Todays & Tomorrows Technology

If the design of Samsung’s HMX-U10 camcorder is a little too outré for your tastes, the company has two more traditionally-shaped offerings today. The Samsung SMX-K40 and SMX-K45 both conform to the standard palmcorder format, but actually they’re not quite as technically capable as the U10; each can record up to 720 x 480 resolution, rather than their upright sibling’s 1080p.

Still, you get a 65x “Intelli-Zoom” (52x optical zoom) and optical image stabilization, together with an HDMI output for direct connection to a TV or display. There’s also Schneider Optics and the same Intelli-Studio onboard editing suite as the U10, that boots up whenever you connect to a PC via USB. From there you can make basic tweaks and upload to YouTube.

The K40 has an SDHC card slot while the K45 has a 32GB SSD, good for up to 20hrs and 40 minutes of recording. Both can shoot 800 x 600 stills and do time-lapse recording, and will hit the market in August 2009. The Samsung SMX-K40 will be priced at $329.99 while the SMX-K45 will be $499.99.

If you’ve been on the lookout for another solid-state drive option to satisfy your storage needs, you might just be in luck with the Vertex Turbo SSD announced by OCZ today, which is a 2.5-inch drive and meant to offer super high speeds.

The new SSD features an increased clock speed for the host controller. It also has a 64MB of cache as well as a 270MB/s read speed and a 210MB/s write speed. It can be used in notebooks but with a bay adapter, desktops are compatible as well.

Other features include a SATA II interface, skip-proofing and low power consumption. The new Vertex Turbo models will be available in 30GB, 60GB, 120GB and 250GB variations. We don’t know pricing or a release date just yet, but we’ll keep you up to date.

Corsair have announced two new SSDs in its Performance Series range, bringing high read/write speeds to lower price points. The P128 and P64 – which unsurprisingly offer 128GB and 64GB respectively – slot in below the current flagship P256, with the P128 offering the same 220MB/sec read rate and 200MB/sec write rate.

Meanwhile the P64 promises 220MB/sec read and 120MB/sec write rates. Both drives use the same Samsung controller as their more-expensive sibling, together with 128MB of cache and NCQ support.

The Corsair P128 is available now, with an MRSP of $339; you can currently find it on Newegg with a $40 rebate. The Corsair P64 will follow on in July; prices are yet to be confirmed.

The recently-released MacBook Pro firmware that promises to enable 3.0Gbps SATA connectivity has ironically been causing problems in third-party drives. Apple released the upgrade earlier this week, after users of the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models reported that the notebooks were limited to 1.5Gbps SATA; this did not affect the speed of standard-fit hard-drives, but may have limited future performance should the user upgrade to a faster HDD or SSD. Now, some users with third-party drives already installed are reporting frequent pauses, usage spikes and data errors with the new firmware.

Both traditional hard-drives and solid-state storage are presenting problems. One user found his Western Digital Scorpio Blue HDD now suffers intermittent data errors and that the whole machine freezes randomly. Meanwhile another user who has upgraded to an Intel X25-M SSD found his drive no longer works at all following the firmware update. Some have found that re-installing the original SATA 1.5Gbps drive supplied by Apple restores the machine to working order, while others have had no luck.

Apple distanced themselves from aftermarket upgrades when they first released the firmware, warning users that they had “not qualified or offered these drives for Mac notebooks” and that “their use is unsupported.” That seems to mean they won’t fix the issue under warranty: many who have contacted Apple Stores or technical support regarding the firmware issues have been told that “Apple is not responsible for maintaining compatibility with third-party aftermarket hardware with their firmware updates.” However there is also talk that Apple Store “Geniuses” can roll back the firmware if there was a problem during the upgrade itself, though not otherwise.

HP have announced a new netbook, the Mini 5101, and like their original entrant to the market they’ve gone with business-friendly materials targeted at “on-the-go professionals”. The HP Mini 5101’s 10.1-inch display is clad in anodized aluminum, while the lower case is made from magnesium alloy. Inside, there’s the usual Intel Atom processor, in this case the 1.66GHz N280, paired with up to 2GB of RAM and up to a 320GB HDD or an 80GB SSD.

Two display options are available, a standard 1024 x 600 or an HD-capable 1366 x 768 16:9 panel, with graphics via Intel’s GMA 950 chipset. Ports include three USB 2.0, VGA, ethernet, audio in/out and an SD/MMC card reader, while there’s also WiFi a/b/g/n, optional Bluetooth 2.0 and optional EVDO/HSPA WWAN. A 2-megapixel webcam lurks up in the screen bezel, along with stereo microphones.

The whole thing weighs from 2.64lb, and measures 10.3 x 7.09 x 0.91 inches. It’s being offered with either Windows XP Home, SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 or FreeDOS, as well as either 4-cell or 6-cell batteries. Pricing starts from $449, and you can pick up the HP Mini 5101 from July.

With Super Talent’s MasterDrive SX SSD range comfortably crashing through the 200MB/sec sequential read-rate mark, it was only a matter of time before arch-rival Active Media stepped up their game to compete. They’ve announced two new 2.5-inch SSDs, the Predator GT SATA-II line, each offering up to 220MB/sec sequential reads and 0.1ms access times.

Available in 64GB and 128GB capacities, each SSD comes in a brushed aluminum housing, together with a bracket to allow for mounting in a 3.5-inch bay. Like the MasterDrive SX range, the 64GB Predator GT has sequential write rates of up to 120MB/sec, while the 128GB version ups that to 200MB/sec.

The Predator GT also features 128MB of SDRAM cache and a new 8-channel controller. Both models are on sale now, priced at $199.95 fo

Samsung have announced a solid-state drive (SSD) that fits onto a mini-PCIe card, offering up to 64GB capacity in a form-factor nearly 80-percent smaller than a 2.5-inch drive. The SATA 3.0 Gbps drive is not only intended for compact devices, such as MIDs and netbooks, but as a secondary or complementary drive for regular notebooks.

In that way, users would no longer have to choose between the speed of SSD and the low price of traditional hard-drives, but instead have both. The mini-PCIe card weighs up to 8.5g and boasts 200MB/s read rates and 100MB/s write rates.

It also supports full-drive encryption and the usual shock-resistance of an SSD. Samsung are currently sampling the SATA mini-card SSD to its hardware partners, while pushing for standardization on its mechanical form-factor and pin-layout. That’s expected to be completed by Q3 2009; there’s no word on when we could see the drives reach the market.

After months of complaint from US would-be VAIO P buyers, Sony has apparently relented and added a new, faster processor option to their “don’t call it a netbook” ultraportable. The VAIO P VGN-P698E gets Intel’s 1.60GHz Intel Atom processor, likely the Z530, together with a 128GB SSD and the usual integrated Verizon EVDO Rev.A and GPS.

Unfortunately that’s still a fair few clock-cycles behind Japan’s latest VAIO P, the 2GHz Atom Z550 model announced earlier this month. In fact it’s slower, even, than the now-toppled Japanese flagship – which ran at 1.86GHz with an Atom Z540 CPU – and the Windows XP option is also unavailable, as Sony have seemingly decided US customers only want Vista.

Best of all is the price: for the smudge of extra processing power and double the SSD you’re looking at $1,499.99. That’s a full $500 more than the 1.33GHz 32GB SSD model. It’s available for pre-order now, and will begin shipping around June 26th.

Super Talent have announced a new range of solid-state drives, promising higher read and write rates thanks to a new 8-channel controller and more cache. The 2.5-inch Super Talent MasterDrive SX SSDs range in capacity from 64GB to 256GB, made up of MLC NAND flash, and the company is quoting sequential read speeds of up to 220 MB/sec and write speeds of up to 200 MB/sec.

Each of the drives have 128MB of DRAM cache and use a 3Gbps SATA-II interface. Power draw is down to 0.5W during reads and 0.15W while idle, and they’re also tipped to be more rugged, too, thanks to an aluminum shell.

The new Super Talent MasterDrive SX SSDs are available now, through retailers such as NewEgg and SuperBiiz. So far the only price we’ve seen is around $359 for the 128GB mid-range model.

Western Digital have announced their first range of self-branded solid-state drives (SSDs), the Western Digital SiliconDrive III series. Based on technology acquired in the company’s acquisition of SiliconSystems back in March, the new range consists of two 2.5-inch SSDs and a 1.8-inch model, boasting read speeds up to 100MBps and write speeds up to 80MBps.

The larger drives consist of SATA 3Gb/s and PATA ATA-7 versions, with capacities ranging from 30GB to 80GB. The former manages read/write rates of up to 100/85MB/s respectively, while the latter achieves 85/60MB/s respectively. As for the smaller, 1.8-inch drive, that too has a SATA 3Gb/s interface and read/write speeds of 100/80MB/s respectively; it’s available in capacities between 30GB and 60GB.

The drives also feature SiSMART technology, which monitors the SSD in real-time so as to alert the user of potential drive failure. No word on pricing or specific availability.

MacBook Pro confusion this weekend, as some owners of the new unibody 13- and 15-inch notebooks are reporting that their machines are apparently limited to 1.5Gb/s SATA connections rather than the faster 3.0Gb/s SATA-II. Full details are unclear, but it seems that Apple have either switched to SATA hardware or used firmware for the newest MacBook Pros that limits hard-drive connections to the slower speed.

The move has the most impact on those who upgraded to the SSD option in their new MacBook Pro. Regular hard-drives, which the notebooks are both fitted with as standard, will prove unaffected, as the read/write speeds of the drive are slower than SATA. However SSDs, which can manage higher sustained read rates, are clocking in with lower speeds compared to previous-generation MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

Any impact on real-world performance, however, is unknown. Transferring files to external drives would be limited by the USB/Firewire connection rather than the choice of SATA or SATA-II. It’s possible that a new firmware update could “unlock” the faster connectivity, but so far Apple have not publicly commented.

As well as throwing WiMAX into select VAIO P models, Sony is also giving the Japanese version of their “don’t call it a netbook” a processor boost. Intel’s Atom Z550 - at 2.0GHz the fastest of the Z-range – is now an option, and going from the preliminary benchmarks it’s clear that this new iteration is the best VAIO P to date.

The Z550 VAIO P comes with a 64GB SSD – we’re expecting 128GB to be an option – and runs Windows Vista. Compared to the original VAIO P, the 1.33GHz 60GB HDD version still available in the US, it scores almost twice the CrystalMark points overall.

Even the SSD performs better in conjunction with the new chip, outperforming both the 64GB and 128GB solid-state drives in the 1.6GHz and 1.86GHz models. Unfortunately, the new VAIO P with the Z550 processor option is currently only available in Japan, and there’s no telling when it might cross over to the US or Europe.

A whole new day is dawning for the never-ever-a-netbook Sony VAIO P -- those new processor and drive upgrades apparently have the little PC churning through benchmarks at twice the pace of the original. Most of the benchmark help comes from the SSD drive, but the Atom Z550 doesn't hurt. Meanwhile, Japan is getting a WiMAX version to churn through stereotypically Japanese websites in record time. We'd be jealous if only we lived under 1,000 miles from the nearest WiMAX signal.

OCZ Technology seems to always be toiling away on new solid state drives, but it's rare to find any from the company that are priced for the average Joe / Jane. Rather than aiming specifically for the fat-walleted enthusiast crowd, the Agility series is hoping to make a decent sized splash in the mainstream market. These 2.5-inch SATA II SSDs promise 230MB/sec read and 135MB/sec write speeds, along with 64MB of cache and a two-year warranty. We pinged OCZ for details surrounding pricing and availability, so here's the dirt: the trio of models will be available in a fortnight or so for $129.99 (30GB), $219.99 (60GB) and $349.99 (120GB).

Apple has updated its MacBook Pro range, announcing a new 15-inch MBP with a built-in battery that is apparently good for up to 7hrs of runtime. It also drops the ExpressCard slot of the previous model and replaces it with a far more user-friendly SD card slot. Meanwhile the 17-inch MacBook Pro gets a price cut to $2,499, while the 13-inch MacBook now graduates to the Pro line with integrated 7hr battery among other things. Full details after the cut, plus a big price-cut for the MacBook Air.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,699 with a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, a 250GB hard-drive, SD card slot and 7hr non-user-accessible battery. Then there’s a $1,999 model with 2.66Ghz processor, combination GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics, and a 320GB hard-drive. Finally, the $2,299 model boosts that to a 2.8GHz processor and 500GB hard-drive. The battery is apparently good for around 1,000 recharge cycles. All three notebooks are shipping today.
As for the unibody 13-inch MacBook Pro, that comes in two standard configurations. $1,199 gets you the 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics, a 160GB hard-drive and SD card slot (there’s no ExpressCard slot). $1,499 steps that up to a 2.53GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and a 250GB hard-drive. Options include up to 8GB of RAM and up to 500GB hard-drive; standard are a backlit keyboard and FireWire 800 port. It’ll be available today.
Finally, the MacBook Air gets a new price point with significant discounts. $1,499 gets the 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, GeForce 9400M graphics and a 120GB hard-drive, while $1,799 gets the 2.13GHz processor and the 128GB SSD. The SSD model is, in fact, $700 cheaper than it was previously.

Storage may not be as glossy or as exciting as a new netbook, MID or Smartbook, and as such we didn’t see as much hard-drive coverage from Computex as we did mobile devices; still, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some deuced impressive hardware lurking at the show. OCZ brought along their Colossus, a 3.5-inch SSD-based drive which boasts 1TB of capacity and sustained read/write speeds of 265MB/s.

It does that by using a RAID-0 setup inside, managed by a JMicron RAID controller and a pair of Indilinx controllers which each control the flash memory. Unlike 2.5-inch drives, the Colossus isn’t going to be much use for notebooks and small-form-factor PCs, but for performance computers it offers the speed of a solid-state drive with the capacity you’d typically rely on a traditional platter-based HDD for.

As ever, there’s a catch, and that’s unsurprisingly the price tag. We’re not entirely sure when the OCZ Colossus 1TB SSD will reach the market, but the company expect it to be priced between $2,500 and $3,000. A cheaper (relatively speaking) 500GB version will also be offered.