In fact, the WD Black SSHD builds on Western Digital’s 2.5-inch UltraSlim drive, announced back in April, which is a mere 5mm thick. That’s paired with a 19nm SanDisk flash drive, for something that ends up half the volume of a traditional 2.5-inch notebook drive.

The goal is to get the SSHD into ultrabooks and the like, where the tiny form-factor will allow for smaller and lighter chassis. However, since it’s a standalone drive, upgrade potential will also be greater; existing embedded flash storage options generally leave the owner no room to boost internal capacity later on in the ultraportable’s life-cycle.

Upgrades will have to wait until WD and SanDisk start offering the Black SSHD to end-users, with OEMs the first to get the tiny sliver of storage. No word on how much it will cost at this stage.

The first of the new batch is the SanDisk Extreme USB flash drive, which is USB 3.0-enabled and can store and share large files up to 10 times faster at speeds of up to 190MB/s. A 3GB file can be transferred in 20 seconds, while a 40GB file can be transferred in just four minutes. The flash drive comes in 16GB to 64GB capacities, priced from $64.99 to $159.99.

The Cruzer Glide USB flash drive offers SanDisk’s highest-capacity USB drive, able to store up to 128GB worth of data. Considering that many ultra-thin notebooks these days sport flash drive limited to 128GB of storage, using the Cruzer Glide in tandem would essentially double your portable storage capacity. The Cruzer Glide is available now in 4GB to 64GB capacities starting at $19.99. The 128GB version will be available in Q3 of 2012 for $249.99.

The Cruzer Facet USB flash drive emphasizes personality and fashion, featuring a stainless steel casing along with a colorful faceted texture. It is available in 8GB to 32GB capacities priced from $32.99 to $84.99. Similarly geared towards style, is the Cruzer Pop USB flash drive, which is hoping to appeal to younger consumers. It has a unique “pop” open design and comes in rich colors and patterns. It is SanDisk’s thinnest USB drive and comes in 8GB to 32GB capacities, priced from $32.99 to $84.99.

However, the card will only work in smartphones and tablets that offer a microSDXC card slot, so you might want to check your device before you get too excited. Many phones only support the microSDHC standard, which maxes out at 32GB. It’s amazing to think that the new microSDXC standard will eventually support capacities of up to 2TB all on a tiny card about the size of dime.

The SanDisk Mobile Ultra will be available in a range of capacities from 4GB to 64GB with a starting price of $24.99. But the 64GB whopper will cost a hefty $219.99. And luckily, the new cards come in a bright red and gray color combination, instead of the usual black, so that they’ll be less easy to lose. For more details, visit the SanDisk product page.

The longevity of the new memory Vault is in part thanks to the storage inside that has no moving parts. I can tell you from experience that HDDs fail and that CDs can be scratched making the photos on them unreadable. SanDisk tested the Memory Vault with heat cycling and other tests to prove that it will last for up to 100 years. Inside the shiny metal enclosure is solid state storage.

The Memory Vault is offered in 8GB and 16GB capacities. That is enough space for thousands of photos and hours of HD video according to SanDisk. The Memory Vault is low priced as well at $49.99 for the 8GB version and $89.99 for the 16GB version. I think for many people looking to archive family photos that won’t be enough storage. I would like to see a much larger version in play. As it is now, you will simply have to use multiple storage devices.

The SSD is a drop-in solution that will slip right inside your existing machine for an upgrade in performance and possibly battery life on a notebook without having to replace the entire machine. The Ultra SSD has fast 280MB/s sequential read speed and 270MB/s sequential write speed. The random speeds hit up to 3Gb/s.

The Ultra SSD uses the SATAII interface and will allow for faster booting and application launching as well. SanDisk claims the MTBF for the SSD is up to 1 million hours. The SSD will be offered in 60GB, 120GB, and 240GB capacities. The MSRP for the SSDs is $129.99, $219.99, and $449.99 respectively. All capacities are available right now at Newegg and other retailers.

[via SanDisk]

The TouchPad looks nice and is very polished looking. The pages rotate in a wheel style. Touching the app you want from that wheel will bring it to the full page. All the windows that are part of the app are also easy to close and modify. It looks polished and has some nice features. If the TouchPad will be able to compete with the iPad and Android tablets remains to be seen.

It is impressive on the video how fast the TouchPad transitions between orientations and how fast apps launch and close. It drives me crazy to have to wait for the orientation to change when I move form portrait to landscape on my iPhone. One of the more interesting things in the demo was the contacts page that aggregates all of the methods of getting your contacts in one place. That means things like email and Facebook along with others for a contact are all in one place. Check out the video to see the tablet in action.

[via Gadgets Magazine]

The iSSD measures 16mm x 20mm x 1.85mm for the 128GB version and has very impressive performance despite the small size of the storage device. The iSSD is good for up to 450MB/s sequential read speed and up to 160GB/s sequential write speeds. The iSSD is available in other capacities as well. We talked about the 64GB version of the iSSD back in August of 2010. The iSSD also comes in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB capacities as well.

The U100 drive is the successor to the SanDisk P4 modular SSDs with a 2.5-inch form factor and multiple capacities. The drives can be had in 8GB up to 256GB versions. The U100 is good for sequential read speeds up to 450MB/s and sequential writes up to 340MB/s. The U100 line comes in several form factors with Half-Slim SATA SSD, mSATA, mSATA mini, 2.5” cased, and custom models.

[via SanDisk]

Flash memory is found inside every smartphone out there and even if we don’t want smaller screens, smaller components also mean that your gear can keep the big screen and get smaller and slurp less power. A thinner iPhone with longer battery life sounds pretty good to me. Smaller memory often means less power consumed to operate the hardware leading to longer battery life. SanDisk is one of the largest makers of NAND flash memory chips in the world and a lot of the gadgets you are carrying around today probably use NAND from SanDisk. The company has announced a new breakthrough process technology for its NAND making plant.

The new tech brings to the geek work the world’s smallest and most advanced process node. The tech allows SanDisk to build a 64Gb, 2-bit-per-cell (X2) monolithic chip made on a 19nm process technology. The 19nm 64Gb X2 device will start high-volume production in the second half of this year. The solution will use SanDisk ABL technology and proprietary processing algorithms in MLC NAND chips. SanDisk will also add X3 or 3-bits-per-cell technology to the line up in H2 2011.

[via SanDisk]

The company also reckons it’ll last longer, too, thanks to a proprietary Power Core Controller which distributes data across the flash memory. There’s also UHS Speed Class 1 video support, promising the 10MB/sec minimum sustained write speeds necessary for recording HD 1080p videos or 3D content.

Water, temperature, shock, vibration, x-ray and magnet proof, the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I card will come in 8GB to 32GB capacities. It’s available now, priced between $109.99 and $349.99.

Press Release:

SanDisk Announces SDHC Card Featuring UHS-I Technology—Ideal for Capturing High-Resolution Photos and Full HD Videos

SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I Card Offers Photography Enthusiasts the Performance, Reliability and Durability They Need to Shoot Like the Pros

MILPITAS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today introduced the SanDisk Extreme® Pro™ SDHC™ UHS-I card. The card features Ultra High Speed (UHS) technology from the newly released SD 3.0 specification and achieves up to 45MB/sec* read and write performance with long-term reliability by distributing data rapidly and efficiently using SanDisk’s proprietary Power Core™ Controller.

“SanDisk has a long history of developing fast, highly reliable cards for photography enthusiasts and professionals,” said Susan Park, director, retail product marketing, SanDisk. “Our new SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC card lets consumers take their skills to the next level by capturing high-resolution still images, fast-moving action shots and HD videos of the highest quality.”

Designed for the latest cameras

As DSLRs offer increasingly sophisticated features such as high megapixel continuous burst shooting and high-definition (HD) video capture, photographers need advanced memory cards capable of unlocking their cameras’ full potential. The card achieves high performance and efficient power consumption in UHS-enabled cameras such as the Nikon D7000.

Performance

The SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC card’s write speed of up to 45 MB/sec delivers improved shot to shot performance of RAW images using continuous burst mode. The card also adheres to the new UHS Speed Class 1 video class rating, offering 10MB/sec* minimum sustained write speed capable of recording HD 1080p videos or even 3D content**. In addition, the card’s fast read speeds of up to 45 MB/sec let users avoid lengthy wait times when transferring content from the card to a computer.

SanDisk develops its flash controllers and memory chips together, allowing the company to perfectly match and fine-tune the two technologies throughout the testing process. The SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC card uses an intelligent Power Core controller to achieve its speed. The controller’s data prediction and binary caching features allow for improved overall performance.

Reliability

Featuring an automatic error-code correction (ECC) engine, the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC card offers long-term reliability that comes from the brand trusted by professional photographers. Advanced wear leveling extends card endurance by distributing data evenly throughout the card. For added protection, the card includes one year of RescuePRO® media recovery software, which lets photographers recover their images in case of accidental deletion.

Durability

Designed to withstand the most extreme conditions, the new card offers photographers peace of mind knowing that their photos are stored on one of the most rugged cards in the world. Able to withstand punishment, the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC card is water proof, temperature proof, shock and vibration proof, x-ray and magnet proof***. The card is backed by a lifetime limited warranty.****

Availability and Pricing

The card is shipping to major retailers worldwide and is available immediately at www.sandisk.com. The card comes in 8GB1 to 32GB capacities carrying suggested retail prices ranging from $109.99 to $349.99.

The SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I SDHC card is fully compatible with any camera, card reader or other device that supports SDHC cards. The SanDisk Extreme Pro ExpressCard™ Adapter, designed for high performance SDHC and SDXC UHS-I cards, is available at www.sandisk.com for $49.99.

The only issue is that, SanDisk tells us, there’s no camera out there currently capable of UDMA 7 speeds. Retail product marketing director Susan Park assures us that’s not necessarily an issue, though; the card is backward compatible with UDMA 6 interface cameras and should still sustain the highest possible transfer rates. It’ll also work with existing PCI Express Card readers.

SanDisk expect the new Extreme Pro 128GB UDMA-7 CF Card to retail for $1,499.99; it’s available to pre-order now. We’ll be putting it through its paces as soon as they have a production sample available.

R3 Media Network

SlashPhone
HTC Merge Accessories Spotted in Wild
AT&T Announces Olympus Availabile December/January Via Facebook
BlackBerry Empathy Concept Made to Detect its Users Mood
Microsoft Retail Stores Offer Windows Phone 7 Devices For Free With Contract

Android Community
University of Missouri to offer goMizzou app on Android
Angry Birds on Android Downloads 7M copies
LG P990 Star smartphone surfaces with new UI pics
DROID 2 Global hits Wirefly for just $80
HTC considering E Ink and 3D displays/imaging for future devices?
Show off your Allegiance to the almighty Android in Call of Duty: Black Ops [LOLS]
AT&T and T-Mobile to possibly get Acer Liquid Metal?
NOOKcolor Rooted! [HOLY CRAP]
New LG Star Pictures and Details Leaked
Samsung GT-i9200 snapshots caught on Picasa

SlashGear
Barnes & Noble finances released: saved by NOOK
A Week with NOOKcolor: The Missing Link – Viewing Manually Loaded Books and What a Root Means for the Future [FEATURED]
FarmVille credit & exclusive items added to American Express reward scheme
Verizon 4G LTE event on December 1 will detail US roll-out
Windows Phone 7 update “took 3 months to do what Apple did in 3 years” tips developer
Google Earth 6 adds full Street View, 3D trees & more [Video] [MAP AS BIG AS WHATS MAPPED]
LG Optimus 7 uses NAND flash for storage
Project iPad magazine arrives in App Store
NASA holding press conference Thursday, has it found extraterrestrial life? [NEATO]
Linutop 3 fanless Atom-powered PC surfaces
Microsoft takes i4i case to Supreme Court
135k Windows Phone 7 sales tip Facebook stat watchers
Microsoft Kinect sells 2.5 million units in 25 days
Buy.com blows up on Cyber Monday
BlueAnt unveils new Q2 Platinum Bluetooth headset
HTC E Ink plus 3D displays & cameras in consideration tips job spec
SiliconPower unveils speedy E20 SSD
Comcast accused of internet abuse in latest net neutrality spat [NET NEUTRALITY NOW!]
Sanyo Pedal Juice box gives guitarists staying-power
High-Speed 500MB/sec CompactFlash next-gen standard proposed by Sony, Nikon & SanDisk
iPad goes free in Japan with Softbank deal
Google social networking drive delayed until Spring 2011?
Apple block PhotoFast MacBook Air SSD kit production?
Dell Vostro V130 adds HDMI & Hyperbaric Cooling, keeps ultraportable style
LG Star leaks, blows benchmarking out the water with Tegra 2

To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]

Higher speed means faster continuous burst shooting and speedier transfers back to your computer afterward, but there are also power consumption benefits which should increase battery life. Although it would be similar in size to a CompactFlash card, even accommodating ruggedness measures, it would not be backward-compatible with the existing standard.

Still, it’s in SanDisk, Nikon and Sony’s best interest to sell you new hardware, and you’ve got some time to save up; the CompactFlash Association is putting together a working group to look at the proposal, and then come up with some sort of roadmap for the new high-speed memory card’s development. It’s not clear how long that will all take.

Press Release:

SanDisk, Nikon and Sony Propose Industry Standards for Next-Generation High-Speed Memory Card Format

Companies Jointly Develop New Specifications to Meet Needs of Professional Photography and Video Markets

MILPITAS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), Nikon Corporation and Sony Corporation today announced the joint development of a set of specifications that addresses the future requirements of professional photography and video markets. The three companies proposed the specifications to the CompactFlash® Association (CFA)1, the international standards organization, with the intent to standardize the format.

“The ultra high-speed media, which will be realized by this new card format, will expand the capability of digital SLR cameras and other professional digital imaging equipment”
Professional photography and High Definition (HD)2 video applications require a new generation of memory cards capable of processing significantly larger files. To address the imaging industry’s future speed and capacity demands, SanDisk, Nikon and Sony proposed a new card specification whose performance and storage capabilities surpass those of existing memory cards. Once accepted, the new format will enable exciting new possibilities in the professional imaging and video markets.

The proposed specifications achieve data transfer rates of up to 500 megabytes per second (MB/sec)3 (theoretical maximum interface speed) using the highly versatile PCI Express4 interface. The increased speeds will enable imaging and video applications that could not be accomplished using the current CompactFlash specification’s Parallel ATA (PATA)5 interface. CF6.0, released in November 2010, offers maximum performance of up to 167MB/sec.

The new specifications’ faster speeds enable continuous burst shooting of massive RAW images. The enhanced performance also allows users to quickly transfer storage-intensive high-resolution photos and videos from the card to a computer. The specifications combine high-speed data transfer with low power consumption via a power scaling system to extend battery life.

In addition to industry-leading performance capabilities, the new memory card specifications also meet the future capacity and durability requirements of professional imaging applications. The proposed new format has the potential to extend theoretical maximum capacities beyond two terabytes (TB)6, making it especially useful for high resolution images and HD video applications. Similar in size to a CompactFlash® card, the new format’s access control function and highly durable form factor produce a combination of physical ruggedness and reliability that is indispensable for professional usage models.

“This ultra high-speed media format will enable further evolution of hardware and imaging applications, and widen the memory card options available to CompactFlash users such as professional photographers,” said Mr. Shigeto Kanda, Canon, and chairman of the board, CFA. “This next generation format is expected to be widely adapted to various products, including those other than high-end DSLRs.”

“The ultra high-speed media, which will be realized by this new card format, will expand the capability of digital SLR cameras and other professional digital imaging equipment,” said Mr. Kazuyuki Kazami, operating officer, vice president and general manager, development headquarters, imaging company, Nikon Corporation.

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.

About Nikon

Nikon has been a pioneer in optical technology to develop worldwide since its inception in 1917. Today, Nikon offers a wide range of products utilizing advanced technologies, from consumer optics such as digital cameras and other camera-related products, binoculars and ophthalmic lenses, to industrial precision equipment including IC and LCD steppers and scanners, microscopes and measuring instruments.

About Sony

Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and on-line businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $78 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/

1CompactFlash Association (CFA) is an international standards organization developing specifications for CompactFlash products.

2Full HD (1920X1080X30fps, HD & 3D video support may vary based upon host device, file size, resolution, compression, bit rate, content and other factors. See www.sandisk.com/HD

3Based on SanDisk internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes.

4PCI Express is a serial interface, a computer expansion card standard.

5ATA(Advanced Technology Attachment) or PATA (Parallel ATA) is an interface standard between PC and storage devices.

6 1 terabyte (TB) = 1 trillion bytes.

The Fuze+ line-up features 3 capacities to choose from: 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB. If you choose one of the lower-memory models, you’ll get to choose from several colors: white, blue, red, black, and purple. However, if you want the 16GB model, that only comes in black, so you won’t be able to show off your terrible color choice to all your friends. Don’t expect the feature set to knock you off your feet, but the Fuze+ players do support all major file formats, so that’s good.

You also get full support for slotRadio, as well as full support for microSDHC cards. The User Interface is apparently slimmed down enough to make it simple enough for anyone to use, which may make some people out there bored. However, if one of these little guys is enough to ping your radar, then you’ll be happy to know they’re available right now. You can pick up the 4GB model for $79; the 8GB version for $89; and finally the 16GB for only $119.

Press Release

SanDisk Introduces the Sansa Fuze+ MP3 Player-Offering a Best-In-Class Combination of Features, Ease of Use and Value

New Player’s Touchpad, Large LCD Screen, microSDHC Card Slot and Innovative “Film Strip” GUI Deliver a One-Of-A-Kind User Experience

MILPITAS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced that it has set a new standard for sub-$100 portable media players. The Sansa® Fuze™+ (plus) MP3 player is available now, delivering a best-in-class combination of features, ease of use and value.

“We developed an entirely new product to provide consumers with a stylish, affordable device that performs exactly as a sophisticated yet easy to use player should.”

The Sansa Fuze+ portable media player, successor to the popular Sansa Fuze MP3 player, offers consumers the quality and flexibility they demand at a price that’s hard to beat. The completely redesigned media player delivers a hassle-free and satisfying user experience that enables unparalleled freedom in how consumers access their favorite digital content. Music and video lovers can expand the player’s storage capacity according to their needs, quickly navigate their libraries of files and enjoy high-quality audio and video playback.

“The Sansa Fuze+ is the most versatile portable media player available for under $100,” said Tom Bailey, senior director, AV retail, SanDisk. “We developed an entirely new product to provide consumers with a stylish, affordable device that performs exactly as a sophisticated yet easy to use player should.”

Feature-rich Form Factor

The Sansa Fuze+ portable media player offers sleek and thin styling that fits comfortably in the palm of a hand, and its new capacitive touchpad provides the sensation of using a touch-screen without obscuring the device’s viewable area. The player’s bright, colorful and large 2.4″ QVGA LCD screen produces sharp, vibrant images when viewing videos or photos.

Consumer-friendly “Film Strip” GUI

The player’s unique GUI operates like a film strip, enabling intuitive screen navigation that creates a more natural, crisp and satisfying user experience. Left to right finger sweeps select functions such as Music, Video, Podcasts, FM Radio and Photos, while up and down sweeps or double taps on the touch-pad let users explore and select individual categories and files.

Easy Compatibility

The Sansa Fuze+ portable media player’s broad audio and video CODEC pack ensures easy compatibility with most major media formats.

* Audio: MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC/M4A (DRM-free iTunes songs), FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, Audible, Secure WMA, Podcasts
* Video: H.264, MPEG-4, WMV, Flip Video*
* Photos: JPEG, BMP, TIFF*, GIF*, PNG*

The Sansa Fuze+ portable media player is compatible with Windows, Mac OS and Linux operating systems. The media player is also preconfigured for seamless synchronization with Rhapsody, eMusic and Napster.

microSDHC Card Slot

The Sansa Fuze+ portable media player is fully compatible with SanDisk slotRadio™ cards or any microSD™ card loaded with music, photos or videos**. Consumers can slide these cards into the player’s microSDHC™ memory card slot to instantly expand their music, photo or video libraries without consuming any onboard storage.

* SanDisk slotRadio cards give consumers immediate access to some of their favorite styles of music, including Rock, Country, Oldies, Classical and Hip Hop/R&B. Most slotRadio cards contain 1,000 songs**** featuring top artists from the Billboard® charts, and are available for only $39.99.
* microSDHC™ cards let consumers fill the player with additional content-up to 4,000 songs1 or 64 hours of video (H264 video @ 384 kbps)1 per 16GB card. This feature creates interoperability with compatible devices such as mobile phones with microSD card slots.

Additional Features

The Sansa Fuze+ media player’s rechargeable battery lasts up to 24 hours of audio playback or up to five hours of video playback2. For enhanced versatility, the device also includes a recordable FM radio, gapless playback and a microphone for audio capture.

Pricing and Availability

The Sansa Fuze+ is available in red, white, black, blue and purple. The player is available now at major retailers and at sandisk.com in 4, 8 and 16 gigabyte (GB)*** capacities carrying MSRPs of $79, $89 and $119 respectively, although in-store pricing will be set by retailers.

But, just because something gets smaller, doesn’t mean it’s all that great. If you lose the size, but also start losing features, then there’s no real point in making it at all, is there? Thankfully, SanDisk’s new SSD didn’t fall into this trap. The new chip can be connected together through the traditional SATA interface, which means you can chain these little guys together to make even bigger drives.

As for read and write times? They’ve got the new chip clocked at 160MB/sec for sequential read, and 100MB/sec for sequential write times. That’s better than pretty good, especially considering the tininess involved here. And, we’ll just assume that it’s only going to get better. Only unfortunate part is that this isn’t ready to hit mainstream devices quite yet, but hopefully sooner than later.

Press Release

Flash Memory Summit, Santa Clara, Calif., August 18, 2010-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.

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.

Capacity wise, the Cruzer Blade comes in a range of 2GB to 16GB, and obviously the prices reflect what you’re getting. Starting at the bottom of the spectrum, you’ll be paying $14.99, all the way to the top of the list, where you’ll be smacking down $77.99. And just because it’s small, doesn’t mean that it can’t transfer your data in a reasonable amount of time, as SanDisk says it can handle it just fine. It comes with a two year warranty, and it’s available right now.

[via GearLog]

Of course, to save that fifty bucks you’ll also need to pick up a $200 smartphone and commit to a two-year voice and data agreement, so it’s not exactly the cheapest of ways to get frugal on your flash.  Still, 40GB – with the DROID X’s integrated 8GB – in a smartphone isn’t bad, especially when you consider the Android handset’s HDMI out port and 720p HD video capabilities.

Press Release:

DROID X By Motorola Lands on the Verizon Wireless Network Tomorrow

Expandable Memory, Advanced Multimedia Features and Outstanding Call Quality: DROID X and 32GB SanDisk microSDHC™ Card Available Exclusively at Verizon Wireless

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., July 14 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon Wireless and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced that DROID X by Motorola will be available online and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores tomorrow for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

DROID X by Motorola, the newest innovation on Android™ to run on Verizon Wireless’ 3G network, does more with ultra high-speed Web browsing, an HD camcorder, 8 megapixel camera, 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities, and enterprise features and outstanding call quality. DROID X also comes with loads of memory — 8 gigabyte (GB) onboard and a 16GB memory card. For customers seeking the ultimate in storage, the new 32GB SanDisk® microSDHC™ card allows customers to expand DROID X’s memory to 40GB. Verizon Wireless is the only retailer that offers customers the 32GB SanDisk microSDHC card.
Customers can take advantage of the 4.3-inch high-resolution screen on DROID X for viewing the latest movies from BLOCKBUSTER On Demand® presented by V CAST Video. Additional features and specifications of DROID X by Motorola can be found at http://news.vzw.com/news/2010/06/pr2010-06-22.html.
Customers will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. DROID X customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan (beginning at $39.99 monthly access) and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan (beginning at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access). Customers can add the optional 3G Mobile HotSpot service to their DROID X smartphones for $20 per month. The 32GB SanDisk microSDHC card is available tomorrow for $99.99 when purchased along with the new DROID X or for $149.99 when purchased separately. In addition, current Verizon Wireless customers who have contracts ending by Dec. 31, 2010, can upgrade to DROID X without penalty.
For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving nearly 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 81,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, Nasdaq: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety solutions to mobile and wireless digital communication devices that provide compelling experiences, Motorola is leading the next wave of innovations that enable people, enterprises and governments to be more connected and more mobile. Motorola (NYSE: MOT) had sales of US $22 billion in 2009. For more information, please visit www.motorola.com.
Android Market, Android, Google, Gmail, Google Calendar are trademarks of Google Inc.
SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. microSDHC is a trademark of SD-3C LLC.

The firms are going to cooperate on a new NAND facility dubbed Fab 5 in Mie Prefecture. The construction of the new facility is set to complete in the spring of 2011. The fab will be built in two phases with investment matching market trends. When the second phase of the project is complete, the facility will be comparable in size to Toshiba’s Fab 4.

The new facility is also being constructed using green techniques and gear. The facility will use LED lighting and inverter-controlled pumps for semiconductor equipment making the CO2 emissions 12% lower than at Fab 4.

Of course, you can use any USB stick with your console – all you need to do is allow the 360 to set up a partition (up to 16GB in size) that is then kept aside for gaming data – but SanDisk would much rather sell you their own.  Expect confusion in gaming stores as shoppers are invariably “accidentally” told that they need the “official” stick in order for it to work.

Press Release:

SANDISK SHIPS LICENSED XBOX 360 USB FLASH DRIVE

Pre-configured USB Drive Delivers Best Experience On Xbox 360 Console

Milpitas, Calif., May 5, 2010 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced that it is shipping the Xbox 360® USB Flash Drive by SanDisk for the Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming and entertainment console. The new drive makes it easier than ever for gamers to take their gamertags, saved game progress, map packs, Arcade game downloads and bonus content with them for fast and convenient access on another Xbox 360 console† .

The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk delivers the best experience on the Xbox 360 console. Pre-configured for seamless plug and play action, the drive eliminates the need to format storage or download an initial software update for an Xbox 360 console. For gamers looking to get in on the fun or for those with existing accounts who want to extend their play, a one-month Xbox LIVE Gold membership is included with purchase of the drive†† .

“Xbox LIVE contains a world of content for gamers to explore and download, including full-length games, movies and music,” said Shuki Nir, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Retail, SanDisk. “The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk is specifically engineered to deliver a great user experience and maximum compatibility with the console, offering gamers greater freedom and flexibility in how they store, manage and enjoy their favorite files.”

“SanDisk has a proven track record of creating high-quality storage solutions,” said Ilan Spillinger, Vice President, Xbox Hardware and Technology, Microsoft. “The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk provides a great solution for gamers who need portable storage for their Xbox 360 content. It’s plug and play simple.”

Pricing and Availability

The Xbox 360 USB Flash Drive by SanDisk is available now on SanDisk.com and at major retailers. The drive is available in 8 gigabyte (GB)1 and 16GB capacities, carrying suggested retail prices of $34.99 and $69.99, respectively.

So, what’s Project Pink? Well, so far, it’s two handsets: Pure and Turtle. We know that these handsets aren’t Windows Phone 7-based, but something different. However, we do know that, from screenshots we’ve seen, that they do use the same tiled interface that we’ve seen before. Secondly, we know that Microsoft is pinning these handsets, which we assume are the two we’ve seen before, as social networking oriented handsets. Texting, messaging, and social networking sites being the main focus.

We’ll have to wait to get any more details until Monday. It’s not long to wait. Just a weekend. But, thanks to SanDisk, we know that the handsets will at least support MicroSD card slots, and they will be compatible with SanDisk’s variations. So, that’s good news. Anyone out there looking forward to seeing more Turtle and Pure action?

[via PhoneScoop]

SanDisk reckon the only way they’ve been able to stuff so much flash into the new memory card is because it uses their third-gen 32nm X3 (3-bit-per-cell) technology.  They’re also offering it to OEMs with the option to preload content, so we’re guessing we’ll see more T-Mobile HTC HD2 style offerings where feature films are already waiting on the memory card for you to enjoy on your new toy.

[via SlashPhone]

Press Release:

SANDISK FIRST TO SHIP 32 GIGABYTE MICROSDHC CARD

Consumers Unleash the Potential of Smartphones With
Highest-Capacity Memory Card for Mobile Phones

London, March 23, 2010 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced that it has begun shipping the world’s highest-capacity removable memory card for mobile phones – the 32 gigabyte (GB)1 SanDisk microSDHC™ card. The new microSDHC card offers consumers an unprecedented level of freedom and flexibility in how they store, send and enjoy digital content.

“With the large volume of photos, videos and music that consumers create and carry around, a high-capacity memory card is a must-have component of today’s smartphone,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, president and chief operating officer, SanDisk. “This is the highest-capacity card of its type, and SanDisk is pleased to be the first to ship such an advanced product. This marks yet another important first in our innovative history in the flash memory industry.”

Smartphones have evolved far beyond the simple phone call. They serve as mobile offices, music players, cinemas, cameras, video recorders, GPS devices and gateways to the mobile Internet. The highly-versatile 32GB SanDisk microSDHC card delivers immediate memory expansion that lets consumers enjoy the storage-intensive features of their advanced handsets. For example, the 32GB SanDisk microSDHC card can store enough music to outlast 35 round-trip flights between San Francisco and New York before repeating a single song.

The 32GB SanDisk microSDHC card is available now on SanDisk.com U.S. and European e-commerce sites, with worldwide retail availability to follow next month. The new card comes with a 5 year limited warranty and carries a suggested retail price of £144.99.

The 32GB SanDisk microSDHC card also lets mobile network operators (MNO) and handset manufacturers (OEMs) equip their subscribers with enough storage to match the industry’s leading smartphones. By bundling SanDisk’s new card with the phone, consumers get high-capacity mobile storage in a convenient form factor. SanDisk microSDHC cards are also available in 2, 4, 8 and 16GB capacities and are shipping today in volume.

SanDisk is mass producing the new cards based on its industry-leading, third-generation 32nm X3 (3-bit-per-cell) technology, which makes a 32GB capacity possible in such a small form factor. The successful development and wide distribution of many X3-based products through OEM and retail channels in recent years demonstrates both the technology’s maturity and SanDisk’s ability to quickly bring it to market.

SanDisk microSDHC cards adhere to the stringent quality expectations of top-tier handset manufacturers and MNOs, and SanDisk is taking orders now. To meet the specific needs of different OEM customers, the 32GB SanDisk microSDHC card is available in a variety of card and adapter configurations as well as with the option to pre-load the card with custom software.

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.

As for longevity, SanDisk reckon you’ll be able to write up to 80TB of data to the 120GB G3 SSD before experiencing any issues, using their ExtremeFFS system that works to randomise flash memory use.  You’ll also get a 10 year warranty.

In return for all this, SanDisk are asking for $229.99 or $399.99 for the 60GB and 120GB SSDs respectively.  They’ll also be available in the UK, priced at £199.99 and £349.99 respectively.

Press Release:

SANDISK G3 SOLID STATE DRIVE SHIPS TO RETAILERS

Reliable SanDisk G3 SSD Opens Files up to Twice as Fast and is More Rugged Compared to a 7,200 RPM Hard Disk Drive

London, February 23, 2010 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced that it has begun shipping its SanDisk® G3 Solid State Drives (SSD) to retailers in North America and Europe. The flash memory-based SanDisk G3 SSD offers a compelling alternative to a 7,200 RPM Hard Disk Drive (HDD) for many customers – including do-it-yourself enthusiasts, IT managers or anyone seeking increased durability and performance with high reliability.

“Our rugged drive enables a superior customer experience by delivering extended endurance and fast performance in a resilient SSD design,” said Eric Bone, vice president, retail product marketing, SanDisk. “SanDisk believes in an uncompromising development approach which insists that an SSD’s long term reliability and durability are just as important as its overall speed. We’re leveraging our long history of flash memory and retail expertise to bring the SanDisk G3 SSD to market.”

· Long-term reliability: The 120 gigabyte (GB)* SanDisk G3 SSD can endure up to 80 terabytes (TB)* of data written to it over its lifetimeiv. The solid state drive uses a smart flash management system called ExtremeFFSTM technology that has the potential to accelerate random write performance and thus extend the endurance of SanDisk G3 SSDs inside computers that use operating systems such as Microsoft Windows XP and Windows 7.v

· Rugged durability: SanDisk G3 SSD uses no moving parts, enabling improved durability that helps resist drive damage. Backed by rigorous shock and vibration testing procedures and a 10-year limited warrantyii, the drive offers some of the best-in-class quality assurance that could only come from a trusted leader in flash memory.

· Fast performance: SanDisk G3 SSD opens files up to twice as fast as a 7,200 RPM HDDi, so users can enjoy faster boot-ups and improved system responsiveness. SanDisk G3 SSD has sequential performance of up to 220 megabytes per second (MB/sec) read speediii and up to 120MB/sec write speediii.

· Lower maintenance costs: By replacing standard HDDs with SanDisk G3 SSDs, users can defer laptop purchase costs and reduce maintenance requests associated with disk drive failure.

SanDisk G3 SSD is Microsoft Windows 7 certified and is compatible with Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard as well as Windows XP, Windows Vista and Linux. The drive also supports the newest Windows 7 TRIM feature, which contributes to a substantial gain in the SanDisk G3 SSD’s performance by allowing the drive to continuously manage its resources and retain optimised performance throughout its lifespan.

SanDisk G3 SSD is available now at www.sandisk.com via the U.S. and UK e-commerce sites in 60GB and 120GB capacities with prices of £199.99 and £349.99 respectively. The drive will be available at retailers in North America and Europe soon, with exact pricing to be set by retailers.

To figure that out, bunnie had to go round collecting various real and fake memory cards.  The latter would sometimes be out in huge trays, with street vendors dropping the cards into Kingston packaging and slapping on an “authenticity” hologram and serial number.

“One vendor in particular interested me; it was literally a mom, pop and one young child sitting in a small stall of the mobile phone market, and they were busily slapping dozens of non-Kingston marked cards into Kingston retail packaging. They had no desire to sell to me, but I was persistent” Andrew “bunnier” Huang

After stripping down the various samples with nitric acid and acetone, it was revealed that several of the Kingston-branded cards were in fact fakes, and that even the authentic Kingston cards used Sandisk or Toshiba chips.  It’s an interesting – if technical – read, but if you’re thinking of picking up a new memory card (or trying to save a few bucks by grabbing one in your local market) you should definitely take a look.

[via Red Ferret Journal]

Obviously you’ll need an SD 3.0 compliant camera to slot the Ultra SDXC into, and right now they’re comparatively rare.  Still, many of the new top-spec devices we’ll be seeing at PMA 2010 this week will be compatible, so if you’ve $349.99 burning a hole in your pocket then SanDisk would be pleased to see you.

Press Release:

SANDISK SHIPS ITS HIGHEST CAPACITY SD CARD EVER,
THE 64GB SANDISK ULTRA SDXC MEMORY CARD

SanDisk’s Highest Capacity SD Card Offers Increased Storage,
Making it Ideal for Extended HD Video Recording

London, February 22, 2010 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced that it has begun shipping the 64 gigabyte (GB)1 SanDisk Ultra® SDXC™ memory card, the company’s highest capacity SD™ card ever. With its 64GB capacity, up to 15MB/sec read speed2 and Class 4 speed rating, the new high-capacity SD card is ideal for capturing and storing massive 1080p High-Definition video files and then transferring them quickly to a computer.

SDXC cards are based on the new SD 3.0 specification, which makes it possible to manufacture SD cards with storage capacity up to 2 terabytes (TB)3. The SDXC card’s exFAT file structure helps consumers record long-duration HD videos. The 64GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC card can store more than eight hours of high-definition video with recording speed of 9 Mbps (HD standard)*.

“SDXC is the successor to the popular SDHC card format,” said Susan Park, director, retail product marketing, SanDisk. “The 64GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC card delivers the speed and capacity consumers need for extended HD video recording and improved rapid shooting of still images. The card is an ideal complement for recently-announced SDXC-compatible cameras and camcorders.”

Because the SD 3.0 specification was recently released, only a handful of devices may be immediately available that support SDXC cards. However, the pace of new camera model introduction supporting the SDXC format is accelerating. Canon announced at CES that all of its new VIXIA camcorder models and PowerShot cameras are compatible with SDXC cards. Widespread adoption of SDXC is expected to occur across a range of consumer electronic products including HDTVs, Blu-ray recorders/players, camcorders, cameras, mobile phones, navigation systems and computers. SanDisk® ImageMate® memory card readers are compatible with SDXC cards if the connected PC uses an operating system that supports exFAT.

The 64GB SanDisk Ultra SDXC card comes with a lifetime limited warranty**. The new memory card is available immediately at www.sandisk.com via the U.S. e-commerce site with a price of £259.99, and will be available at SanDisk locations around the world soon after.

The new iNAND 64GB drive can be used for system booting, system code, and mass storage functions. The device is intended to be used in smartphones and mobile phone supporting video and music storage along with other applications. The new iNAND is based on an eight flash die stack using the SanDisk advanced X3 32nm flash and is offered in a 16 x 20 x 1.4mm form factor with standard BGA interface.

SanDisk reports that the new product consolidates system code and user storage onto a single embedded device to save board space and simplify the design. The iNAND device also allows for reduced power consumption, leading to longer battery life for smartphones, compared to designs that need separate storage for system code and user data.

The technology allows the card to store 4 bits of data per cell, twice as much data per cell as traditional MLC NAND used in memory cards. The new technology is built on the 43nm process and the 64Gb chips are high-density single-die devices. The new technology will be used in SDHC cards of 8GB and 16GB capacities and in 8GB and 16GB Memory Stick Pro Duo cards for Sony devices. Pricing and availability information are unavailable at this time.

“The development and commercialization of X4 technology represents an important milestone for the flash storage industry,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, president and chief operating officer, SanDisk. “Our challenge with X4 technology was to not only deliver the lower costs inherent to 4-bits-per-cell, but to do so while meeting the reliability and performance requirements of industry standard cards that employ MLC NAND. Our world-class design and engineering team has applied its deep experience with high speed 2 and 3-bits-per-cell flash chip designs and collaborated closely with our leading design partners to develop and perfect new and powerful error correction algorithms to assure reliable operation. This intensive multi-year effort has generated powerful new patents and know-how, and demonstrates SanDisk’s relentless drive for innovations that result in the ever expanding use of flash storage in consumer applications such as music, videos, photos, games and numerous third party applications.”

The new memory cards include the 16GB SanDisk M2 gaming card for the PSP go. A 32GB Memory Stick Pro Duo and Pro-HG Duo card is now available as well. These cards are for the PSP-2000 and PSP-3000 user and will work in certain Sony digital cameras.

SanDisk is also unveiling a new 8GB SDHC card for the Nintendo DSi that can be used for game storage and music. The M2 card in 16GB capacity sells for $142.99, the 32GB memory Stick Pro Duo card is $229.99, and the 32GB Pro-HG Duo card sells for $279.99. SanDisk’s 8GB SDHC card for the DSi sells for $47.99.

“I don’t know much about speed tests and all that technical mumbo jumbo–that’s best suited for labs in Silicon Valley and press releases, but what I do know is that I never waited on these cards, and I shot 25-frame RAW file sequences all day without running out of storage” Chase Jarvis

Thanks to the UDMA-6 bus the new Extreme Pro cards are twice as fast as SanDisk’s previous range, and there’s also new wear-leveling technology to prolong lifespan.  Meanwhile they’re each rated for use in temperatures ranging from minus 25 centigrade to plus 85 centigrade, and have an RTV silicone coating for moisture and humidity protection.

Finally they’re drop-proof from up to 9ft, and have a lifetime warranty.  They’re set to hit the market in October 2009, with UK prices of £197 to £657 for the 16GB to 64GB versions, and US prices of $304, $518 and $812 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models respectively.

Press Release:

SANDISK EXTREME PRO COMPACTFLASH CARD RAISES BAR FOR PROFESSIONAL GRADE PERFORMANCE, CAPACITY AND RELIABILITY

World’s Fastest High-Capacity Memory Card Features SanDisk
Power Core Controller That Optimises Card Endurance and
Boosts Read/Write Speed to up to 90MB/s

SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), the global leader in flash memory cards, today introduced a new line of SanDisk Extreme® Pro™ CompactFlash® memory cards, setting a new standard for fast, reliable, high-capacity memory cards designed for professional photographers. SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards feature a new SanDisk® Power Core Controller™, an advanced memory controller that enables lightning-fast read and write speeds of up to 90MB/s1, doubling the performance from previous SanDisk high-end cards. The cards are shipping worldwide now with capacities ranging from 16 gigabytes (GB)2 to 64GB.

“The new SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash line is the direct result of SanDisk’s passion, commitment, and break-through engineering innovation to provide best-in-class flash memory cards for professional photography,” said Eric Bone, vice president, retail product marketing, SanDisk. “The SanDisk Power Core Controller delivers unmatched write speed and reliability, providing photographers with a spectacular combination of performance, capacity and peace of mind that images are safely stored.”

SanDisk develops its flash controllers and memory chips together, allowing the company to perfectly match and fine-tune the two technologies throughout the testing process, resulting in high-performance products with industry-leading endurance. The SanDisk Power Core Controller brings numerous benefits to the SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards, including:

· High-Performance: The SanDisk® Power Core™ Controller’s dual-lane architecture and software algorithms double card performance, enabling the SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards’ read/write speeds of up to 90MB/s over a UDMA-6 bus.

· Increased-Reliability: The SanDisk Power Core Controller’s firmware algorithms and 42-bit ECC engine maintain data integrity and extended card endurance through optimised wear leveling.

· Simplified Design: To further increase overall card durability, the SanDisk Power Core Controller features an integrated design that requires fewer individual components on the card’s printed circuit board.

Pr Professional-Grade Memory:
Faster read and write speeds mean more opportunities to capture the winning shot and less time spent offloading gigabytes of images afterwards. Large storage capacity enables photographers to capture RAW images and high-definition video clips in a single session without running out of space.

“Professional-grade memory cards play an important role in producing optimal results from Nikon’s high performance Digital SLR cameras,” said Mr. Sasagaki, general manager, marketing department, Nikon Corporation. “The SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash card’s 90MB/s read and write speeds will boost overall DSLR performance and help photographers get the most out of our cameras.”

The SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards’ 16 to 64GB capacity range offers the storage space needed to allow extended shooting sessions without having to reload, while the cards’ 90MB/s read/write speeds ensure that professionals can transfer their data quickly. This unique combination of speed and capacity makes the new line of cards well suited for professional usage models involving large amounts of data and tight deadlines.

“As a professional sports photographer, I rely on aspeedy camera and high-performance SanDisk Extreme Pro cards to capture as many images as possible within a few seconds using continuous burst mode,” says Jeff Lewis, professional photographer and member of the SanDisk Extreme Team. “How fast you can download and edit images from the cards makes a big difference when it comes to getting sports images distributed. The first images out of the media room tend to be the ones that get picked up. Speed really counts for getting selected by the top photo editors.”

Renowned for their world-class durability, SanDisk Extreme cards guarantee operation at extended temperatures ranging from minus 13 F (minus 25 C) to 185 F (85 C). SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards feature RTV Silicone coating for added protection against moisture and humidity. The cards can withstand accidental drops of up to nine feet, and carry a lifetime limited warranty.3

SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards are fully compatible with any camera, card reader or other device that supports CompactFlash cards.4 The SanDisk Extreme Pro ExpressCard™ Adapter is optimised to take advantage of the SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash card’s up to 90MB/s read speed. The reader carries an MSRP of $49.99 and will be available in late October on SanDisk.com and at select retailers.

Pricing and Availability
SanDisk is also introducing new SanDisk Extreme CompactFlash cards at increased performance of previous SanDisk Extreme III CompactFlash cards. The new SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Extreme Pro cards represent the step beyond SanDisk Extreme III and SanDisk Extreme IV cards, respectively.

SanDisk Extreme CompactFlash cards will be available in capacities of 8GB to 32GB and MSRP ranging from £61 to £190, while SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards will be available in capacities of 16GB to 64GB and MSRP ranging from £197 to £657. Exact pricing for the cards will be set by retailers.

CompactFlash Card Line
Performance1
Available Capacity2
SanDisk Extreme
60MB/s read/write speed (400x)
8GB, 16GB, 32GB
SanDisk Extreme Pro
90MB/s read/write speed (600x)
16GB, 32GB, 64GB

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. SanDiskis a Silicon Valley-based S&P 500 company, with more than half its sales outside the United States.
______________________________________________________________________
1Up to 90MB/s read/write. Based on SanDisk internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device. 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes. X=150KB/sec.
2 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes. Some capacity not available for data storage.
3 Warranty may vary by country.
4 Actual read and write speeds of the SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards are dependent on host device.

The Clip+ offers a microSD card slot allowing users to transfer music to and from the card directly. The update will also allow the Clip+ to support SanDisk’s slotMusic format of albums. Sandisk is aiming the Clip+ MP3 player at users on a budget with a 2GB version selling for $39.99, a 4GB version for $49.99, and an 8GB version for $69.99.

The player features a wearable clip for portability, a 1-inch OLED screen, FM tuner with 40 presets, a built-in mic, and an EQ for customizing the listening experience. Other features include a rechargeable lithium ion battery good for 15 hours per charge and support for subscription music services like Rhapsody, Napster and others.

This card is capable of holding about 160 minutes of video at 1080p and up to 2,500 RAW images. Accompanying 4GB, 8GB and 16GB version of this SDHC are available now with the 32GB available starting in August.

The “Extreme” line can withstand low and high temperatures ranging from minus 13 F up to 185 F. While we don’t knowing the pricing for the new 32GB model, you can take a guess based on the pricing of the rest of the line, with the 4GB costing $70, the 8GB costing $120 and the 16GB priced at $200.

This is really great news for netbooks that use complete a OS like Ubuntu, over the pared down versions. This new tech is non-volatile and is supposed to reduce the times the SSD stalls out or glitches.

With speeds that are the equivalent of a 9,000 RPM HDD, this drive is built to perform and it’s small, too, making it perfect for netbooks. It’s also able to withstand extreme temperatures and is shockproof. You can get the pSSD P2 and S2 in several models including 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions.

If you’re just such an iPhone 3G owner, then make sure to head over to our Mophie Juice Pack giveaway and get your entry in; it won’t change AT&T’s mind, but it will give you a whole lot more battery life to complain to your friends about it.  Be quick, though, as entries must be in by midday central time on Monday!

Our photography expert Daniel Lim grabbed some hands-on time with SanDisk’s ImageMate USB 2.0 card reader, and declared it an essential peripheral for dedicated shutterbugs.  Meanwhile, latest team member Steven Grady celebrated his new job (and graduation) by unboxing the FyreTV VoD system, in a video which manages to be safe for work.  Expect a whole lot of metaphors when he reviews it this week.  Finally, over at Android Community we reviewed the Vodafone HTC Magic, arguably the best Android device on the market today.

Elsewhere in mobile phones, Verizon’s Samsung Alias 2 hit the market (complete with trick E Ink keyboard); we’re still too excited about the Palm Pre, though.  Both an unboxing photoset (minus the Pre) and unboxing video (minus the Sprint branding) turned up during the week, leading us to wonder whether the much-anticipated handset would be launched in a Walt Mossberg WSJ exclusive.

In netbooks, manufacturers showed that while they might not be aiming high with specifications, the aesthetic battle is ratcheting up a notch.  ASUS have been riding high with their Eee PC 1008HA Seashell, which will arrive in the US on May 18th priced at $429, but they’re leaving nothing to chance and following it up with the similarly-styled Eee PC 1005HA-M and 1005HA-H.  They’ll have some competition from Albatron, though; you may not be familiar with the brand, but you’ll drool uncontrollably over their super-slimline entrance to the netbook market.

We also stopped by Mio for the launch of their new Navman Spirit PNDs, including a pretty impressive 7-inch touchscreen unit with integrated digital TV.  Conspicuous by its absence, though, was any sort of internet browser; for that, you’ll have to turn to the SmartQ 7 MID, which we saw specs, live photos and even an unboxing of.

In gaming, the strongest theme this week was musical controllers, and guitars in particular.  Logitech and Hofner both whipped out their own guitar-shaped controllers, but personally I’m more excited by this IR hack which turns a controller into a true “air guitar”.

Finally, the “bad news of the week” award goes to Intel, who were found guilty of harming “millions of customers” in their EC antitrust trial and fined $1.45bn.  If it makes them feel any better, that’s a new record for damages.  Well done, record breakers!

The newest SanDisk ImageMate All-in-one reader has a unique magnetic base to offer vertical placement when used with the supplied metal tripod stand. The stand itself has a rubber base to prevent scratching that precious bird-eye inlay workstation of yours, and fits comfortably but does show a tendency to come loose easily. We also found that the metal plate peeled off after just a few uses; frankly, it’s not the best magnetic fixture design we’ve seen, but it does offer instant portability on-the-go. The chassis is shiny black plastic and has a very thin profile for a multi-card reader; there’s just enough room to squeeze in the blue LED light used to indicate transfer activity. It works with all popular memory card types, with a claimed top speed of up to 34MB/s when used with SanDisk’s own Extreme IV 45MB/s CompactFlash.

Digital content can be transferred quickly and safely by the conventional drag-n-drop method, or alternatively a user-defined app can be launched from a button on top of the reader. We’ll skip this “juicy” feature from our review and go straight to performance in the speed tests, since most image or video editing apps are capable of similar tasks but with extra clicks of the mouse.

SanDisk also provided us with their 16GB CompactFlash Extreme III 30MB/s Edition card, and with that – plus a bag full of SanDisk Extreme Edition CompactFlash cards I’ve learned to trust over the last few years – we have enough to report both the host device and cards performance in camera and computer transfer speed.

To carry out the test fairly, camera settings such as WB and lighting are customized and constant. Across three round of tests, ten images are each taken with these manual settings and a stopwatch used to clock when the camera LED write-indicator turns off. On our Canon EOS-5D Mark II test-rig, the SanDisk Extreme III 30MB/s CF card tipped 23MB/s; there wasn’t much difference with its smaller 8GB sibling but the rate declined to 15MB/s on the previous-gen PIO-mode Extreme III 2GB CF card.

The Canon 5D Mark 2 supports UDMA though Mode 6, when used with a UDMA-enabled CF card like the SanDisk Extreme III 30MB/s Edition, for continuous shooting with the fastest possible buffer clearing. On a scene tested with ISO 400, F2.8 and 1/400s shutter speed, the camera captured up to 15 undisturbed Raw files written to the SanDisk, an extra image more than Canon’s claim of 14 Raw files burst speed. Keep in mind that ISO settings make a difference in image capture size, so your mileage may vary; generally, the higher the ISO, the bigger the file size.

On card-to-computer and computer-to-card performance tests, we transferred and clocked the time taken to write to the card from the computer via the SanDisk ImageMate and vice versa. A folder of 68 Raw images from the 5D Mark II, each shot with an average size of 22MB, amounted to 1.5GB to transfer. The speed of the reader is also dependent on the components inside your computer. The read performance above was achieved with a newer P45 logic board with 1TB of Western Digital Black Caviar storage; we saw rates of only half those speeds when we switched to an older, Santa Rosa based MacBook Pro with a 5400RPM drive.

On paper, the ImageMate is advertised as offering up to 30 MB/s read and 27MB/s write speeds with a SanDisk Extreme III 30MB/s card. In our tests, it achieved near those figures: 27MB/s in reads but falling ~6MB/s short in computer writing, and 4MB/s shorted in camera writing, making it easily the fastest USB reader I have ever used. The older Extreme III 20MB/s cards, both the SDHC and CF standards, proved significantly slower compared to the 30MB/s Editions, which is no great surprise.

The magnetic fixture stand doesn’t work for us, but who needs it? On the other hand, we like the idea of a detachable stand: it’s convenient being able to simply toss it into a backpack when we travel, not to mention the impressive transfer rate. In short, I have found the perfect USB reader to replace that bulky Firewire reader of mine. With a street price coming in under $30, it’s a bargain.

Wholesale revenue negotiated in this way – where a company, like Amazon, foots the data bill for its service users – is less profitable than standard subscribers, but they save money on customer service and billing processes.  Six-percent of Sprint’s current revenue is from wholesale business. 

According to Jim Patterson, Sprint’s president of wholesale services, only one 3G-enabled device proposition in five ever reaches production stage.  Nonetheless, given all three of Garmin, SanDisk and Kodak are looking to differentiate themselves in increasingly competitive markets, 3G internet access could give each of them an edge.

In case you missed this one at CES, the SanDisk slotRadio player is a microSD music player that plays your music from any microSD card. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? But apparently you can also buy cards that feature Billboard hits. They’re preloaded and categorized by genre for you. Many of these cards hold over 1,000 songs.

So, all of that sounds pretty convenient, but wouldn’t a regular old MP3 player suffice here? If for some reason the slotRadio piques your interest, you’ll be able to get your hands on it starting on Martch 31st for $99. Apparently a preloaded card comes with it.

[via Ubergizmo]

The ImageMate All-in-one reader provides quick card-to-card copying functionality and supports SD, SDHC, miniSDHC, MMC, MS, MSPD, xD and CF. As for Multi-Card reader, it supports only xD, MS, SD, SDHC and MMC.

ImageMate All-in-one retailed for $29.99 and ImageMate Multi-Card will cost you $19.99. Both are available now from SanDisk.com

The pSSD modules use MLC (Multi-Level Cell) flash memory, built with 43nm processes.  SanDisk have introduced their All Bit Line (ABL) data management system, which apparently can intelligently structure saved data depending on program needs and chip longevity.

The first-gen pSSD range used a slower PATA (Parallel-ATA) interface, and were only available in 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities.  SanDisk have not revealed pricing for the new pSSD P2 and S2 series, but have promised that the SSDs will be relatively “low-priced”.

SanDisk have also updated their Cruzer USB drive, with new fog design patterns and up to 32GB storage.  They also have U3 application compatibility, for running programs direct from the drive.  Finally, there’s an update to the SanDisk Extreme Contour, with new stronger encryption. 

The SanDisk Ultra Backup USB will be available in April, priced between $39.99 and $199.99.  Meanwhile the new SanDisk Cruzer drives will also be available in April, priced between $24.99 and $99.99.

Press Release:

SANDISK LAUNCHES WORLD’S FIRST BUTTON BACKUP USB FLASH DRIVE

Drives Allow Consumers to Easily Store Critical Files with the Touch of a Button

CES 2009, South Hall, Booth # 30659, LAS VEGAS, January 6, 2009 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today introduced an innovative new family of SanDisk® USB flash drives, including the world’s first backup USB flash drive with simple backup software activation at the touch of a button. The SanDisk Ultra® Backup USB portable flash drive is the first offering of the company’s new SanDisk Ultra USB product line. With capacities up to 64 gigabytes (1)(GB), the SanDisk Ultra Backup USB flash drive is designed to protect computer users’ photos, music, videos, personal and business documents, and other types of digital files, with the simple touch of a button. No software installation is needed. The drive protects onboard digital content with a dual layer of security, including password-protected access control and ultra-secure AES hardware-based encryption.(2)

The new SanDisk USB product family includes three different product lines:

1) The popular SanDisk® Cruzer® USB flash drive which provides simple, reliable and portable storage, plus access to a variety of U3™ applications.

2) The SanDisk Ultra Backup USB flash drive offers the added protection and peace of mind consumers expect from the minds behind flash memory.

3) The SanDisk Extreme® Contour™ provides increased security protection and higher performance levels, enclosed in a sleek industrial design

SanDisk Ultra Backup USB Flash Drive:

Back up critical files with the simple touch of a button

With no cables required, or any complicated software to install, the new SanDisk Ultra Backup USB flash drive is a complete backup solution that provides an incredibly easy way to protect digital files. It uses patent-pending backup technology with capacities up to 64GB, large enough to back up average consumer requirements, as well as critical small business files and documents. In addition to one’s digital personal life, these products protect critical work files with a dual layer of both password protection and AES hardware encryption. This ensures content stays private and secure (via data scrambling at the flash controller level) when the drives are either physically removed for portability, or stored away for safe keeping.

The explosion in global sales of laptops and mobile devices has exponentially increased the vulnerability of digital files. Computer users can quickly lose precious photos, music, videos and professional work files due to drops, spills, theft, viruses and other incidents. PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com) conducted a research study on annualized notebook failure rates published in July 2008 which found that more than 24 percent of business notebooks need repair each year due to failures.

“Like flossing our teeth or balancing our checkbooks, when it comes to backing up our digital files, even though people know they should do it, they simply don’t – and that behavior is putting many consumers’ precious digital content at serious risk,” said Kent Perry, director of USB product marketing, SanDisk. “We’re delivering incredibly simple backup to protect people’s most valuable digital content at Main Street prices. With our wide array of capacities and price points, consumers can even choose to store particular file types like digital music or photos on different USB flash drives.”

A 2008 Consumer Electronics Association market research report, titled “Amassing Digital Fortunes: A Digital Storage Study,” found the average U.S. online adult has nearly 1,800 files stored, and plans to store another 1,060 digital files during the next year. This amounts to approximately 30GB3 of content that needs to be backed up. The study found that digital photos are considered to be the most valuable because of their irreplaceable natures.

SanDisk Cruzer USB Flash Drive:

Reliable storage with a new contemporary look

The SanDisk Cruzer has been redesigned with a contemporary look as part of the new SanDisk USB family of flash drives. These portable, reliable drives are designed to share consumers’ digital world with ease, with up to 32GB of storage for simple sharing of photos, videos and other files.

The entire new SanDisk USB family introduces an iconic new design language developed by global innovation firm frog design. Signature design elements include juxtaposed L shapes that create a dynamic, yet balanced, composition, a bright red USB connector and a simple cap-less design, which exposes the USB connector for use via a dynamic sliding mechanism. When plugged in to a host device, a glowing, amber-colored LED light alerts users that the drives are ready for reading or writing data.

The new SanDisk USB family will continue to have U3™ Smart technology, developed by SanDisk, which allows applications to run from a SanDisk USB flash drive without having to be installed on a computer. (4) PC-users can download a variety of both free and paid software, games and content by visiting www.u3.com, or by accessing the SanDisk USB Program Wizard in the U3 Launchpad. Among other bonus applications available for download is the Veoh™ Web Player for SanDisk, which enables users to watch, download and share Internet video content.

The various product lines of SanDisk USB flash drives will continue to include the sleek and high-performance SanDisk Extreme Contour as its high-end storage solution for maximum security and speed. This showpiece of innovative design sports super-fast data transfer speeds at 25MB/second read and 18MB/second write.(5) It also includes superior security with 256-bit AES USB hardware encryption and password-protected access control.

Pricing and Availability

The new SanDisk USB flash drives will first become available in April 2009.(6) The SanDisk Cruzer drive will be available in capacities of 4GB-32GB with MSRP’s ranging between $24.99 and $99.99. The SanDisk Ultra Backup drive will be available in capacities of 8GB-64GB with MSRP’s ranging between $39.99 and $199.99. The SanDisk Extreme Contour USB flash drive is available in major retailers today.

The SanDisk Cruzer drive includes a two-year limited warranty, (7) the SanDisk Ultra Backup drive includes a five-year limited warranty, (8) and the SanDisk Extreme Contour includes a lifetime limited warranty.(9)

About SanDisk

SanDisk Corporation, the inventor and world’s largest supplier of flash storage cards, is a global leader in flash memory – 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 (www.sandisk.com/corporate) is a Silicon Valley-based S&P 500 company, with more than half its sales outside the United States.

The Sandisk Cruzer Enterprise flash drives are available in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB storage capacities. It comes with a secure safeguard feature that enables hardware-based password protection with 256-bit AES USB encryption to prevent for unauthorized users to access data if the drive is lost or stolen.

The security apps now supports OSX running 10.4 version and up, it has the same features as the Windows version and initialization is cross-platformed. Existing Cruzer Enterprize users now can download firmware support for Mac OSX here.

The Sansa Clip supports MP3, WMA and WAV audio files, together with Audible audio books, and is compatible with DRM-encrypted downloaded tracks from Rhapsody To Go, Napster and eMusic, among others.  There’s also a built-in microphone for using the Clip as a voice-recorder, and an FM radio with auto-tune and station presets.

The SanDisk Sansa Clip 8GB will be available this week, priced at $99.99.  It comes complete with earphones and a USB cable which is also used to charge the PMP.

Press Release:

SANDISK ROLLS OUT NEW 8GB VERSION OF THE POPULAR AND TINY SANSA(R) CLIP MP3 PLAYER

Capacity increase doubles available space on tiniest player in Sansa line

WHO/WHAT

SanDisk Corporation, a leading seller of MP3 players in the United States, today announced a capacity increase for the Sansa(R) Clip MP3 Player. One of the most popular flash-based players in SanDisk’s Sansa line of MP3 players, this tiny Sansa(R) Clip has a new capacity point of 8 gigabytes (GB).

The new 8GB Sansa Clip can store up to 4,000 songs and runs for 15 hours on its rechargeable battery.

WHEN

The new, black 8GB Sansa Clip is expected to be in stores and online (www.sansa.com) in the U. S. the week of November 10th with an MSRP of $99.99.

MORE

The matchbox-sized Sansa Clip can fit into the palm of the hand and clip onto clothing and a perfect holiday gift for people who love music on the go, including runners, walkers, or gym goers.

The Sansa Clip stands above the leading wearable music player because of its bright OLED color screen – allowing users to select the music they hear, not just wait for songs to come around at random.

The Sansa Clip boasts a long list of advanced features, including:

Audio formats: support for MP3, WMA, WAV and Audible audio books.
Music services: support for many music download and subscription services, including Rhapsody To Go(R), Napster, eMusic and others.
Recording: built-in microphone for voice recording.
FM radio: built-in FM tuner, with user option to create
station presets.
Accessories: earphones and USB cable.
The featherweight Sansa Clip, weighing only 0.9 ounces, comes with a clip that makes it easy to attach the device to clothing, a backpack or purse. The clip is detachable, so the device can become even smaller when the clip isn’t needed.

Sansa Clip Family Pricing

The Sansa Clip continues to be available in 1GB capacity with an MSRP of $39.99, 2GB capacity with an MSRP of $59.99 and 4GB with an MSRP of $79.99. The 1GB Sansa Clip is available in black; the 2GB Sansa Clip is available in black, red, pink and blue; the 4GB is available in silver and the 8GB is available in black.

The Sansa Clip requires a computer running Windows XP or Windows Vista.

This means that the data is written and altered where it would be most efficiently placed based on user habits, rather than having the data connected to a particular physical spot. This would improve the performance of SSDs by a lot and even make them more reliable.

But the real kicker here is that random write speeds would be boosted to 100x’s the speed of current solid-state drives. And since it won’t write in the same spot over and over again, they will be much more reliable and certain flash cells won’t wear out due to overuse. It is expected new SanDisk products bearing the ExtremeFFS technology will appear sometime next year.