Flash Memory

SanDisk unveils dramatic performance boost for SSD

Paul Mah — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:10:09 -0500

SanDisk, on Wednesday, announced a new flash memory management system called Extreme Flash File System (ExtremeFFS) that it claims can work up to 100 times faster than the existing generation of solid-state drives (SSD). One feature of ExtremeFFS essentially allows data to be written to the disk without erasing and rewriting nearby stored data, according to Don Barnetson, senior director of marketing. SanDisk went as far as to predict that the performance of SSDs will improve by "a factor of four" in 2009 over that of current-generation SSDs. This will put them at approximately six times faster than the newest 2.5-inch hard drives. In addition, the company also proposed a virtual RPM (vRPM) standard which compares the performance of an SSD with that of an equivalent hard disk. With big-leaguers Intel, Samsung and Seagate in the SSD race as well, it'll be an interesting 2009 ahead for SSDs.

To read more about this story:
- check out this article from the Computerworld.com

Samsung, Sun joins forces to bring SSDs to servers

Paul Mah — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:02:40 -0400

Samsung and Sun Microsystems announced Tuesday that they have co-developed a new 8-GB single-level-cell (SLC) flash memory for use in solid-state drives (SSD). According to the companies, the new memory gives a five-fold increase in terms of the number of write-and-erase cycles over current products available on the market today. What is so unique here is that the breakthrough is implemented at the level of the flash chips themselves, with no changes necessary in the controller. With the market for SSD projected to reach as many as 2.2 million solid state drives by 2012, it is not hard to see why everyone is eager for a slice of the pie. In fact, Sun has earlier said it expects to offer flash drives as an option across the range of its servers and storage.

For more about the report:
- check out this InformationWeek article

Seagate plans 2TB SSD for next year

Paul Mah — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 06:21:50 -0400

Seagate will be bringing in the company's first SSD (solid state drive) offering by next year. Not surprisingly, it will be targeted squarely at the enterprise where they can afford the premium of using flash memory as a hard disk. In this article in The Inquirer, CEO Bill Watkins reiterates Seagate's long-term commitment of targeting SSD toward top-tier enterprises eager for both its higher performance and low energy consumption. Yet all the talk about SSD in the enterprise avoids the fact that it remains a technology yet to prove itself in a transaction-intensive environment. Still, with Google also looking at SSD for use in its data centers, there definitely are niche applications out there perfectly suited for SSDs.

For more on Seagate's move toward SSD:
- check out this The Inquirer article

Intel introduces 32Gb flash chips

Paul Mah — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:20:02 -0400

Intel is set to produce a 32Gb NAND flash memory that it jointly developed with Micron Technology. Based on a 34-nanometer technology, it is the smallest NAND process geometry on the market and should result in the production of cheaper solid-state drives.

The company's NAND flash profits have been hit hard as a direct result of a recession-related reduction in consumer spending in high-tech devices utilizing flash memory. Intel's CEO Paul Otellini has unveiled a plan to squeeze these higher-density flash chips into enterprise storage arrays to balance up the loss from consumer sales. Shipments of samples are expected to begin in June, with mass production to follow in the second half of 2008.

For more on Intel's 32Gb flash chips:
- check out this Ars Technica article

ALSO NOTED: XP/Vista attack bypasses security via Firewire; Intel sees flash memory prices dropping;

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 06:59:50 -0500

> Intel sees flash memory prices dropping. Article
> Is your desk a tangle of cables? Clean up the mess with these tips. Article
> XP/Vista attack bypasses security via Firewire. Article
> Testing the ODF converter for Microsoft Office. Article
> U.S. computer science drought finally coming to an end? Article

And Finally... The triumphant return of Steve "Monkey Boy" Ballmer. Video

Everex Cloudbook coming to Wal-Mart

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:59:54 -0500

Fancy the Eee PC's diminutive size and price but wish it had more storage space in lieu of that fancy flash memory? Say hello to the Everex Cloudbook. We took yet another look at this little guy yesterday when the Packard Bell EasyNote XS (based on the same "Nanobook" reference design) showed its face on the CES show floor. The latest news is that this tiny PC is coming to the U.S. this month, courtesy of everyone's favorite mega retailer, Wal-Mart. According to Everex, the Cloudbook will be available from Wal-Mart for the nominal fee of $400; onboard will be a 1.2Ghz Via C7-M, 512MB of RAM, a 30GB hard drive, a 800x480 display and that Ubutnu-based gOS that shipped with that other Everex/Wal-Mart cheapo box, the "gPC". If that sounds about square to you, you'll want to head down to your local retail monolith on the 25th of this month, when the Cloudbook goes on sale.

For more on the Cloudbook:
- see this Engadget article

Ultraportable MacBook Pro in January?

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:59:53 -0500

Rumors of an ultraportable MacBook Pro are nothing new (in fact, they're pretty old, as far as Apple rumors go) but the latest tidbit seems a bit more credible than most. AppleInsider is reporting that the mythical sub-notebook will finally show its face at the MacWorld Expo in mid-January, following months of development. Here's what they're telling us to expect in terms of specs:

No optical drive
A weight of 3.4 pounds with battery--half as heavy as the 15" MBP
NAND Flash SSD in lieu of a mechanical hard drive
"[N]ear instantaneous boot times," thanks to the SSD
13-inch, LED-backlit LCD panel

Those are some pretty serious specs and could end up pushing this little lappie's price tag north of $2000. Still, if you're looking to buy the thinnest, lightest Mac ever produced, money probably isn't much of an issue. MacWorld is scheduled to run from January 15th to 18th, so I suppose we'll all have to wait until then to find out if there's any truth to this one.

For more on the rumor:
- see this Apple Insider article

Eee PC gets unboxed, dissected

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 07:59:53 -0400

Well, that sure was quick. While we've come to expect our gadget unboxings and dissections delivered hot and fast, I don't think that any of us expected this much dirt on the tiny Asus Eee PC to hit the web mere days after the thing became available from online retailer Newegg. First up, check out the video unboxing (link below). My thoughts? Dang, this sucker is small. I mean, sure, I knew it was going to be a sub-notebook but in the video you can clearly see that it's barely larger than the size of your hand. Unboxing not enough to satiate your thirst for tiny laptops? TweakTown's got your back: the site managed to get their hands on an Eee PC and they promptly disassembled it, revealing a few interesting facts about the hardware. For example, it looks like the 4GB model uses four separate 1GB NAND flash models--ostensibly to save cash. Does this mean that you've got four possible storage expansion slots? Yes, though it remains to be seen whether or not the Eee will support any more than 8GB. Also, the previously unknown processors used in the Eee appear to be the Intel GMA 900 for graphics and a 900Mhz Celeron M CPU.

For more on the Eee PC:
- watch this video unboxing (via Bradlinder.net)
- and see the dissection photos from TweakTown
- and check out ZDnet's photos of the Eee PC launch event

ALSO NOTED: The death of the Google phone?; Dell to start selling PCs at Staples;

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> The death of the Google phone? Article
> eMachines looses some cheap new desktops. Article
> SD card with integrated WiFi gets FCC approval. Article
> Samsung announces the world's densest flash memory chip. Article
> Greenpeace vs. the iPhone: the battle continues. Article
> Dell to start selling PCs at Staples. Article
> R.I.P. the Hitachi consumer PC. Article

And Finally... The 16 all time worst apple products. Article

Samsung developing universal flash card

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 06:59:54 -0400

CF cards. SD cards. MicroSD cards. Memory Sticks. XD cards. Are you tired of having to juggle multiple flash card formats for your various digital cameras, portable media players and mobile handsets? So are the folks at Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson, apparently. The three companies have joined forces to develop a "Universal Flash Storage specification" that would hit shelves by 2009. Big name flash manufacturers like Micron Technology, Spansion LLC, STMicroelectronics NV, and Texas Instruments are all onboard for the standard, so with any luck, we should be seeing devices that support these cards soon.

For more on the partnership:
- see this article in the Korea Times