SanDisk has unveiled ExtremeFFS, an advanced flash file system for solid-state drives (SSDs) that yields dramatic improvement in performance and reliability for computing applications. Sandisk says this patented flash management system has the potential to accelerate random write speeds by up to 100 times over existing systems.

ExtremeFFS operates on a page-based algorithm, which means there is no fixed coupling between physical and logical location. When a sector of data is written, the SSD puts it where it is most convenient and efficient, resulting in an improvement in random write performance - by up to 100 times.

ExtremeFFS incorporates a fully non-blocking architecture in which all of the NAND channels can behave independently. Another key element of ExtremeFFS is usage-based content localization, which allowing it to ‘learn’ user patterns and dynamically writes and alters the position of data to maximize the product’s performance and endurance.

The company expects the SSD net performance next year will be four times faster than the current generation of SSDs and nearly six times that of the latest 2.5-inch HDDs.

Link: Sandisk

Panasonic has announced the Toughbook H1, the first fully-rugged mobile clinical assistant (MCA) designed specifically for the medical professionals. The new Toughbook H1 integrates the low power Intel Atom processor with six hour battery life, standard daylight viewable screen and integrated Gobi technology in a sealed and easily-sanitized package.

The Toughbook H1 has been designed for easy disinfection, reducing the risk of germs being spread from patient to patient. The device is the first MCA to offer a fanless design and also features a smooth surface with sealed buttons, a gapless LCD screen and no exposed ports.

The rugged H1 is MIL-STD-810F tested and is capable of withstanding three foot drops. It is water-, rain- and dust-resistance and can easily handle being repeatedly sprayed and wiped with disinfectant.

Other features include 80Gb of storage, 1GB of RAM, a 10.4-inch XGA screen that is touch sensitive, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The base H1 model is expected to start at $2,999 in the U.S. The Panasonic Toughbook H1 will be available worldwide in January 2009.

Link: Panasonic

Dell’s premier high-performance PC gaming brand Alienware has introduced the all-new M17 notebook. The 17-inch Alienware M17 offers High-Definition 1920 x 1200 resolution display for remarkable Blu-ray Disc and HD video playback.

Powered by the world’s first mobile quad-core processor, the Intel Core2 Extreme QX9300, Alienware M17 is their first notebook with ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU technology, featuring dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 cards.

Users can configure up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, and up to 1TB of storage in RAID 0. Other options include Blu-ray, HDTV tuner, and a facial recognition sensor. In addition, all Alienware 7200RPM drives feature Free Fall Sensor technology to further protect your valuable data.

“By incorporating the all-out performance of CrossFireX graphics and quad-core processing into Alienware’s award-winning notebook lineup,” says Frank Azor, executive vice-president for Alienware’s Product and Marketing Groups, “the M17 delivers an impressive feature set at a price point that doesn’t break the bank.”

Alienware M17 is now available at a starting price of $1399.

Link: Alienware

Western Digital has introduced WD TV Media Player, offering users a simple way to play their stored digital content on their HDTV in Full-HD 1080p resolution.

The WD TV HD Media Player enables consumers to easily and elegantly access their high-definition content on the biggest screen in the home. It connects to a user's TV or home theater and plays digital movies, music and photos from USB mass storage device.

Navigating content on USB drives is fast and easy with WD TV HD Media Player's remote control and on-screen menu. Content can be viewed either by filename or thumbnails of photos, album covers or movie cover art. In addition, automatic media aggregation lets the viewer see all their media by media type in one menu regardless of its location in folders or drives. The Free ArcSoft MediaConverter 2.5 software is included to easily convert photo, video, and music files into formats optimized for use on the WD TV HD Media Player.

Designed for WD's My Passport portable drives, it also plays content from WD My Book family of drives and most popular USB drives, digital cameras, camcorders, and portable media players that can be recognized as mass storage devices.

The WD TV HD Media Player is available at select retailers and WD's online store for $129.99 USD.

Link: Western Digital

The world just got a little bit smaller. Google Earth is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch, allowing you to fly to the far reaches of the world from the palm of your hand.

The touch interface of iPhone is a very natural way to interact with the Earth. Just swipe your finger across the screen and you fly to the other side of the globe; tilt your phone and your view tilts as well. You can pinch to zoom in or out, or just double tap with one finger to zoom in and two fingers to zoom out.

You can use the 'Location' feature to fly to your current location and also search for places, businesses, and landmarks around the globe with Google Local Search. You can even browse millions of geo-located photos from around the world or read Wikipedia articles.

The software is now available for download in 18 languages and 22 countries via iTunes App Store.

Link: Google Blog

Dell today announced a new line of OptiPlex commercial desktops. The new OptiPlex systems feature innovations in serviceability, manageability, security and power consumption.

The company is introducing four new platforms:

• OptiPlex 960 - Dell’s flagship, heavy-duty desktop enables up to 43 percent less power consumption to reduce energy costs over previous generation of OptiPlex desktops. The optional QuietKit technology reduces noise by as much as 60 percent. Available in three chassis styles (mini-tower, desktop and small form factor), the OptiPlex 960 starts at $863.
• OptiPlex 760 - Offering mainstream security, productivity and energy efficient features with improved management capabilities, the OptiPlex 760 starts at $593.
• OptiPlex 360 - It enables the performance needed to help customers build their business and drive essential office productivity. The OptiPlex 360 starts at $476.
• OptiPlex FX160 - Dell’s first thin client; supports embedded or streamed operating systems for virtual desktop implementations. The FX160 starts at $399.

Dell's new OptiPlex desktops are available worldwide, according to the company.

Link: Dell

Western Digital has added a high-speed FireWire 800 interface to its My Passport Studio portable drive. Aimed at Mac users and creative professionals like photographers and videographers, My Passport Studio portable drives offer up to 500 GB of storage capacity, and the fast performance they need.

The new interface makes this drive a perfect storage companion for the newly introduced Apple MacBook Pro computer. Equipped with FireWire 800/400 and USB interfaces, the portable drive weighs less than 7 ounces.

A built-in, illuminated capacity gauge tells users how much space is available in the drive. In addition, My Passport Studio can be used to backup Mac laptops using Apple's Time Machine application.

"With a new FireWire 800 interface, My Passport Studio speeds up editing and transferring of big media files making it perfect for performance-minded Mac computer users on the go," said Jim Welsh, senior vice president and general manager of WD's Branded Products and Consumer Electronics Groups.

The My Passport Studio is available with 500GB for $249.99 and 400GB for $229.99.

Link: Western Digital

The U.S. government issued on Thursday a recall of 35,000 Sony batteries and the Tokyo-based company said it would recall a further 65,000 batteries worldwide.

Sony Corp said five PC makers including Hewlett-Packard Co and Toshiba Corp will recall 100,000 computer battery packs made by the Japanese electronics maker due to a fire hazard. The recall affects around 74,000 notebook PCs sold by HP and 14,400 from Toshiba. The faulty batteries are also used in laptop PCs from Dell Inc, Acer Inc and Lenovo Group Ltd, Sony said.

PC makers have reported 40 cases of overheating, including four cases where users suffered minor burns and 21 cases of minor damage from fires and overheating, a Sony spokeswoman said.

Sony blamed the faulty batteries on factory changes dating back up to four years, which it believes may have affected the quality of some battery cells. Other incidents of overheating may have involved a problem with raw materials, the company said.

Consumers have been advised to immediately remove the recalled battery from their notebook computer, and contact their computer manufacturer to determine if their battery is included in the recall and to request a free replacement battery. Consumers may use the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives.

Link: Reuters

Dell has launched the XPS OneTM 24 and continues the (PRODUCT) RED program that contributes to the fight against AIDS in Africa. The updated design boasts a 24-inch, edge-to-edge 1080p HD display and premium JBL dual stereo speakers and sub woofer for immersive entertainment experiences.

The XPS One 24 is an all in one desktop PC integrating an array of sought-after features, including HDTV, DVR, optional Blu-ray Disc player and recorder, component stereo system, video phone, and media library.

The XPS One 24 features NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT video graphics for eye-popping visuals, while Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 quad core processor handles complex multimedia activities.

Each purchase of an XPS One 24 (PRODUCT) RED system contributes $50-$80 (depending on the configuration) to the Global Fund, which helps fight HIV and AIDS in Africa.

The XPS One 24 is available in the U.S. with price starting at $1,699.

Link: Dell

Qik, the live mobile video streaming platform, has announced alpha support for Blackberry devices from Research In Motion (RIM), including Blackberry Pearl and BlackBerry Bold.

Qik's free service allows users to stream video live to the Internet in just two clicks from their mobile phone. Those watching the videos on the Web can take part in live interactive chat with the person broadcasting.

"We are excited to bring our lifestyle technology to the millions of Blackberry users worldwide," said Ramu Sunkara, co-founder and CEO of Qik. "In our quest to bring mobile live video sharing to the masses, we now support the broadest range of platforms including Symbian, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and Java-enabled mass market phones."

Qik is initially launching in alpha on the following handsets running Blackberry Operating System 4.5 and above. Owners of the above devices can get Qik by registering at http://qik.com/. Support for these devices is expected to enter beta in the coming weeks, and support for additional BlackBerry handsets is expected soon after.