Kingston 266X 4GB Compact Flash Card

Kingston are one of the worlds largest manufacturers of memory and flash memory with a huge annual turnover of $2.2 billion. it's the turn of the trusty Compact Flash Card (CF). Those of you with DSLR's will know having a fast CF card in your camera is an essential if you want to take a lot of photo's fast. Let's see how it gets on pitted against one of the best on the market - the Sandisk Extreme II CF Card.

Kingston have opted to go with a blister-style package on the 266X CF Card. This is good as it protects the card and also shows off what you are getting.Limited information is available on the back of the packaging but the basics are there. Kingston have chosen to keep it a little low-key but it looks nice and certainly the card itself is coloured to stand out.

There isn't a whole lot to the package in with the Kingston 266X CF card. You get:

* Kingston 266X Compact Flash Card
* Short Instruction Manual
* Plastic CF Card holder

And that's it. In all fairness you don't get a whole lot in other card packages although Sandisk do give you a bag with their Extreme II card.

Features/benefits

* Capacities1 — 2GB, 4GB, 8GB
* Dimensions — 1.43" x 1.68" x 0.13" (36.4 mm x 42.8 mm x 3.3 mm) – CF Type I
* Speed Rating 2 — 45MB/sec read, 40MB/sec write
* Recovery Utility — data recovery software download from MediaRECOVER. Windows/Mac compatible
* Operating Temperature — 32° F to 140° F (0° C to 60° C)
* Storage Temperature — -4° F to 185° F (-20° C to 85° C)
* Standardized — complies with CompactFlash Association specification standards
* Easy — plug-and-play
* Economical — autosleep mode preserves system battery life
* Guaranteed — lifetime warranty †

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Toshiba Unveils First 32GB High-Density Flash Card

Toshiba revealed Aug. 22 that it will soon add three new high-density flash memory cards to its product lineup—including one it touts as the world's first 32GB flash card. The Tokyo-based company, which partners with SanDisk to produce SanDisk High Capacity cards, also announced a 16GB SDHC card and an 8GB microSDHC card.

All the new cards meet the Class 4 specification in the SD Speed Class (a minimum of 4GB per second of throughput), which enable them to deliver enough power to run new-generation mobile phones and other handheld products. "The speed class is important to maximize performance for demanding applications and help the consumer choose the right card for their camera or camcorder," said Brian Kumagai, business development manager for NAND Flash with Irvine, Calif.-based Toshiba America Electronic Components.

eWeek

SanDisk inks agreement to support DivX

DivX and SanDisk have announced a licensing agreement allowing SanDisk to include DivX technology in SanDisk's Sansa line of video-enabled products. As a result of the partnership, future SanDisk video products can include interoperability with the DivX Stage6 video website. This partnership is designed to provide SanDisk consumers with seamless access to the growing library of professional and user-generated video content available today in the popular DivX format, according to the companies.

Products that bear the DivX Certified logo have undergone a rigorous testing program to ensure a high-quality DivX media experience, including reliable video playback, interoperability with other DivX Certified devices and the visual quality users expect from DivX. SanDisk expects to announce plans later this year for DivX support in its product lines.

DigiTimes

SanDisk + Microsoft BFFs around software stuffed memory

Microsoft and SanDisk have inked a deal to create USB flash drives and memory cards with built-in software and user preferences to replace SanDisk's existing U3 Cruzer line.

Under the agreement, Microsoft will develop new software and SanDisk will cover the hardware for the products.

The hardware/software pairing will allow customers to carry applications as well as their customized Windows interface on a flash storage device.

SanDisk rep Mike Lanberg said the disks will let users access their encrypted financial, corporate, and personal data on public or shared computers without leaving the information behind when they leave.

The partnership will replace and expand upon SanDisk's current application-launching flash storage line, U3. The offering is expected to be commercially available starting in the second half of 2008. The U3 line will be sold and supported until the new release, Lanberg said.

SanDisk said its partnership with Microsoft will allow the applications to be more tightly integrated with Windows operating systems, as well as enhance data security. The flash storage drives will support both XP and Vista.

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Dell Offers 32GB SSD

Solid state disk drives are quieter and cooler, faster and lighter, and consume much less power than the traditional hard disk drive. They cost more per GB, however, but as technology advances, prices go down. To do that, consumers must be able to purchase them easily. The world’s second largest PC manufacturer is doing its part.

Dell has begun to offer the January 2007-announced 1.8" SanDisk UATA 5000 drives on its Latitude D420 ultra-mobile and Latitude D620 ATG semi-rugged notebooks. SanDisk's 1.8" SSD drive features patented TrueFFS flash management technology, a MTBF of 2 million hours, read speeds of 62MB/sec and had an average access speed of 0.12 milliseconds. The drive reportedly boosts overall system performance by 23% and reduces boot times by 34% on the D420 and D620. The SanDisk UATA 5000 is currently available as a $450 option on the D420 and a $300 option on the D620 ATG. The drive is also available direct from Dell at a price of $549.

DailyTech

SanDisk With Yahoo On Wi-Fi MP3 Player

SanDisk has released its $250 Sansa Connect, a new Wi-Fi-capable portable MP3 player featuring both free and subscription music service from Yahoo Music. Apple holds about 73% of the U.S. market for portable digital music players, while SanDisk is second with about 9%, according to market research firm NPD.

Sansa owners with a Yahoo ID will be able to listen to Launchcast Internet radio, browse Flickr photos, and send instant messages using Yahoo Messenger. Those with Yahoo Music Unlimited To Go subscriptions ($12 per month) will be able to download (but not burn to CD) an unlimited number of songs. Yahoo's music subscription service isn't available to Mac users. In answer to critics who might be tempted to complain about paying $12 a month, Ian Rogers on the Yahoo Music blog said the fee represented just compensation for the music industry.

The Sansa Connect has an internal speaker and 4GB of Flash memory. Its storage capacity can be expanded using a microSD card in the built-in slot. The device supports a variety of digital audio formats such as MP3 and Windows Media Audio. In addition to Yahoo's music service, the device works with Microsoft PlaysForSure subscriptions. Available now in the U.S., the Sansa Connect is scheduled for release in Canada later this year.

source: InformationWeek

SanDisk Launches 32GB PC Solid-State Drive

After Intel unveiled its first Solid-State Device (8 Gigabyte 2.5-inch SATA), SanDisk has introduced a 32 Gigabyte, solid-state flash memory drive, broadening its offerings for hard-disk drive replacements in the notebook market. The SanDisk drive is compatible with most mainstream notebook designs, and follows by two months the company's introduction of a 1.8-inch SSD for ultra-portable notebooks. The new drive is available to computer manufacturers for $350 in large volume orders. Samsung Electronics also offers a 32 Gigabyte SSD.

Advantages of solid state devices over hard-disk drives include lower power consumption, cooler and quieter. The disadvantages include a higher price tag per gigabyte, and far less storage capacity. Nevertheless, SSDs have their place in the market for low-end PCs sold to poorer nations, which don't need a large capacity disk drive.

Source: InformationWeek