They’re dubbing the new line the EXCERIA series, designed to offer the highest level of performance. SDHC and SDXC cards will be available, starting at 8GB and going all the way up to 64GB. There are three different classes of card: Type 1, which offers the highest read and write speeds of 95 and 90MB/s respectively; Type 2, which offers read speeds of 95MB/s and write speeds of 60MB/s; and finally Type HD, which offers read speeds of 90MB/s and write speeds of 30MB/s.

How have Toshiba managed to achieve such high speeds? By using the latest version of the SD Memory Card standard, 3.0 UHS-I. That allows for data transfer speeds in the range of 25MB/s up to 104MB/s. Toshiba say a minimum read and write speed of 10MB/s is guaranteed across the line.

The EXCERIA Type HD line will be the first to go on sale in April. The fastest cards, Type 1, will follow in July, while Type 2 will come in August. No prices available yet, but keep your eyes peeled on your favourite e-retailer.

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.

That’s fast. That’s really really fast. But get this: the card costs $540. You know how many cards you could get for that much that aren’t quite as fast? It doesn’t matter! This is the fastest! What Delkin has here is a card that you’re going to want to be using for HD video, 3D video, and all sorts of other high-speed-required sort of situations. That said, I’m gonna need one for the San Diego Comic Con, so fork one over!

On this card you’ll be able to collect more than 17,000 photos and 8 hours of HD video, but only in SDXC enabled cameras. This is no average card, ladies and gentlemen, and with the cutting edge of storage technology comes the need for advanced devices to use it. Isn’t it ironic? Almost as if it’s more important to have the greatest way to store your photos than it is to collect them. Sort of like how it’s alright to grab that cash anyway you can just so long as you put it in the right bank, right?

Along those same lines is the Delkin guarantee, that being that with this and all Deklin memory cards, the company’s US based technical support staff is available to offer free data recovery services and support for the lifetime of the product. Word!

And what do you know, the little deal pops up and has the ability to be popped down for protection of the slots whilst not in use. I think I’m gonna need one of these – for real! Oh and look, we’ve got a fellow named Jeff Cable (Lexar’s Director of Marketing) explaining why you’ve gotta gotta have it. Watch as he pops it up and pops it down and so forth forever and ever. Also notice his fashionable embroidered polo shirt:

Have a look below at the full press release or go back to the following post for more info on the biggest: “Lexar Introduces Industry’s First 128GB Pro SDXC Memory Card” and the last time we reported on one of their lovely card readers: “ Lexar 24-in-1 USB memory card reader plays nice with iPad [Video] ” as well as a review of their SDHC Flash Memory Performance on Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. Can you dig it?

New Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader Dramatically Accelerates Digital Workflow

Fremont, CA, May 19, 2011 – Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the new Lexar® Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader, a high-performance card reader that enables professional and advanced amateur photographers and videographers to maximize their workflow with blazing-fast transfer speeds. The reader leverages SuperSpeed USB (USB 3.0) technology to deliver high-speed performance that supports the latest CompactFlash® (CF) UDMA, Secure Digital Extended Capacity™ (SDXC)**, and SD Ultra High Speed-I (UHS-I) memory cards. The versatile reader is also backwards compatible with standard CF, SD™, and Secure Digital High Capacity™ (SDHC) memory cards and USB 2.0 host devices. For additional information about the Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader, visit www.lexar.com.

“USB is the most popular connectivity option for PCs, and it’s critical that professional photographers and videographers have convenient and versatile tools to maximize their workflow and fully leverage the performance of their high-speed memory cards,” said Manisha Sharma, director of product marketing for cards, Lexar Media. “The Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader combines extremely fast performance with a versatile, innovative design to provide pro and hobbyist shooters with a reader that dramatically reduces image transfer time. The speed offered by the reader enables users to move large volumes of high-resolution images and HD video faster than ever, allowing them to spend less time at the PC and more time on other activities.”

The Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader features the new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface, which operates at 500MB per second; while the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface operates at 60MB per second*. The Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader takes advantage of the performance of high-speed cards. Real-world tests prove that today’s high-performance cards can be read more than six times faster with the Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader than with previous generation USB 2.0 card readers, and future high-performance cards are likely to enable an even faster data transfer experience. The reader can transfer content from both SD and CF cards simultaneously, and allows for easy file transfer from one card to another. The USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader also features an innovative, pop-up mechanism that lets users close the reader when not in use, protecting it from dirt and debris. Its compact, portable design means users can take it on the go, and its smooth contours help it slip easily in and out of a photo bag or briefcase.

The Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader provides consumers with the quality and reliability they have come to expect from Lexar Media. All Lexar product designs are tested in the Lexar Quality Labs, a group of facilities where all Lexar product designs undergo extensive testing to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability with more than 800 intended digital devices.

The Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader comes with free, dedicated customer support and a five-year limited warranty. The reader is available now for purchase on www.lexar.com, and will be available from leading photo retailers in June, with an MSRP of $49.99.

The Lexar Professional 133x SDXC memory cards will be perfect for capturing extended lengths of 1080p HD video and for shooting continuous rapid-fire images. The 133x rating means that the cards guarantee a minimum transfer speed of 20MB per second, which will significantly accelerate workflows when transferring images and HD videos from memory card to computer via a SDXC-enabled card reader.

These SDXC memory cards also include the latest version of the Image Rescue software to help recover lost or deleted photo and video files. Both the 64GB and 128GB versions are available now for $199.99 and $329.99 respectively at B&H Photo and Video, Adorama Camera, and on Lexar.com. We here at SlashGear will be getting our hands on the 64GB card at CTIA later this month, so make sure to check back for our extensive review.

That sort of speed and capacity isn’t cheap, though, as you’d imagine, and so you’ll need to dig deep to pick up the new Lexar cards. They’ll drop sometime in Q1 2011, priced at $399.99 for the 64GB and $699.99 for the 128GB.

Press Release:

Lexar Media Introduces the First 128GB Professional Secure Digital Extended Capacity Memory Card for Photographers and Videographers

High-Capacity Lexar Professional 133x SDXC Cards Offer High-Speed Performance for Capturing, Storing, and Managing Extensive 1080p HD Video

Key Messages:

64GB Class 10 SDXC™ card and industry-first 128GB Class 10 SDXC card provide massive storage capacities and professional-level performance for capturing more of the memories that matter
Minimum guaranteed speed of 133x accelerates the professional workflow by providing quick transfer of high-resolution images and HD video from the card to the computer
Professional-level performance supports the advanced image- and video-capture capabilities of the newest digital SLR cameras
Includes the latest version of award-winning Image Rescue® software for valuable peace of mind

Las Vegas, NV, January 3, 2011 – Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced new Lexar® Professional Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) memory cards. The new high-capacity Lexar Professional 133x SDXC cards enable the capture, storage, and transfer of extended lengths of 1080p high-definition (HD) video and continuous, rapid-fire image capture in a single, high-performance solution. The Lexar Professional 133x SDXC card is the first available in a 128GB capacity, and is also offered in a 64GB capacity. Both cards are speed rated at 133x, providing a minimum guaranteed transfer speed of 20MB per second, and feature a Class 10 speed designation. For additional information about Lexar Professional SDXC cards, visit www.lexar.com.

“The professional photography industry is at a point where digital photo- and video-capture methods are converging, meaning that professional shooters need a memory solution with the versatility and reliability to safely store both photos and videos,” said Pachi Chen-Wong, senior product marketing manager, Lexar Media. “The 64GB and 128GB Lexar Professional 133x SDXC cards combine high-speed performance with large capacities to offer solutions for professionals who shoot large volumes of high-resolution images and HD video.”

The Lexar Professional 133x SDXC memory cards are compatible with all SDXC-enabled devices. The cards include the latest version of award-winning Image Rescue software to help recover lost or deleted photo and video files. Professional photographers can now capture, store, and manage more of the photo and video content critical to their livelihoods.

Lexar Professional 133x SDXC cards provide consumers with the quality and reliability they have come to expect from Lexar Media. All Lexar product designs are tested in the Lexar Quality Labs, a group of facilities where all Lexar product designs undergo extensive testing to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability with more than 800 intended digital devices.

The Lexar Professional SDXC cards include a limited lifetime warranty and free, dedicated professional technical support. The new 64GB and 128GB Lexar Professional SDXC memory cards will be available in the first quarter of 2011 at leading retailers and on Lexar.com, with MSRPs of $399.99 and $699.99, respectively.

That slot will take SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards – up to 64GB in size – which is good enough for up to five hours of Full HD, 24Mbps video. Alternatively, there’s a USB port to which you can directly hook up an external drive, for even longer storage.

The only problem is that the media files the VIERA creates won’t apparently play on other TVs, computers or mobile devices, which seriously undermines the TH-L42G3′s usefulness as a way to get video onto your smartphone. Other features include an ethernet port for smart TV functionality, two HDMI ports, VIERA Link, video-on-demand connectivity and DLNA. It’ll drop in Japan come January 18 2011, priced at the equivalent of $1,800.

[via CrunchGear]

There’s also XLR audio inputs, an HD-SDI output, USB 2.0 and a remote control port, together with a stereo microphone, HDMI and three different audio outputs.  Both a viewfinder and a flip-out LCD display are fitted, and there are a choice of optional grip handles.

Unfortunately Panasonic’s VW-CLT1 3D lens won’t be supported, according to the company’s press release.  Still, with their focus on 3D tech, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a Micro Four Thirds 3D lens alternative for the AF100/AF105 sometime soon.  The camcorder is expected to drop in December 2010, priced at 837,900 yen ($9,967).

[via Engadget]

Patriot claims that 64GB of storage space is enough for 21,000 6MP photos or ten hours of HD video. This would be a great storage card for those with HD camcorders that can record directly to SDXC cards.

The UHS-I certification means that the card provides at least 10MB/s sustained write speeds. The card is surprisingly cheap considering the amount of storage space it offers at $349.99.

The new memory card is the Kingston 64GB SDXC UHS-1 Class 10. UHS-1 is the new class of ultra high-speed bus architecture cards for the SDXC format. The card is designed for fast data transfer speeds of 104MB/sec and future cards using the specification will be able to hit 300MB/s.

Kingston promises 10MB/sec minimum data transfer rate and up to 60MB/sec read and 35MB/sec write speeds for the card. This much speed and storage are far from cheap. Kingston will ship the card at the end of the month for $499.

We have seen 64GB SDXC cards before like the one from SanDisk that sells for about $350. Team is set to debut its own 64GB SDXC card at Computex.

The new card uses the SD3.0 interface and is backwards compatible with SD2.0 as well. It offers write protection and is designed for use in digital cameras and camcorders. The card promises up to 30MB/sec maximum read speed and can store up to 136K high-resolution photos.

Introduced about a decade ago, the multi-media card (MMC) based SD card has evolved from Standard 1.1 (SD), 2.0 (SDHC) to 3.0 (SDXC) slowly but surely, with capacity and speed improving from 2GB with a minimum sustained read/write speed of 2.2 MB/s to a whooping 2TB of storage space at a maximum transfer speed of 104 MB/s. While we have not seen such cards on the market with that capability, Version 4.0 is already in development and intends to reveal the full potential of SDXC, tripling data throughput up to 300MB/s.

So far, devices supporting the standard are limited and only one DSLR is known to support it, the Canon EOS Rebel T2i. Though SanDisk has recently shipped a slower-speed Ultra II SDXC 64GB, the speed is fairly basic at 15MB/s. However, Toshiba showcased its first SDXC memory card at CES 2010 earlier this year with read and write speeds of up to 60MB/s and 35MB/s respectively. With video recording on DSLRs becoming increasingly popular – and not requiring much faster – write-speeds – SDXC is an interesting prospect both in terms of capacity and ability to boost performance when needed.

If you have prior experience with SDHC, you’ve probably guessed that backward compatibility for the SD format can be a hassle. Unlike CompactFlash, where cards supporting improved standards are often backward compatible, SD can be more reluctant to play along. Your host devices must support the newer standard, and it’s often been our experience that mismatching such standards could cause permanent damage to the storage card.

SDHC read and write performances

For this review, we repeated the same tests previously performed on the CompactFlash cards to record time consumed to write data onto the same camera and computer – Canon’s EOS 1D Mark IV and a Mac Pro with a 1TB Western Digital Black Caviar HDD – with six Class-10 SDHC candidates from SanDisk, PhotoFast and Lexar Media.

The SDHC reader used to calculate read speed was the SanDisk ImageMate All-In-One media reader with an advertised maximum speed of 30 MB/s read and 27 MB/s write respectively.

• Lexar Professional 133x 8GB SDHC, Class 10, minimum sustain write speed of 20MB/s, $60
• PhotoFast 4GB SLC SDHC, Class 10, minimum sustain write speed of 22MB/s, $69**
• PhotoFast 32GB MLC SDHC, Class 10, minimum sustain write speed of 18MB/s, $179
• SanDisk Extreme 8GB SDHC, Class 10, maximum write speed of 30MB/s, $50
• SanDisk Extreme 16GB SDHC, Class 10, maximum write speed of 30MB/s, $99
• SanDisk Extreme 32GB SDHC, Class 10, maximum write speed of 30MB/s, $190

Pricing based on Amazon online.
**Manufacturer pricing.

From our last test, we’ve seen that top-tier CompactFlash cards could reach 58MB/s on the Mark IV; disappointingly, though, the camera performed around 3 times slower with the SDHC cards. Results are fairly consistently among the cards, data generally being written at 20MB/s with the exception of the 32GB PhotoFast, which trailed around 5MB/s behind the pack.

Oddly, while read benchmarks are normally significantly faster than write rates, the SDHCs on test performed just slightly faster than their write speeds. Again, no significant performance differences were observed among the cards.

As we found in our last review a UDMA card can help in clearing out the DSLR’s frame buffer, managing up to 30-31 frames before hitting the wall. Take the 32GB version of SanDisk’s Extreme Pro CF and Extreme SDHC 30MB/s for comparison. The former held 31 frames and took 10.33 seconds to clear; the latter only managed 27 frames but took as much as 25.17 seconds to clear. To put the numbers into perspective, it extends buffer depth by adding four frames more in continuous burst mode and writes 2.5x faster to clear the queues onto the card and be ready for the next burst.

In addition, if you’re accustomed to formatting your memory card before you start shooting – as you should, allowing your camera to initialize the file system and help prevent write errors – you would have to wait longer with the SDHC cards. The Mark IV camera formatted the SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash in 1.4 seconds but took up to 5.1 seconds on the Extreme SDHC card.

If your priority is camera performance, taking uninterrupted still images of action sequences, you would want to stick with UDMA enabled CompactFlash, preferably a mode 6 card. Our tests show that, right now, DSLRs and card reader compliant with the UDMA standard write and read data far better than with SDHC. Having fast media storage allows for quicker image access, both for capture as well as when formatting. However, with HD video recording increasingly a standard feature for today’s DSLRs, video cinematographers would probably prefer the largest media available, such the upcoming SDXC cards with an outrageous 2TB on offer. Take the Mark IV video recording rate for example: at 5.5MB/s Full HD recording, it would fill a 64GB card in 192 minutes. That’s fine for short interviews, but you’d probably need to pack a few cards to record, say, a short-feature film. Still, for now at least, CompactFlash is ahead of the memory card competition in term of raw performance.

The SX500 gets a 5x optical zoom (12x digital) while the SX900 bumps that up to a 9x optical zoom (12x digital); they’re also capable of shooting in 4 lux and 3 lux lighting, respectively.  We grabbed some hands-on time with the two new models this week, and while we’d have liked to have seen some extra onboard storage – there’s just 118MB internally, and that’s locked off as soon as you slot in a memory card – they’re light, have menu systems that are reasonably straightforward to navigate, and decent-sized 2.7-inch LCD preview displays.

The Camileo SX900 and SX500 will go on sale come July 2010, priced at £250 ($387) and £200 ($309) respectively.  No word on a US release at this stage, but given recent launches we expect Toshiba USA to have an eye on these camcorders too.

Camileo SX900

• Full HD video (1920×1080 / 30p and 60i)
• 9x optical zoom lens, 12x digital zoom
• HDMI Digital AV output
• SD / SDHC / SDXC up to 64 GB
• Electronic Image Stabilizer
• 1cm Macro function
• Sequential and 16:9 photo shooting options
• 14MP CMOS Sensor (1/2.33”)
• 2.7” (6.86 cm) Wide Panel LCD (230K pixels)
• Light sensitivity: ISO 1600 (photo), 3 lux (video)

Camileo SX500

• Full HD video (1920×1080 / 30p and 60i)
• 5x optical zoom, 12x digital zoom
• HDMI Digital A V output
• SD / SDHC / SDXC up to 64 GB
• Electronic Image Stabilizer
• 1cm Macro function
• Sequential and 16:9 photo shooting options
• 10MP CMOS sensor (1/2.33”)
• 2.7” (6.86 cm) Wide Panel LCD (230K pixels)
• Light sensitivity: ISO 1600 (photo), 4 lux (video)

Press Release:

Toshiba introduces the Camileo SX range: 1080p Full HD video recording and sleek design

London, UK, 16th April 2010 – Toshiba UK today announces the addition of two new models to its successful Camileo pocket camcorder range, the SX900 and SX500. Both models offer 1080p Full HD video recording, delivering high quality footage, even in poor lighting conditions. The new Camileo models also feature face recognition functions for stills photography, allowing the camera to focus on up to twelve faces, while the colour chaser function ensures your subject remains pin sharp.

Smaller body, bigger picture

The Camileo SX range is designed to offer compact and feature packed video capabilities at highly affordable prices. The Camileo SX900 and SX500 deliver excellent picture quality, allowing video to be recorded at a resolution of 1920 x 1080p – so video footage looks sharp, detailed and colourful when viewed on any HD ready television. For further cinematic flair, the SX range will shoot at 30fps at 1080p resolutions, or 60fps at 1080i resolutions, ensuring fast moving shots look smooth and clear. The attractive gloss black design also features the Camileo’s signature red stripe highlight on both models, and is modelled on the classic ‘barrel’ shape for greater comfort when filming.
Camileo SX900 and SX500 models feature 1080p Full HD video recording Improved light sensitivity guarantees great results in darker conditions Stills photography, face detection technology and more
Sharp footage – whatever the location

The Camileo SX range gives users greater flexibility for low light filming and stills photography. The SX900 (3 lux) and SX500 (4 lux) feature improved hardware to compensate for a low level of ambient light when filming indoors or at night-time, including advanced sensitive sensors and higher quality optics to deliver sharp footage in a variety of environments. Both models offer a variety of ways to get the shot you want – a choice of auto, spot and normal focus modes ensure whatever you’re filming is sharp. Action taking place at a distance can be easily brought to life using the impressive optical zooms on both the SX900 (9x optical, 12x digital) and SX500 (5x optical, 12x digital). Additionally, users can enjoy their videos on any high-definition television, using the HDMI connection.

The Camileo SX900 and SX500 will be available from July 2010.

However there are also 1080/60i, 50i, 30p, 25p and 24p (native) and 720/60p, 50p, 30p, 25p and 24p (native) modes, each stored in 24Mbps AVCHD format.  Connectivity includes HD-SDI out, HDMI, time code recording, built-in stereo microphone and USB 2.0, together with two XLR inputs with +48V phantom power.  Thanks to two SDXC card slots, a pair of 64GB SDXC memory cards are good enough for up to 12hrs footage at maximum resolution.

The micro 4/3 mount, meanwhile, will allow users to opt for either still camera lenses or film lenses with fixed focal lengths and primes.  The Panasonic AG-AF100 is set to hit shelves by the end of 2010, priced at around $6,000.

[via CrunchGear; image via DVX User Forums]

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.

In case you’re wondering, in a compatible camcorder 48GB of storage is good enough for 6hrs 20m of Full HD AVCHD video.  Both cards will be available on February 19th, priced at the equivalent of $550 for the 48GB and $700 for the 64GB.

Since you’ll probably want to get your photos and video off the cards at some point, Panasonic have also outed a new SDXC memory card reader .  Currently compatible with Windows machines only, the reader not only accepts the new, high-speed memory cards but SD/SDHC and microSD/SDHC memory too.  It will retail for the equivalent of $55 and will also arrive on February 19th.

[via CrunchGear]

The cards were spied back in January at CES 2010 and since then we have really heard little about them. Reports are coming in now that Lenovo, Dell, and HP will be building SDXC memory card readers into new notebooks that are coming supporting the 32nm Arrandale processors.

The cool thing about SDXC cards is that they can support up to 64GB of storage on a card that physically looks just like a SDHC card. The big drawback is that a new reader is needed to get the data off the cards. The connections for SDXC cards have to be through the PCIe bus since the USB bus, where SDHC readers connect, lacks the bandwidth needed.

Apparently, you can hold up to 2TB of information on this thing and will be capable of transferring at speeds of 480Mbps or about 60MB/s using USB 2.0. This makes for some serious speed and flexibility.

These new memory sticks will use the same slot technology and will likely support older generation cards. It’s unclear what devices the Memory Stick XC will appear in first, but the cameras are the first likely target.

The new card will also be accompanied by two new SDHC memory cards, offering 16GB and 32GB capacity, boasting the same transfer speeds and reaching the market at the same time.  No word on pricing as yet. 

Press Release:

Toshiba to Launch World’s First 64GB SDXC Card

TOKYO and IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ — Toshiba Corporation, a leading innovator in NAND flash memory technologies and solutions, and Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC), a North American subsidiary, today announced the launch of the world’s first 64GB(1) SDXC Memory Card(2) capable of operating at the world’s fastest data transfer rate(3) for reading and writing to a flash memory card. The new card is compliant with the new SD Memory Standard, Ver. 3.00, UHS104. Toshiba also extended its industry leadership in memory card solutions by unveiling 32GB and 16GB SDHC Memory Cards compliant with the world’s fastest data transfer rate. Samples of the new SDXC Memory Cards will be available this November, and samples of the new SDHC Memory Cards will be available in December.

The new SDXC and SDHC Memory Cards are the world’s first memory cards compliant with the SD Memory Card Standard Version 3.00, UHS104, which brings a new level of ultra-fast read and write speeds to NAND flash based memory cards: a maximum write speed of 35MB(4) per second, and a read speed of 60MB per second. The combination of large storage capacities and increased data transfer rates will meet the needs of a wide range of consumer electronics applications such as digital still cameras and digital camcorders that require high bandwidth data communication. For example, digital SLR cameras will be able to shoot longer continuous bursts in the highest quality RAW format. Similarly, with these cards, it will be possible to download a 2.4GB video in only 70 seconds.

The SDXC card is the next-generation standard defined by the SD Association in January 2009. The new standard applies to cards with capacities over 32GB and up to 2TB, compared to the SDHC standard, which applies to cards with capacities over 2GB and up to 32GB.

The high level specifications and wide range of memory cards announced by Toshiba will further open the way for developers to bring applications to future generations of consumer products. By further enhancing its SD Memory Card lineups with larger capacity and a higher data transfer rate, Toshiba will continue to meet market demand and to lead the NAND flash memory market.

Key Features

(1) SDXC Memory Card realizes the 64GB capacity, the largest capacity yet available in the market.

(2) Supports UHS104, a new ultra high speed interface in the new SD Memory Card Standard Ver. 3.00, which provides 104MB per second bus speed on the SD interface, and realizes maximum write speed of 35MB per sec., with a read speed of 60MB per sec.

(3) UHS104 provides the conventional SD interfaces: 3.3V DS (25MHz)/ HS (50MHz) and new SDHC Memory Cards with UHS104 are interoperable with existing SDHC host devices.

(4) Integrates highly secure CPRM copy protection technology.

Even with new standard still in lobbying effort, Pretec has the go-ahead with the SXDC small form factor flash-based memory standard that’s capable of reaching 2TB. Pretec will exhibit both the 32GB SXDC and 666x, that’s capable of 100MB/s transfer rate, at PMA and CeDIA tomorrow. We’ll visit each both tomorrow to dig deeper on the cost.

Hannover, Germany and Las Vegas, Nevada. March 3rd, 2009 － Pretec, creator of the highest capacity CompactFlash card in the world (100GB) and the fastest CF card in the world (433X), continues today its record braking history in the field of speed and capacity by unveiling the new SDXC 32GB, the world’s first, highest capacity and fastest SD card at CeBIT booth Hall21/D83 and at PMA CFA booth at LVCC South Hall K286 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

SDXC (eXtended Capacity) is a next-generation SD card, with capacities up to 2 TB (2048GB), and read/write speed up to 50MB/s initially and up to 104MB/s in the future, with a possible 300MB/s as a long term roadmap. By using exFAT file system, Pretec’s 32GB SDXC card is not compatible with SDHC, which is using FAT32 file system. The maximum access speed of traditional SD card (SD 1.1 spec.) is 12.5MB/s and maximum capacity is 4GB, in which Pretec 4GB SD is the 1st such high capacity card in the world in July 2005 (www.dpreview.com/news/0507/05072804pretec_4gbcard.asp). World’s 1st 8GB SDHC card was introduced by Pretec in Aug. 2006 (www.tomshardware.com/news/pretec-8gb-sdhc-card,3377.html), and subsequently joint displayed with Sanyo’s DV Xacti HD1a in Photokina 2006 (findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2006_Sept_25/ai_n16838419); maximum speed increased to 25MB/s for SDHC (SD 2.0 spec.), which is the access speed of Pretec 166X SDHC card (http://www.pretec.com/epages/Store.storefront/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Store.Pretec/Products/%22news-Feb.%2018%2C%202009%22). Pretec 32GB SDXC card, sampling now to design-in customers, can reach the speed of up to 50MB/s, depending on the host system design which needs to be compliant with SDXC specification*, will be enhanced the capacity to 64GB SDXC by the 2nd half of this year.

Pretec also reveals 100GB and 666X CF card, which can reach the speed of up to 100MB/s at CeBIT and PMA today, to be the largest capacity and highest speed small form factor memory card in the world. The next generation of CF card, called CFast, was first introduced by Pretec at CES 2009 (http://www.photographybay.com/2009/01/11/pretec-cfast-compact-flash-card-transfer-rate-of-160mbs/), with current maximum transfer speed of 375MB/s and 750MB/s in the future.

The 2TB capacity memory card (www.dvhardware.net/article3774.html) was 1st revealed by Mu-Card in 2004, a joint effort by Pretec, ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) and a few other companies in Taiwan, with maximum transfer speed of 120MB/s. The significant boost of the capacity is due to the scheme of “Sector Addressing” instead of “Byte Addressing” (www.allbusiness.com/electronics/computer-equipment-computer-chips-memory/5054211-1.html) published by Pretec in 2005. Mu-Card Alliance was subsequently merged with MMC Association, which in turn is part of JEDEC organization.

* As of today, no SDXC compliant host systems are available in the market yet