Business News Holding

Tag: hardware-and-technology

  • Texas Memory Systems Introduces Highest Capacity PCI-Express Solid State Disk


    Texas Memory Systems has announced its latest PCI-Express Solid State Disk aimed at mainstream businesses and applications.

    The RamSan-20 offers 450GB of usable grade Flash – which the company claims makes it the highest capacity enterprise class PCIe Flash card on the market.

    Described as a complete storage system on a PCIe card, the SSD accelerates server-resident applications that require large, fast buffer areas and those that are random access intensive.

    Texas lists databases, video editing, financial modeling, data acquisition, scientific computing, and web content as examples of applications likely to benefit from the RamSan-20.

    Woody Hutsell, president at Texas Memory SystemsAs a PCIe Flash card, said the RamSan-20 minimizes latency between the server’s processor and storage and is easily installed in minutes.

    He said users are increasingly looking to SSD as they demand greater application performance.

    "Beyond the Enterprise data center, the technology and cost improvements in Flash are stimulating demand," he said.

    "These factors, coupled with a growing desire to reduce space and power requirements with greener storage, led us to develop the RamSan-20."

    He said that to maximise performance and reliability, the RamSan-20 utilizes Single Level Cell (SLC) Flash.

    It delivers 120,000 I/Os per second (IOPS) for random read operations – and Texas claims it transfers data faster than other Flash drives and "hundreds of times" faster than traditional mechanical hard drives.

    A comprehensive on-board management suite ensures the RamSan-20 does not impact host resources, yet Hutsell said it delivers extreme reliability and durability, ensuring data preservation even in the event of a server crash or power outage.

    The RamSan-20 is scheduled for general availability in early Q2 2009. No pricing information was available.

  • Panasonic's VHS/Blu-ray Combo Upconverts SD Video to 1080p


    The world’s first Blu-ray-VHS dual player is to go on sale in the US from next month.

    Made by Panasonic, the DMP-BD70V has a multi-format playback that allows users to play VHS, CD, DVD and 1080p high definition Blu-ray Discs.

    It also allows standard DVDs and VHS tapes to be up-converted to 1080p resolution.

    While the picture quality of VHS tapes obviously doesn’t rival Blu-ray, it does produce an impressive picture – something certain to appeal to the many households with stacks of VHS tapes lying around.

    The DMP-BD70V has been available in Japan since last year.

    The combo VHS/DVD/Blu-ray/SD Card Player is to be priced at USD $399.

  • 1080p Video Possible With Intel's New Atom Chipset


    Poor video acceleration – stuttering and frame rate drops – is something of a blight for netbooks when it comes to playing HD video.

    Now Intel has confirmed that the GN40 chipset for Atom chips, when paired with the Atom N280 processor, is capable of playing 1080p video.

    That doesn’t, however, stretch to Blu-ray HD footage.

    An Intel product manager has told Fudzilla that the GN40 is "designed to do 1080p HD playback for typical broadband internet content".

    The semiconductor firm says the more advanced graphics acceleration in GN40 can decode most common bitrates of the full HD resolution without the problems of poor video acceleration encountered with the 945 chipsets used with most Atom-based netbooks.

    It is likely that Microsoft’s own compressed HD format, 1080p WMV, will be playable through the GN40.

    The same may not be true for H.264 and VC1 decoding.

    This will be encouraging for NVIDIA, which has its Ion platform – capable of bringing Full HD-capabilities to the netbook.

    However, Intel says the chipset wasn’t engineered to enable full Blu-ray capability "where the bitrates and demands of multi-layer content are significantly higher than that of internet HD content" – as high as 24Mbps for the video as well as extra layers like picture-in-picture commentary.

    So when are we likely to see a successor to GN40 that is capable of Blu-ray video?

  • Skype Seeks To Establish Common Audio Codec by Offering High-Quality Silk for Free







    Skype is to license for free a high-quality audio codec in its latest VoIP software to any developer or vendor.

    Called Silk, the "super-wideband" codec delivers a sound quality that captures the full sound of the human voice.

    Jonathan Christensen, Skype’s general manager of audio and video, launched the licensing program earlier this week at the eComm conference in California.

    He said that the normal phone system uses a narrow band for voice, from 400Hz to 3,400Hz, that cuts off high and low frequencies.

    Silk allows Skype to reproduce the full range of typical voice frequencies audible to the human ear, from 50Hz to 12,000Hz.

    So, while traditional systems carry voice in a standard 64Kb per second (Kbps) channel – which has disadvantages, such as blurring the difference between similar sounds such as "f" and "s" – VoIP can be carried in a fatter pipe.

    This has allowed new codecs to be written to encode and decode voice at higher quality.

    Benefits of this include helping callers identify different speakers on conference calls and making calls sound generally warmer, according to Christensen.

    Additionally, the new codec requires half the network bandwidth of Skype’s previous version.

    Christensen said the codec will be made freely available to third-party developers. They will be able to use it in any device or application, with or without Skype.

    "We think this is a way the whole industry can come up to a new standard of voice quality," he said.

    Skype’s motivation for making Silk available for free is to expand the range of hardware and software clients its calling software works with by establishing a common codec for clients to adopt.

    This goes from PC software, headsets and videoconferencing systems to cordless phones and mobiles.

    Silk runs on x86 chipsets for Windows, Macintosh and Linux systems, and the software has been run on Arm and MIPS chip platforms.

    It is currently available as Skype 4.0 for Windows and as a Macintosh beta version 2.8. A final Mac version and one for Linux are due in April.

  • TI Unveils Video Processor Aimed at Removing Format Concerns







    Texas Instruments has launched a new video processor specifically aimed at removing video designers’ concerns about video format support, network bandwidth or system storage capacity limitations.

    Called the TMS320DM365 DaVinci, the processor includes production-qualified H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MJPEG and VC1 codecs.

    The DM365 also has an integrated image signal processing (ISP) solution for intelligent video processing capabilities and a suite of on-board peripherals.

    TI says this has the potential to save developers up to 25 per cent on their system cost.

    The company is aiming the processor at video designers of media playback and camera-driven applications, such as video doorbells and portable media players.

    According to TI, by using the DM365 it will allow them to expand their product portfolio on one platform with the ability to select the right HD video codec for multiple product designs – 1080p MPEG-4 at 24 fps or 720p H.264 and MPEG-4 at 30 fps.

    An example is video security applications supporting 1080p H.264 at 10 fps to provide high-quality video with greater compression efficiency.

    As a result, TI says developers can attain increased video storage without straining network bandwidth.

    In addition, by having a built-in ISP with capabilities including face detection, developers can focus on differentiating their products with smart video features.

    These include enabling intelligent digital signage to detect its viewers and display relevant advertising or video doorbells to instantly recognize family members and automatically unlock the door.

  • A-DATA Launches Highest Capacity SSD For Laptops and Netbooks












    The race to drive up flash memory storage capacity has a new champion in the form of A-DATA Technology.

    The Taiwanese company has just announced the highest capacity of SSD in the industry at CeBIT 2009 – the 512GB XPG 2.5" SSD.

    Designed for notebook and PC enthusiasts, the memory module maker says it is aimed at users seeking both a fast transfer rate and high capacity SSD.

    With a fast transfer rate up to 230MB/s and 160MB/s read and write, the 512GB XPG 2.5" SSD certainly delivers.

    It has an adopted standard high speed SATA II interface and comes equipped with a tough but lightweight case.

    Although the world’s second largest vendor of memory modules, it is normally overshadowed by companies such as Samsung, Toshiba, SanDisk and Western Digital in the flash memory capacity stakes.

    512GB XPG 2.5" SSD’s features include:
    1. Read up to 230MB/s Write up to 160 MB/s
    2. Interface: SATA I/II
    3. Operating Temp.: -10°C~70°C
    4. Shock Resistance: 1500G/0.5ms
    5. MTBF: 1,500,000 hrs.
    6. Dashing, durable, lightweight Aluminum casing

    Specification:
    1. Dimension: 100.0*70.1*9.2 mm (LxWxH)
    2. Weight: 85+/



  • Are optical Discs a Viable Option For Enterprise Storage?







    The majority of corporations are faced with issues about storage. While storage is not difficult, it must be easy to archive and be available when needed.

    In the past, tapes and cassettes have often been used to store data. These tapes are often stored in a secure permanent offsite location.

    Tape media on average lasts about 30 years and is more durable than disk but tapes take up a lot of space. Now there is a new option for storing data, writes Samantha Sai for storage-biz.news.

    Pioneer has announced that it has succeeded in developing a 16-layer read-only optical disc with mega storage capacity of about 400 GB or about 25 GB per layer.

    This is a major improvement from the past because multi-layered optical discs have not always been able to relay signals clearly from each layer.

    Pioneer has solved the problem of cross talk from adjacent layers using the disc production technology found in the DVD field.

    Pioneer predicts that the future of storage in much denser forms will continue to evolve as the science of optics is better studied.

    Ultra Density Optical (UDO) discs are third generation optical disc designed for very high-density storage of video data.

    Currently available Ultra Density Optical discs have an estimated shelf life of 50 years.

    They have been introduced into the market and found to be reliable and durable for short-term use. Currently the UDO is used by banks, health care facilities, and financial corporations.

    Pioneer said in a recent statement released from Japan that the growing storage needs of many corporations is expected to drive the demand for higher capacity discs.

    The company also mentions that buying just one high capacity optical disc is equal to buying numerous other commercially available discs. This way, resources can be conserved and put to better use.

    The experts meanwhile are not impressed. David Hill, an analyst at Mesabi Group argues that such technology may be more "suitable for storing video and archiving at the consumer level".

    Likewise, Greg Schulz, an analyst with Storage IO, mentions that for years there has been talk about holographic storage.

    However, he adds: "If you are holding your breath for that, you had better get a scuba tank."

    So far the optical disc storages have not proven their worth in a commercial market and there are many kinks that have to be sorted out.

    However, most experts do agree that Blu-ray at both ends of the market, and in specialized verticals such as video, is improving data storage and preservation.

    Despite the great advances in hardware capabilities, the dinosaurs of data storage – the disk and tape – that were long ago proclaimed dead, continue to be pertinent because they are constantly being improved, cost a lot less and are durable.

    For the future, most experts predict that data storage will be achieved by a hybrid of RAM based or some kind of flash based solid state memory, perhaps even a touch of holographic technology.

  • Hitachi GST Takes Another Shot At Consumer Storage Market

















    Hitachi GST is making a fresh attempt at entering the consumer storage market after its first abortive attempt in 2007, writes Samantha Sai for storage-biz.news.

    Brenden Collins, Hitachi’s vice president of product marketing, dismisses the earlier attempt as one that "didn’t take off that well".

    The latest move follows in the wake of Hitachi GST’s decision to acquire Fabrik Inc, which makes G-Technology external hard drive systems for Macintosh computers and SimpleTech systems for PCs.

    While the financial terms of the acquisition haven’t been revealed, the Fabrik deal has been announced.

    It is interesting to note that hard drive competitors Seagate Technology LLC and Western Digital Corp. and several other storage players including EMC Corp, seem to find the acquisition route an ideal means of entering the consumer storage product market.

    Fabrik has renamed its Mozy product as Fabrik Ultimate Backup and has sold its option with SimpleTech systems.

    The newly named product continues to provide its users with the 2GB free space and has retained the charge at $4.95 per month for unlimited online backups.

    The company has also entered into a partnership with ArcSoft Inc for local backup software, so competing with EMC’s Iomega and Retrospect.

    The drag-drop-store in Apple Mac or external devices feature for G-Technology has also been enabled.

    Hitachi GST plans to run Fabrik as a standalone business and will allow all its partnerships continue even where the Fabrik partners compete with Hitachi’s external disk storage partners.

    Brian Babineau, a senior analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group, told Search Storage that such partnerships and relationships are becoming commonplace in the storage industry.

    "There’s a new class of products emerging," he said. "You’re starting to see a blend of enterprise functionality, simplified and masked, as well as redundancy built in.

    What’s interesting about these deals is to see how the simplified consumer solutions can then move upmarket."

    Wolfgang Schlichting, IDC’s Research Director is concerned that Hitachi should not upset its traditional client base in the process of acquiring Fabrik.

    "Hitachi is one of the last remaining hard drive manufacturers without its own branded external solution.

    "They have to be careful not to upset their traditional client base, but that’s also the case with the other hard drive manufacturers."





  • BitGravity Offers 1080p HD Live Video Streaming







    BitGravity announced today that it is launching a live digital video service that will allow users to stream Flash-based HD video over the Internet.

    The BG Live HD service can stream live events in 1080p or 720p resolution and doesn’t require a viewing client to be downloaded.

    The content delivery network (CDN) provider, making the announcement at DEMO 2009, said the new service was the first affordable, true HD, online streaming service for live events in 1080p or 720p resolution.

    Perry Wu, co-founder and CEO of BitGravity, said the notion of HD live broadcasting over the Internet is not earth shattering.
    However, he said doing it in a way that enables wide adoption is.

    Perry Wu, CEO BitGravity

    "Technology is not meaningful if we only deliver four out of five requirements that customers demand," he said.

    "TV-quality 720p and 1080p HD with only a few seconds delay off live, no client download, simple set-up, scalability, and affordability are the table stakes for being a player in this space."

    Last October, BitGravity announced the release of an application programming interface (API), capable of supporting cutting-edge interactive video applications.

    Based in Burlingame, California, the company launched a standard-definition version of the live online streaming service at last year’s DEMO event.

    Since then it has live streamed events such as the Democratic and Republican national conventions and President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

    Wu said BG Live HD, provides TV-quality video with just a few seconds of delay.

    He said the service has low hardware start-up costs.

    The HD H.264 live streaming software will initially be offered at no price premium over SD H.264 delivery.

    To stream live with an HD camera and Internet connection, BitGravity requires only an Apple Mac Pro loaded with BitGravity transcoding software, a PCI expansion card, and an HDMI or HDSDI source connected to BitGravity’s network.

    The new service streams data at a rate of 1.5- 2 megabits per second, which most cable modems and DSL lines can handle.
    BG Live HD will be generally available in April.

  • I-Movix Launches SprintCam V3 Broadcast-Integrated HD Ultra Slow-Motion Solution







    I-Movix has launched the first broadcast-integrated, native HD, ultra-slow-motion solution offering frame rates of 500 to 1,000 fps with instant replay.

    The new SprintCam V3 HD produces slow-motion output equivalent to 20 to 40 times slower than normal speed, which the Belgian company says makes it the most advanced HD system available with full broadcast integration.

    I-Movix’s SprintCam system has been used extensively to provide slow-motion footage from recent major broadcasting events, including Beijing 2008.

    Laurent Renard, CEO of I-Movix, said the new SprintCam V3 HD had an unmatched combination of exceptional image quality and light sensitivity, instant replay, broadcast integration, and out-of-the-box operation with no requirement for special training.

    He said the image quality, combined with its ease-of-use, made the V3 HD ideal for slow-motion requirements in sports broadcasting, commercials production, documentaries and movies.

    The SprintCam V3 HD system comprises a high-speed HD camera, an operational control panel, a slow motion remote, and the camera control unit.

    It will be available in June 2009.