Just a week after introducing 4-bay TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS, QNAP has now announced the TS-809, an eight-bay network attached storage system. Powered by Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz CPU and 2GB DDRII memory, it supports 8 SATA drive bays that accommodate up to 12TB storage capacity.

TS-809 offers advanced RAID features including support for RAID 0/1/5/6/5+spare, Online RAID Capacity Expansion and Online RAID Level Migration. It also features iSCSI with Thin Provisioning, AES 256-bit volume-based encryption, automatic policy-based IP blocking along with instant SMS and email alert. TS-809 had reached over 126MB/sec read rates and 111MB/sec write rates in QNAP lab

The NAS comes with the Surveillance Station feature which supports real-time monitoring and video playback from up to 4 IP-based cameras. TS-809 also provides a wide array of server functions like file server, FTP server, DDNS support, Web server with built-in phpMyAdmin, Joomla, MySQL, SQLite, editable php.ini, MySQL server and printer server. You can access these from Mac, Linux or Windows-based machines.

"The TS-809 Pro adopts Intel Core 2 Duo high performance CPU which brings extremely high speed experience for multiple business applications. It is an excellent choice for storage-hungry enterprises who demand for outstanding system performance in an intensive data access environment," said Laurent Cheng, Product Manager from QNAP.

No word yet from QNAP on the price or availability of the TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS.

Kingston has increased the capacity of its CompactFlash Elite Pro Flash memory cards to 32GB. With larger capacity and fast data transfer rates, it is designed to meet the demands of both advanced amateur and professional photographers. It offers 25MB/sec. read and 20MB/sec. write speeds.

"The Kingston 32GB CF Elite Pro card is designed to keep pace with and not limit the productivity of the most advanced digital camera equipment on the market," said Wendy Lecot, Flash business development manager, Kingston Digital. "Combining the large storage capacity along with fast read and write speeds makes this card ideal for continuous capture and download of images."

The Kingston 32 GB CF Elite Pro is available for $154 and is backed by a lifetime warranty.

CyberPower, best known for its gaming computers, has just announced its Windows Home Server 100. The small form factor home-based server automatically backs up computers on a home network and allows users to restore a single file or an entire PC.

This energy-saving server features Intel 1.6GHz Atom 330 Dual Core processor on the Intel’s Mini-ITX mainboard with Intel GMA 950 & S-video output support, 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet. It offers 2GB of RAM and a 500GB SATA-II hard drive and runs Microsoft Windows 2003 Server OEM version.

It also features a secure and personalized website address to let users organize their digital media in a central location. The 500GB Windows Home Server 100 is priced at $399, with the option to customize it from the company web site with numerous component options.

Link: Hot Hardware

Iomega has introduced StorCenter Pro ix4-100 network attached storage based on enterprise-class EMC storage technologies. Meant for small businesses and remote offices, it easily integrates with existing infrastructure for expanded storage, file-sharing and backup of critical business data.

The four-drive NAS is based on the EMC LifeLine software, a fully-developed Linux operating environment and suite of applications. The device delivers fast data throughput, multiple RAID configurations and RSA based enterprise security protection features. It can support up to 25 networked users.

Available in 2TB or 4TB capacities, the ix4 provides centralized storage to business users lets them share, secure and protect their data. Users can access files from any networked Windows PC, Linux workstation or Macintosh computer for easy file-sharing, data backup and print-serving.

The StorCenter Pro ix4 can be configured with RAID 5, RAID 10 and JBOD. The four SATA II hard drives are hot-swappable. It also offers four USB 2.0 ports for adding printers or external hard drives. The Bluetooth capability allows users to upload contacts, photos from a cell phone or pocket PC while the Picture Transfer Protocol allows automatic transfer of photos from digital cameras via one of the USB ports.

The 2TB StorCenter Pro ix4-100 NAS Server is now available worldwide for $799.95 while the 4TB StorCenter Pro ix4-100 will be available later this for $1,299.95.

Hitachi has announced the CinemaStar C5K500, a 2.5-inch hard drive available in capacities up to 500GB. Sporting a halogen-free design, the CinemaStar drive is designed for use in continuous “24x7” applications. It is meant to be used in DVRs, set-top boxes and surveillance systems.

The drives feature a low read/write power specification of 1.4W, which is 22 percent lower than previous models. Hitachi says its SmoothStream technology enhances streaming functionality in digital video applications. It also features technology to provide time-limited error recovery, enhanced thermal monitoring capabilities and silent-seek acoustics for ultra-quiet operation.

“The explosion of digital music and photos, combined with widespread access to high-definition television content, is driving DVR capacity requirements to new levels,” said Brendan Collins, vice president, Product Marketing, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. “The new CinemaStar drive will allow DVR manufacturers to deliver compact DVRs with all the capacity and features of larger form factor products.”

The 5,400 RPM drive will be available in capacities ranging from 160 to 500GB. Expected to ship in the second quarter of the year, the pricing of CinemaStar C5K500 has not yet been announced.

QNAP has introduced TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS, the world's first 4-bay intel atom-based network attached storage.

The TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS features low power Intel 1.6GHz CPU and 1GB DDRII memory. It supports dual Giga LAN and offers five USB 2.0 ports. The device also supports RAID 0/1/5/6/5+spare configurations, Online RAID Capacity Expansion and Online RAID Level Migration. It offers data protection with AES 256-bit volume-based encryption, automatic policy-based IP blocking, instant SMS and email alert, and SSL secure certificate.

"The TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS presents a new definition of high scalability, high redundancy, large storage capacity and high stability NAS in the current market. The 4-bay NAS supports up to 6TB storage capacity which can be further expanded by connecting external hard drives to the five USB ports and two eSATA ports. Yet, the NAS is able to maintain low power consumption by the energy-saving Intel CPU which allows 24x7 operation in the business environment," says Troy Lin, Product Manager from QNAP

The TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS also provides a wide array of server functions like file server, FTP server, DDNS support, Web server with built-in phpMyAdmin, Joomla, MySQL/ SQLite, editable php.ini, MySQL server and printer server. The device enables file sharing across Linux, Mac, and Windows platforms.

QNAP has not said anything yet on the price or availability of the TS-439 Pro Turbo NAS.

CalDigit has announced CalDigit VR, the two drive RAID system offering impressive performance, and superior quality in a sleek and easily upgradable enclosure.

The quadruple interface of CalDigit VR supports USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800 and eSATA drives. It has two hot swappable drive modules for easy replacement and expansion. The storage device offers speeds up to 220MB/s in RAID 0, and over 100MB/s with RAID 1 protection.

An environmental monitor provides detailed information about temperature, fan RPM and hard drive health. The all aluminum enclosure of CalDigit VR provides additional heat dissipation. It comes with software that provides easy management, monitoring, diagnostic repots, email notifications, and firmware update capabilities.

It also includes a security lock as well as locking drive modules. It also provides password protection against unauthorized changes to the sensitive data.

The CalDigit VR is priced at $500 for the 1.28TB model. A 4TB model is also expected to be released soon.

Super Talent has announced an SSD specially designed as an upgrade for the Asus S101 Eee PC.

The Windows model of the Asus S101 Eee PC comes with just 16GB of local storage. Super Talent’s upgrade SSDs available in 16GB, 32GB or 64GB capacities allow the S101 user to double or quadruple the storage capacity in his netbook.

Super Talent says the new SSD has been rigorously tested in their compatibility labs for both performance and functionality. All the three drives delivers 90 MB/sec max sequential read speeds and up to 55 MB/sec write speeds. These have a SATA Mini PCIe interface to attach to the S101.

Joe James, Super Talent’s director of marketing noted, “You can never have enough storage space. This is sure to be a popular upgrade for the S101.”

All three models are available for purchase now, with the top-end 64GB version priced at $169. The pricing for the other two models have not yet been given.

Western Digital has announced the latest addition to its environmentally friendly, cool and quiet, WD Caviar Green hard drive family - the world's first 2 terabyte (TB) hard drive.

The new 3.5-inch platform is based on WD's 500 GB/platter technology (with 400 Gb/in2 areal density) with 32 MB cache, producing drives with capacities of up to 2 TB. The Caviar Green drives are designed for use in USB/FireWire/eSATA external hard drives, desktop computers, workstations, and desktop RAID environments.

WD uses a number of advanced technologies to enable the speed, capacity and performance of Caviar Green hard drives. StableTrac technology secures the motor shaft at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration. The IntelliPower fine-tunes the balance of spin speed, transfer rate and caching algorithms designed to deliver both significant power savings and solid performance. The No Touch ramp load technology is designed to ensure the recording head never touches the disk media resulting in significantly less wear to the recording head and media, as well as better drive protection while in transit.

"Saving power without sacrificing storage capacity is what consumers want, and what many businesses are requiring today. With the launch of the new WD Caviar Green 2 TB hard drive, customers receive the additional capacities needed to operate today's highly advanced programs and high-resolution digital files while using less power than typical drives with similar performance and capacities," said Jim Morris, WD senior vice president and general manager of client systems.

The WD Caviar Green 2 TB is available at select resellers and distributors for $299.00 USD.

Transcend has announced its new 2.5” portable hard drive, the elegant and sleek StoreJet 25F. Designed for business travelers, it offers a designer gloss diamond pattern and lustrous metallic finish and measures only 113.8mm x 80.9mm x 15.9mm.

The StoreJet 25F has up to 500GB of storage space so users can easily transfer, store, and share important files and data. Its useful anti-slip rubber feet provide a stable base for resting on a table or computer case.

The StoreJet 25F uses a high-speed USB2.0 interface to provide data transfer rates up to 480Mb per second, with the convenience of true “plug and play” operation. The StoreJet 25F also offer StoreJet elite data-management tools featuring Website AutoLogin, Mobile Favorites with NoTrace internet browsing, Secret-Zip file encryption, Mobile E-mail, Online Update and intelligent backup scheduling, security, and file compression functions.

The Transcend’s StoreJet 25F supports all commonly used operating systems, including Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac, and Linux.

No word on the price of the Transcend StoreJet 25F yet, though it is apparently available now.