Update: Apple just announced the new Macbook Pros for 2011.

At this point it’s pretty darn obvious that Apple will be announcing a Macbook Pro refresh in the next week or so.  But what we still don’t know, and most certainly don’t have any leaked images to tell us, is what new features the shiny new beasts will boast.  BGR says they’ve got a source on the inside and this is what they’re reporting.

The glass trackpad will grow in size, but that’s the least interesting part.  Supposedly Apple will include an 8-16GB SSD with every Macbook Pro, which is said to support the operating system of the computer while the regular spinning hard drive will still be used for storing media, files and all your other stuff.  This makes sense since Apple’s Tim Cook recently implied that all future Macbooks will include an SSD.  In theory this would vastly increase start-up times and we suppose some other backend stuff.  Sounds pretty good to us.  Lastly, the next gen Macbook Pros will cut weight by a half a pound on all skus.

Image courtesy of 37prime

Read

SSD drives were cool to begin with, but SanDisk’s new 64GB SSD is pretty darn small too — the size of a postage stamp, actually. The new iSSD, or integrated SSD, is soldered onto the motherboard and is going to be used for portable devices. Sizes will range from 4GB to 64GB, and have read speeds of 160MB/sec and 100MB/sec write. They’re shipping now, and will be available to manufacturers soon.

SanDisk Introduces World’s Smallest 64GB Solid State Drive-First in New Embedded SSD Category

Category Serves Fast-Growing Market for Ultra-Thin Tablets and Mobile Computers

SanDisk® integrated SSD (iSSD) is smaller than a postage stamp and weighs less than a paper clip
Fastest high capacity embedded storage solution at this physical size-designed for high performance and reliability for mobile computing platforms
Broad range of capacities available to OEM customers-4GB to 64GB
Market research firm IDC establishes “Embedded SSD” category for highly portable consumer electronics devices
Flash Memory Summit 2010
SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced the first product in a new category of embedded solid state drives (SSD) that are smaller than a postage stamp and offer higher capacities and performance than existing storage solutions. The SanDisk® integrated SSD (iSSD), the first high-capacity product within this new category, is designed for use in fast-growing mobile computing platforms such as tablet PCs and ultra-thin notebooks.

“New embedded SSDs such as the SanDisk iSSD drive, which meet the stringent size requirements of small and light devices while offering greater performance, are designed to enable OEMs to deliver an enhanced user experience in their next-generation designs.”
Computing platforms are responding to consumer demand for highly portable, ultra-thin, anywhere-anytime access to the Internet and their favorite content. The SanDisk iSSD drive is the first flash SSD device to support the industry standard SATA interface in a small BGA (Ball Grid Array) package that can be soldered onto any motherboard, and that is fast enough for use with advanced operating systems in next-generation mobile computing platforms.

“The new category of embedded SSDs should enable OEMs to produce tablets and notebooks with an unprecedented combination of thin, lightweight form factors and fast performance,” said Doron Myersdorf, senior director, SSD marketing, SanDisk. “With our embedded flash storage leadership, SanDisk believes it is uniquely positioned to deliver the ultra compact SSD solutions needed by OEMs.”

“The ultra-thin tablet and mobile computer markets are expected to experience tremendous growth over the coming years, and new advanced platforms will introduce new requirements for storage solutions,” said Jeff Janukowicz, research manager, solid state drives, IDC. “New embedded SSDs such as the SanDisk iSSD drive, which meet the stringent size requirements of small and light devices while offering greater performance, are designed to enable OEMs to deliver an enhanced user experience in their next-generation designs.”

The SanDisk iSSD offers 160MB/sec sequential read and 100MB/sec sequential write speeds for greater system responsiveness*. With no moving parts, the tiny, robust drive is designed to deliver the durability needed by portable devices that are frequently dropped or jostled. SanDisk iSSD offers a substantial level of design flexibility for OEMs who seek to create the next generation of tablets and ultra thin mobile devices based on the standard SATA interface.

The SanDisk iSSD is available now for sampling to OEMs, and is being evaluated by top-tier manufacturers. Measuring 16mm x 20mm x 1.85mm and weighing less than one gram, the drive uses a BGA form factor and a SATA interface, and is compatible with all leading operating systems. SanDisk iSSD is available in capacities ranging from 4 gigabytes (GB)1 to 64GB, with pricing dependent upon the quantity ordered.

About SanDisk

SanDisk Corporation is the global leader in flash memory cards – from research, manufacturing and product design to consumer branding and retail distribution. SanDisk’s product portfolio includes flash memory cards for mobile phones, digital cameras and camcorders; digital audio/video players; USB flash drives for consumers and the enterprise; embedded memory for mobile devices; and solid state drives for computers. SanDisk is a Silicon Valley-based S&P 500 company, with more than half its sales outside the United States.

1 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes.
*Based on SanDisk internal testing of sequential read and write speeds; Performance may be lower depending upon host device, OS and application. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes.

SanDisk’s product and executive images can be downloaded from http://www.sandisk.com/corporate/media.asp
SanDisk’s web site/home page address: http://www.sandisk.com

SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s).

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for our iSSD product, technology measurement standards, performance, applications, features, markets, and customers that are based on our current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: the market demand for our products, including the iSSD product may grow more slowly than our expectations or there may be a slower adoption rate for these products in new markets that we are targeting, our products may not be available at the prices, or in the geographies or capacities that we anticipate, our products may not perform as expected and the other risks detailed from time-to-time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, our annual report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We do not intend to update the information contained in this press release.

Super Talent knows fast storage. Their new UltraDrive MX SSD line of drives has 250MB/sec read and 180MB/sec write speeds, and it’s dual-interface is a perfect way to use their drive as either external or internal storage. The UltraDrive has both mini-USB and SATA II connections, so you can easily clone your existing laptop drive via USB and then replace it. It’ll be available in capacities of 60GB, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB.

The UltraDrive MX SSD is available September 1st, with pricing currently unknown.

Super Talent Introduces new UltraDriveTM MX

Dual Interface SSD makes the decision to upgrade to SSD even easier

San Jose, California – July 26, 2010 – Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced the new “UltraDrive MX SSD”. The UltraDrive MX features a new dual-interface for both SATA II and mini-USB connections. The new dual-interface enables this SSD to offer a new level of flexibility and consumer convenience by enabling the customer to use this drive as either an internal SSD or an external SSD.

For customers thinking about upgrading their PC or notebook to a Solid State Disk, the dual-interface UltraDrive MX is a dream come true. Customers can first utilize the USB connector to create an image of their existing internal hard drive. Once complete, the drives can be swapped and the PC rebooted. In the past, creating such an image required an external hard disk enclosure. Now this operation can be completed, faster, easier and with less expense.

“Most customers know that Solid State Disks offer superior Performance, Reliability and Power Savings, yet they have been unable to makes the switch. The dual-interface on the UltraDrive MX enables a convenient bridge solution during this critical transition period”. , Super Talent COO, C.H. Lee.

More than just convenient, the UltraDrive MX is also a real performer. The UltraDrive MX features the JMicron 616 which enables this SSD to reach an impressive 250MB/s Read and 180MB/s Write speeds. The UltraDrive MX also supports the latest GC and Trim features designed to keep this SSD running at optimum performance for the life of the drive.

This UltraDrive MX drive is an important addition to SuperTalent’s SSD lineup. The new UltraDrive MX represents a premium consumer offering and fits nicely between our Value Line and Enterprise SSD offerings.

The UltraDrive MX will begin shipping September 1st and will be available in 60GB, 120GB, 240 and 480GB capacities.

Now here’s a type of drive I can get excited about. At Computex, LG unveiled the HyDrive, a compelling product that combines an SSD and Blu-Ray reader into one combined drive. Connected through SATA II, the SSD features 64GB of NAND flash memory and read/write speeds of 175MB/60MB per second, respectively, while the Blu-ray is, well, a Blu-ray reader.

CultofMac thinks that, given Apple’s minimalist aesthetic, a combined Blu-ray/SSD would finally entice the company to adopt support for the HD format and let them design their notebooks in an even more efficient way. The SSD speeds and Blu-ray support would certainly be a brand new selling point, and the extra space would give Apple excuses to come up with even better upgrades. With the HyDrive hitting stores in August at an undisclosed price, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Read

One word comes to mind when I laid eyes on OCZ’s Enyo USB 3.0 Portable Solid State Drive: drool.  Yeah, that’s not really a word; more a feeling.  Queue the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack.  Moving on shall we.

So what is the Enyo USB 3.0 Portable Solid State Drive?  Exactly what the name says.  An external solid state hard drive that has all the benefits of flash memory (speed, ruggedness) with a USB 3.0 interface for ultra fast read/write times.  It’s just too bad there’s no one around to buy it, at least not yet.

There’s no word on a price or launch date.

Read

Way back in the depths of 2005, we talked about a kind of ultra portable scanner called the Docupen.  Well, the company that makes these has just released a brand new kind that they’re hoping will be so extreme you’ll likely ignore the mostly pointlessness of the device and buy several.  It’s the Docupen X-Series, and the X is almost certainly for X-treeeeeeme.

The Docupen is essentially a scanner the size of a standard ballpoint pen, and allows you to scan a document or a photo into JPEG format by rolling the scanner part along the surface of the thing you want scanned.  It has 64 gigs of internal memory, microSD card compatibility, and can scan to 600 dpi, which is no mean feat for a pen-sized scanner.

If you do a lot of photo manipulation or deal with a lot of actual paper documents–like, say, business cards at trade shows–then you might feel pretty good about the Docupen X-Series.  But you likely won’t feel good about its price, a whopping $369.

Chances are you’ll almost never need to use this, and chances are even greater that you’ll lose it in short order anyway, so it’s probably not what you’d call a good investment.

Read

Coming to you today from the folks at fu-bi is the Retro Cube Mini Speaker With MP3 Player.

Basically, it’s pretty much what it says on the box.  It’s a speaker that hooks to your iPod or your PC, with either a headphone jack or a USB cable, and will give you about three hours of music for roughly every hour spent charging the battery.  You can also fill up a USB stick, MMC card or SD / SDHC card with music and play them directly from the speaker itself.

It looks like nothing so much as a old fashioned guitar amp, and this is probably where the “Retro” part comes into play.  They sell for about fifty bucks each, but only can be had in Japan for right now.  It’s kind of a nifty idea, but it’s a little bit short on execution.  I mean, great, congratulations. It’s a speaker.  I’ve got several.  But I like that it can be taken anywhere and will play music from outside media, turning it into a pocket stereo.  It’s the kind of thing I could’ve used back when I was in high school.

Read

So remember just yesterday, when I was getting all poingy happy about the half e-reader / half netbook hybrid?  Well, I think I may have just beat that level of awesome but in a totally different direction.  Today I’m talking about the Kohjinsha PA, a combination netbook and tablet PC.

No, seriously–this sucker has a 4.8″ WSVGA touchscreen, 1.33GHz Atom CPU, 512 meg of RAM and a 32 GB SDD.  The battery is slated to run for 7.5 hours, and it even comes with an SD slot and a 1.3 MP webcam, all in a netsurfing portable tablet PC.

I am profoundly impressed by this, even though my chances of ever using such a device are so slim as to approach zero.  I draw like a cat with a pen in its mouth after ingesting large quantities of peyote, so a tablet PC to me is almost less than useless. But still, I’m impressed–and the price is pretty impressive too.

If you want one of these bad boys, you’ll have to shell out a whopping $758 in Japan.  Preorders are going on, and the prices range between $867 and $921.

Read

While the mass adoption of USB 3.0 is currently a long, dark and lonely road, a few storage companies have come forth with details regarding their impending drives that boast such compatibility.

Coming December 11th (of this year) Dane-elec’s line of USB 3.0 compatible hard drives, called Superspeed, will be available for purchase starting at $149.99.  Course at that price you’ll be scoring just 500GB of storage, but drop another $100 (or so) and you’ll quadruple your storage capacity.  Throw a bit more cash around and you’ll get your hands on an SSD version, which of course will maximize the drive’s USB 3.0 abilities of 250mbps. 

DANE-ELEC TO SELL FIRST SUPERSPEED USB 3.0 EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES AND SOLID STATE DRIVES IN U.S. RETAIL MARKET

Starting December 11th, USB 3.0 HDDs and SSDs will be Available
Through Selected U.S. Retailers

Irvine, CA (October 19, 2009) — Dane-Elec, a global leader in memory-based consumer electronics, today introduced its So SuperSpeed Line of External USB 3.0 Hard Drives (HDD) to the U.S. market. The line includes the world’s first USB 3.0 Solid State Drive (SSD), capable of true data transfer speeds of 250MB per second. Consumers will be able to purchase these high-speed USB 3.0 devices from Dane-Elec and its U.S. retail partners starting December 11th, coinciding with the Thanksgiving launch of USB 3.0-compatible laptops and PCs from leading OEMs.

“The eagerly awaited USB 3.0 revolution is finally here, and Dane-Elec is thrilled to be at its forefront,” said Jon Christeson, Director of Marketing for Dane-Elec U.S. “With transfer speeds of up to ten times faster than USB 2.0 devices, these powerful products will be game changers for consumers and small businesses that regularly work with large files such as video content.”

Dane-Elec’s new USB 3.0 HDDs offer consumers several storage options ranging from 500 GB all the way up to 2 TB, and are available in 2.5″ or 3.5″ formats for either laptop or desktop computers. The So Extreme SuperSpeed SSD product line offers consumers a storage option of either 80 GB (Intel M-25) or 160 GB (Intel M-25). Because these devices are powered by USB 3.0 controllers, users will be able to transfer bandwidth-intensive content such as photos, music and video to and from their USB 3.0 built-in port laptops and PCs at record speed, even up to 10 times faster than the transfer speed of current USB 2.0 devices. Observed data transfer speeds for the SSDs have reached 250 MB per second.

Dane-Elec will also be offering USB 3.0-compatible adapters for desktops with PCIe slots and laptops with PCIXpress slots. This will allow consumers using current machines (without built-in USB 3.0 ports) to take advantage of much of the increased speed capabilities of USB 3.0.

Sometimes, you wish you could get access to shaky, variable quality information about just about any topic.  it’s times like these that we usually turn to the internet–but what if we’re away from the wireless internet or what have you?

That’s where the WikiReader device comes in.  It’s powered by two AAA batteries that are estimated to last a full year in this device, and comes with a monochrome touchscreen so you can scroll and track things.

I admit, it’s probably pretty cool to have access to three million articles worth of Wikipedia, especially wherever you happen to be at the time.  Updates are delivered on a quarterly basis, and you can also get a microSD card option added to your WikiReader for just an extra $29 a year.  It will probably do horrible things to barroom trivia contests–NTN is probably freaking out and wetting itself as we speak–but the idea is still plenty cool.

The base unit itself costs $99, and will be available on Amazon on the order of Real Soon Now.

Read

Thanko doesn’t exactly have a good record when it comes to their gadgets, folks, but here’s an exciting piece of news–apparently their MP4 viewer is coming to be regarded as a solid buy!

Now that’s exciting enough as it is–it’s almost like saying “Man, this fried cockroach tastes delicious!”–but not only will this little item, the DIGITAL MP4 AudioPlayer AV, play your MP4 videos, but it also serves as a digital camera.  It has 8GB of onboard memory, with miniSD cards fully supported, even if they only work with Microsoft XP and Microsoft Vista.

Moreover, it also includes a 4.3-inch screen, a mini remote, two mini speakers and an estimated battery life of four to six hours, making this one of the most portable media viewers ever.  Thanko is already selling this device to Japanese customers–word is that the English store will be selling it soon, in case you want to take the chance that this is Thanko’s best product ever.

Read

It’s not too often that the computer’s components cost more than the machine, that is until you set out to purchase a 1TB solid state drive.  OCZ’s 1TB Colossus costs a whopping $2,500 and is set to ship sometime in mid August.  It accomplishes maximum read speeds of 250MB/s and write speeds of 200MB/s, and since it’s actually 2 SSD it rocks a RAID 0 configuration.  At 400g, which is about .9lbs, it sure is a beast.

Read

Flash drives, thumb drives – whatever you wanna call them have become so ubiquitous they’re now stuffed inside of pens, gift bags and just about anywhere they’ll go.  The only problem is that you need a computer to share their contents.

The Leyio is the industry’s first flash drive that utilizes UWB, better known as Ultra Wide Band to exchange its stored contents.  Just stand within short range of another Leyio and you’ll be able to transfer files up to 10Mbps.  Integrated into the base of the drive is a 2GB flash drive for pulling contents off computers or for sharing files with non Leyio devices.  To insure the utmost in security the Leyio features a fingerprint scanner that also doubles as navigation touch pad and battery life on a single charge is a reported 1 month.

I love the idea and seriously applaud its maker, but my gut tells me that the Leyio will not succeed.  Not because it costs $230, but because UWB has yet to be integrated into really any devices and with the launch of Bluetooth 3.0, which promises high speed transfers riding on the WiFi spectrum, it’s sure to supplant any possibility of UWB going, well, wide spread.

The 16GB Leyio is currently only available in the UK, you can find it on Amazon.

Specs:

• 16GB Personal Sharing Device
• 1.5″ OLED Screen to view your data
• Data Transfer between devices with UWB at 10Mb/Sec
• Mini USB for Charging and Loading Data
• USB 2.0 Port for transferring data to/from any USB Key
• Built in USB Shuttle (2GB)
• Finger Print reader for security.