Pioneer Japan sent out a press today, announcing its new portable, slot-loading Blu-ray Disc writer, the BDR-XS06JL. Designed for use with both Macs and Windows PCs, this USB 3.0 equipped drive is capable of 6x BD-R, 6x BD-R DL, 6x BD-R LTH, 2x BD-RE and 2x BD-RE DL writing speeds and a maximum BD-ROM read speed of 6x. The BDR-XS06JL also writes to triple- (100GB) and quad-layer (128GB) BD-R media at 4x and triple-layer (100GB) BD-RE media at 2x.

The BDR-XS06JL includes features like Pioneer's PureRead2+ technology, noise reducing firmware and an "intelligent eco mode" that automatically cuts unnecessary power. The drive is also compatible with the company's APS-WF01J wireless dock, which lets it be used with iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad. The BDR-XS06JL is expected to hit stores later this month for about 14,000 Yen ($118US).

Corsair, a worldwide designer of high-performance components to the PC hardware market, today announced the release of the addition of 960GB and 480GB capacity models to the existing line of Force Series LS SSD drives. The new Force Series LS SSD models, like the previously announced 240GB, 120GB, and 60GB models, provide consumers a cost-effective way to upgrade their notebook or desktop PCs to faster, more reliable solid-state storage.

The 7mm-high Force Series LS SSDs can be installed into most desktop or notebook PC with a standard 2.5" or 3.5" drive bay (3.5" bays require optional adapter). The drives feature SATA 3 6Gb/s support for optimal performance with the latest systems, and are backward compatible with SATA revision 1.0 and 2.0 for maximum compatibility. A copy of the powerful Corsair SSD Toolbox software utility is included as a free download.

Force Series LS SSDs deliver file transfer speeds of up to 560 MB/s read and 540 MB/s write, up to 10 times faster than standard hard drives. The new drives support TRIM, garbage collection, and S.M.A.R.T commands and include built-in an advanced dynamic and static wear-leveling algorithm to extend the lifespan of the drive flash memory.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced today that it has started mass production of the industry’s first NVMe PCIe solid state drive (SSD) which has an M.2 form factor for use in PCs and workstations. Samsung is also the first in the industry to announce that it has begun shipping NVMe SSDs to OEMs for the PC market. The new SM951-NVMe features the industry’s most advanced performance figures, exceptionally low power use in standby mode and the most compact size of any NVMe SSD.

“Our new NVMe SSD will allow for faster, ultra-slim notebook PCs with extended battery use, while accelerating the adoption of NVMe SSDs within the consumer marketplace,” said Jeeho Baek, Senior Vice President of Memory Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung will continue to stay a critical step ahead of others in the industry in introducing a diversity of next-generation SSDs, that contribute to an enhanced user experience through rapid popularization of ultra-fast, highly energy-efficient, compact SSDs.”

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the 960GB KC310 solid-state drive, its largest business-class SSD. KC310 is a true HDD replacement as its large capacity allows users to store more data and applications. Powered by a Phison S10 quad-core, eight-channel controller, KC310 provides unsurpassed SATA Rev. 3.0 (6Gb/s) performance delivering high read/write speeds and IOPS.

KC310 is an ideal SSD for entry-level servers and datacenter hosting companies looking for more storage. The drive provides end-to-end data protection through Advanced SmartECC™ and Flash error code correction. Data can be rebuilt in the event of an error allowing for extended NAND durability and reliability. The addition of firmware-based power loss protection helps maintain data integrity as data is constantly moved to NAND to minimize the amount of time it stays in the cache.