WD announced today that it is now shipping WD VelociRaptor® 450 GB and 600 GB hard drives, the next generation of its 10,000 RPM SATA family of hard drives. The new WD VelociRaptor hard drive is designed for blade servers, high-performance PCs, Mac® computers, professional workstations, as well as 1U and 2U rack servers that require a balance of high performance and capacity. As the only 10,000 RPM SATA hard drive on the market today, and a favorite amongst enthusiast and enterprise groups, the WD VelociRaptor hard drive now comes packed with twice the capacity and up to 15% performance increase over the previous generation.

The most popular hard drive for high-performance enthusiasts who demand the ultimate SATA drive, the WD VelociRaptor hard drive is built with enterprise-class mechanics that provide 24x7 durability under high-performance demands and packs up to 600 GB of capacity into a 2.5-inch enterprise form factor. The WD VelociRaptor drive is also available in the IcePack™ enclosure, a 3.5-inch mounting frame with a built-in heat sink – a factory customization that fits the drive into a standard 3.5-inch system bay and keeps this powerful drive extra cool when installed in a high-performance desktop chassis and 3.5-inch HDD form factor enterprise chassis.

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The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) today announced two new media specifications that use Blu-ray Disc technology to provide targeted functionality for commercial and consumer applications. The specifications for BDXL™ (High Capacity Recordable and Rewritable discs) and IH-BD (Intra-Hybrid discs) are expected in the next few months.

The BDXL specification, which is targeted primarily at commercial segments such as broadcasting, medical and document imaging enterprises with significant archiving needs, will provide customers with write-once options on 100GB and 128GB capacity discs and rewritable capability on 100GB discs. The discs reach these capacities by incorporating three to four recordable layers. A consumer version of BDXL is also expected, particularly in those regions where BD recorders have achieved broad consumer acceptance.

“Professional industries have expressed a desire to find optical disc solutions that enable them to transition away from magnetic media for their archiving needs,” said Victor Matsuda, Blu-ray Disc Association Global Promotions Committee chair. “Leveraging Blu-ray Disc to meet this need provides professional enterprises with a compact, stable and long term solution for archiving large amounts of sensitive data, video and graphic images using a proven and widely accepted optical technology.”

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Sony Optiarc America has released some details regarding its new slim external DVD writer, the DRX-S77U. This sleek and lightweight drive 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 DRX-S77U does not appear to be USB powered. Hower, it comes bundled with Nero 9 and is available in a number of popular colors: black, white, pink and gold. No word yet on pricing or availability. As we find out more, we'll let you know.

Transcend today launched its JetFlash® 500 retractable USB flash drive. The stylish JetFlash 500 features a smooth sliding USB connector that eliminates the need for caps and effortlessly extends and retracts with a simple flick of the thumb. With its user-friendly capless design, various color and capacity options and smooth contoured shape, the JetFlash 500 is an ideal portable storage solution for users with busy and active lifestyles.

Losing USB end caps can be quite annoying, not to mention the inconvenience of taking the cap on and off every time the drive is used. For extra convenience and protection, Transcend’s JetFlash 500 flash drive is designed with an innovative extension and retraction mechanism that enables users to bring out or hide the connector with a single flick of the thumb. The JetFlash 500’s capless design not only keeps dust and debris out of the drive, but also ensures there is no cap to misplace or lose. For further peace of mind, the JetFlash 500 is solidly built to withstand a few bumps and falls, so users can be sure its USB connector will never become loose, fall out, or accidentally slip back into the drive when plugging it into a computer. 

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