Other World Computing today announced new 1TB and 2TB Aura SSD upgrades for the 2013 Mac Pro. With the announcement, OWC becomes the first to offer an easy, cost-effective DIY solution for upgrading the capacity of the 2013 Mac Pro. Custom engineered specifically for the 2013 Mac Pro and fully tested for compatibility, speed and reliability, the new Aura SSD for Mac Pro delivers the capacity and performance Mac Pro users need for high-speed production workflows in audio, film, photo, and graphics.

OWC Aura SSD upgrades for the 2013 Mac Pro are available for pre-order. The kits come with all of the tools necessary for a simplified DIY upgrade, including a ­comprehensive step-by-step installation video and ­24/7 award-winning, U.S.-based technical support.

Since the first Mac Pro in 2006, OWC has been a leading provider of award-winning computer upgrades and enhancement products for every Mac Pro model Apple has introduced. Building on this experience, OWC’s new Aura SSDs for Mac Pro 2013 feature:

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM memory modules and NAND Flash applications, launches a new UC340 USB flash drive. The Choice UC340 flash drive features trim geometric lines and a clean glossy finish. Carry it on a neck strap, purse, or key chain. With SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connectivity, you can transfer anywhere between 16GB to 256GB of audio, video and data files in just a few moments. Just push-to-click the colored head to extend the USB connector. Push again to retract it. Simple, stylish, practical. Click into your style with ADATA’s UC340 flash drive!

The UC340 is a work of utterly elegant geometry. Multiple black triangular facets on its casing complement a brilliantly colored translucent body. Not a mere storage drive, it embodies the best in performance and quality within the classic lines of fashion. Simply click the USB head to extend and retract the connector quickly and easily. With no end cap to hassle with or lose, the UC340 is both convenient and easy-to-use. An amply large triangular lanyard hole matches the US340’s classy geometric design. Carry it on a key ring. Wear it on a neck strap or bracelet.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today launched the 850 EVO, the latest addition to its branded solid state drive (SSD) line-up. Based on Samsung’s 3-bit 3D Vertical NAND (V-NAND) technology, the 850 EVO SSD provides a significant boost in performance and endurance as compared to its predecessor, making it ideal for use in mainstream PCs. With the slogan of “a new caliber of performance & endurance,” the new drive will be globally launched in a total of 53 countries in the United States, Europe and Asian markets later this month.

“We are thrilled to be providing users with an improved computing experience through the new 850 EVO SSDs,” said Unsoo Kim, Senior Vice President of the Branded Product Marketing team at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung will continue to introduce V-NAND-based SSDs in a variety of form factors, while accelerating the growth of the global SSD market.”

While the Samsung 850 PRO SSD that launched in July uses 2-bit 3D V-NAND for professional use in high-end client PCs and small- and medium-sized enterprise servers, the 850 EVO is built with 3-bit 3D V-NAND technology. This makes it more suitable for general consumer use in devices such as notebook and gaming PCs. With the introduction of the 850 EVO, Samsung launches the next iteration of its consumer SSD product line-up with new V-NAND-based SSDs.

CDRLabs kicks off the week with a review of Samsung's new 850 EVO SSD. Optimized for everyday computing, the 850 EVO is available with up to 1TB of Samsung's 3-bit 3D V-NAND and, depending on the capacity, is powered by either the MEX or the new MGX controller. To compensate for the slow write speeds typically associated with 3-bit (TLC) NAND, the 850 EVO uses Samsung's TurboWrite write acceleration technology, which creates a high-performance write buffer in the SSD. It also supports Device Sleep (DEVSLP) for lower power consumption as well as self-encrypting drive (SED) technology that is TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE-1667 compliant. Last, but not least, the 850 EVO supports Samsung's RAPID technology. By using free PC memory as a cache, RAPID can push the performance of the SSD beyond the limits of the current SATA specification.

Other World Computing today announced a new 1TB OWC 2.5” Mercury Electra 6G SATA SSD. Perfect for Mac or PC with 960GB net storage, the Mercury Electra 6G family of SSDs represents the peak in performance and capacity for any application.

Leveraging more than two decades of experience in developing award-winning Mac upgrades and enhancement products, OWC offers the 1TB Mercury Electra 6G SATA SSD with compelling features including:

• Industry leading controller technologies on board for reliability and degradation-free performance
• Sustained transfer rates up to 535/443MBps read/write
• Engineered for Mac – no extra software or hacks needed
• Designed and assembled in the USA
• Lab tested for compatibility, speed, and reliability
• Easy DIY installation with step-by-step install videos
• 24/7 award-winning technical support

CDRLabs returns to its roots with a review of Samsung's latest portable DVD writer, the SE-208GB. This lightweight drive sports a new design that maximizes the ease of pressing the eject button by placing it on top of the case. The SE-208GB is capable of 8x DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 6x DVD±R DL and 5x DVD-RAM writing speeds and a maximum DVD read speed of 8x. The drive is also USB powered and features support for Samsung's AV Connectivity and Smart Archive technologies. When written on archival grade media, Smart Archive delivers a 30 year long data lifetime.

Seagate Technology today announced its new Enterprise NAS HDD – a high capacity drive targeting businesses seeking to optimize their computing for performance and reliability using Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems. With enterprise reliability and NAS optimized performance in up to 16-bays, the Enterprise NAS drive is available in capacities up to an industry-leading 6TB, and is designed to perform at high levels even under demanding workloads and in environments that call for global availability and 24x7 accessibility.

“As the industry moves deeper into the cloud era, all businesses need solutions that enable applications to be accessed anywhere at any time,” said Scott Horn, Seagate vice president of marketing. “With our portfolio of NAS products, we can effectively target the needs of all types of businesses and scale with them as they grow in size. These drives are tailored to the requirements of businesses, ensuring customers have choices so they are only paying for the features they need.”

Available in 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6TB capacities, Seagate Enterprise NAS HDD can deliver up to 96TBs in one 16-bay rackmount or tower form factor. With a 50 percent capacity advantage over competitive offerings, the Enterprise NAS HDD 6TB drive delivers the highest capacity available on the market. Using RV sensor technology, the Enterprise NAS HDD can also sustain performance streaming and random read/write workloads for growing business data needs, intrinsically adjusting and compensating based on usage.