 14 mm, weighing 24 g; and MR3-C004 67.5 x 21.5 x 14 mm, weighing 18 g. The MR3-C002, MR3-C003, and MR3-C004 are priced at 4,095¥ ($51), 3,675¥ ($46.5), and 2,900¥ ($36.5), respectively. They are slated for November 2.

Icy Dock is proud to introduce the MB981U3N-1SA USB 3.0 2.5" / 3.5" SATA & IDE Hard Drive Adapter. This adapter is an ultra portable yet space saving solution for users who require high transfer speed with multiple hard drives to swap, whether it is IDE / SATA or a 2.5" / 3.5" form factor.

The MB981U3N-1SA accepts almost all kinds of drives including ATA (IDE), SATA, 2.5", 3.5" hard drives and SSDs. It allows universal adaptability with modern PCs or Macs via SuperSpeed USB 3.0. With a theoretical maximum of 5Gb/s, you get the lightning fast transfer performance you need to finish your tasks fast. With USB 3.0 capable of backwards compatibility, the adapter can be used in older systems that only have USB 2.0. This is the best interface to date with reliable compatibility for many different systems.

Seagate Technology plc. today introduced SuperSpeed USB 3.0 to the award-winning Backup Plus storage for Mac. Currently available through Amazon.com and from Apple Stores in November, both Backup Plus Portable for Mac and Backup Plus Desktop for Mac drives will feature the new USB 3.0 interface, which is also compatible with earlier USB 2.0 ports. This new interface means faster transfer of data, so you can backup more quickly, up to 10x that of USB 2.0, via TimeMachine or simply transferring a file from a computer to external storage.

Selected as the Editor's Choice portable external drive by PC Magazine, Seagate Backup Plus hard drives were first introduced in June of this year. Designed to work interchangeably with both Windows and Apple computers, these new drives deliver features to protect, share and save nearly every aspect of one's digital life. Seagate Backup Plus products include a software feature that makes them the world's first external hard drives to provide a way to backup content from social networks, such as Facebook and Flickr. The Seagate Dashboard software included on Backup Plus for Mac drives delivers a quick and easy path to Save and Share personal photos and videos on Facebook and Flickr.

Transcend announced the RDF5 multi-format card reader, which takes advantage of USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface. At roughly the size (measures 56 x 24 x 9 mm) and shape of a capped USB flash drive, the RDF5 supports SDHC, SDHC, and micro-SDHC/SDXC. The reader sports a piano-black top with gold lettering, and graphite body. A power/activity LED is located on its top. It is priced at €12.50.

Liantec announce ITX-QM77 industrial Mini-ITX Intel QM77 Ivy Bridge Mobile motherboard solution. The ITX-QM77 is based on Mini-ITX form factor and Intel Ivy Bridge (IVB) computing platform, supports Intel 3rd generation Ivy Bridge and 2nd generation Sandy Bridge Core i3 / i5 / i7 mobile processors, 16 GB of memory capacity, onboard dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, DVI, HD audio, SATA-III 6Gbit/s, and SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports. The ITX-QM77 also offers x16 PCI Express slot and onboard MiniCard socket with x1 PCI Express and HiSpeed USB 2.0 interface for additional expansion.

With Intel latest Ivy Bridge platform, the ITX-QM77 provides advanced graphics computing capacity with Intel HD Graphics 4000 GPU, supports Microsoft DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.1, and OpenCL 1.1. Besides, the ITX-QM77 also supports x16 PCI Express 3.0 bus interface with 8 GT/s of data transfer rate on the expansion slot, suitable for add-on graphics or I/O card that need more data transfer bandwidth.

Sharkoon presents two external hard drive docking stations for the USB3.0 interface, in which unobstructed SATA hard drives can be quickly and without effort connected to a computer or notebook. The two Sharkoon Vertical Docking USB3.0 stations, with a choice of either one or two fast-swap bays for SATA hard drives in 3.5 inch format, are equipped internally with a SATA II interface and externally with a USB3.0 SuperSpeed interface.

The disks are easily inserted upright lengthwise into the hard drive bay. A lockable front flap secures the drives against unwanted access while a rear fan helps prevent unwanted heat. The Sharkoon Vertical Docking Single USB3.0 Station with its hard drive bay and 40 mm fan measures 212 x 44 x 129 mm (L x W x H) and weighs 650 g. The Sharkoon Vertical Docking Duo USB3.0 Station with its two individually lockable hard drive bays and 50 mm fan measures 222 x 83 x 134 mm (L x W x H) and weighs 860 g.

Today at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF), the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) announced the number of certified SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) products more than doubled within one year, with 590 certified SuperSpeed USB products on the market.

"The SuperSpeed USB ecosystem experienced unparalleled growth and advancement this year, and we will continue to see a fast and steady increase in the number of certified SuperSpeed USB products," said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF President & COO. "The USB-IF continues to deliver specifications that enable products to exceed consumer expectations."

I-O Data Japan launched the HDPC-UTNS external hard drive, designed for DVR-equipped TVs and other smart devices in your living room. The drive packs 1 TB of capacity, and takes advantage of USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface, and is bus powered, using a single cable for both power and host interface. It features a dual-color chassis which is about 18 mm shorter than older HDPC series hard drives from the company. Measuring 112 x 75 x 14 mm (W x D x H), it weighs about 160 g. Slated for later this week, the HDPC-UTNS is priced at 15,015 JPY (US $191).

Sharkoon is expanding their portfolio of USB3.0 devices: New products now available are an internal card reader, an external card reader and an external 4-Port USB3.0 hub for a SuperSpeed interface.

The Sharkoon Internal USB3.0 Card Reader can be mounted in either a 3.5 inch bay or with the illuminated adapter frame in a 5.25 inch bay to the PC case. To connect the external USB3.0 mainboard a 100 cm long USB3.0 cable with matching compatible bracket is attached. The unit supports SD (HC), SDXC, MMC, MS and CF, the most common card formats. In particular: SDXC (capacity up to 2 TB), SD(HC), microSD(HC), mini SD; CompactFlash: v4.1 with PIO mode 6 and Ultra-DMA mode 6, v5.0 with LBA48 (capacity up to 144 PB); MultiMediaCard (MMC): MMC specification v3.x, v4.0, v4.1 and v4.2, Databus x1, x4 and x8 Bit; Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Memory Stick Micro, Memory Stick PRO-HG and Memory Stick XC (capacity up to 32 GB), the card reader is compatible with the "Memory Stick Series" specifications MS v1.43, MS PRO v1.05, MS Micro v1.04 (MS HG Micro v1.00), MS PRO-HG Duo 1.03, MS XC Duo v1.00, MS XC-HG Duo v1.00, MS XC Micro v1.00 and MS XC-HG Micro v1.00.

Great news NAS lovers, a new high-value 7-bay NAS is now available on the market! Thecus put their hands together and added a new tower to the Vision series. Equipped with an Intel Atom processor, 2 GB of DDR3 RAM, HDMI output and offering incomparable data protection with the McAfee antivirus, this NAS will offer lots of power and lots of storage capacity without spending lots of money. With the 2-bay N2800, 4-bay N4800 and N4510U and the 5-bay N5550, the 7-bay N7510 completes the Vision series of Intel Atom NAS from Thecus.

Buffalo launched a 2 TB variant of its MiniStation 3.0 portable hard drive (model: HD-PCT2. 0U3-GBJ). Slated for late-July, the drive will be priced at 29,925 JPY (US $380). The drive is built into the conventional MiniStation chassis, which is available in piano-black and pearl-white finishes. The drive is completely bus-powered, and connects to the host over USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface (backwards-compatible with USB 2.0 HiSpeed).

The drive comes pre-formatted with FAT32+ file-system, with the volume storing Windows and MacOS X installers for Buffalo Tools (disk management software) and TurboCopy (speeds up file-transfers). The drive can later be re-formatted to the file-system of your choice, after backing up the installers. Measuring 144 x 77 x 20 mm, the drive weighs about 255 g.

Buffalo Japan unveiled the MiniStation Air 500 GB wireless portable hard drive (model: HDW-P500U3). The drive combines 802.11 b/g/n (up to 150 Mbps) wireless data connectivity with USB 3.0 SuperSpeed (5 GT/s) wired data+power connectivity. When in wireless mode, the drive powers itself using an in-built 2,860 mAh lithium-ion battery, which can keep it ticking for up to 4.5 hours before needing a recharge.

The drive comes with applications by Buffalo on App Store for iOS devices, and Google Play for Android devices, which lets you access its contents securely, and configure the device to treat the drive as a storage device. Photos taken by your smartphone, for example, can be instantly transferred to the drive; you have 500 GB of space to go around with, when video-recording with your phone. The drive supports the latest Wi-Fi security standards, including WPA2/PSK, with AES encryption for data transmitted wirelessly.

Giada, a brand of Shenzhen Jiehe Technology Development, Co., Ltd, today announces the i53 Mini PC. With full HD 1080P video, high connectivity, support, and an attractive design, Giada's new book-sized i53 Mini PC is an ideal choice for home entertainment, web browsing, and document writing.

The i53 is based around Intel's Mobile HM76 Express chipset and Ivy Bridge technology platform. Even while offering great performance, this environmentally friendly PC only uses 35W.

Akitio, a leading manufacturer of storage solutions, announced today the release of the Neutrino U3+ laptop hard drive enclosure to the company's ever-expanding product line. With the news of Apple's integration of USB 3.0 to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, the Neutrino U3+ is ideal for Mac users, as well as audio and video professionals, looking for a portable, speedy storage solution.

Akitio's Neutrino U3+ is encased in a portable aluminum enclosure and was created for ease of use and the latest 2.5" SATA hard drives. By combining USB 3.0 SuperSpeed technology with FireWire 800, Neutrino U3+ provides two of the fastest transfer speed combinations available.

Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking and network and direct attached storage solutions, today announced the availability of the MiniStation Thunderbolt / USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive. Demonstrated earlier this month at Computex in Taiwan, the MiniStation Thunderbolt is the world's first portable Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 dual-interface external drive solution. With the flexibility of either SuperSpeed USB 3.0 or a lighting fast Thunderbolt connection, the MiniStation Thunderbolt is ideal for PC and Mac users looking for the fastest interface speeds while preserving backward compatibility with existing devices that support USB 2.0.

"With the creation and transferring of digital content accelerating at ever increasing paces, protecting that data on the go continues to be a challenge for all types of users," said Brian Verenkoff, director of marketing at Buffalo Technology. "With the MiniStation Thunderbolt, consumers can now move or backup digital assets faster, simplify connections between devices, maintain compatibility with nearly any device and foster new and exciting ways to use portable storage."