Flash-drive makers forming group

Grok Headline matches for Flash-drive makers forming group

Flash-drive makers form booster group

Flash-drive makers form booster group 12/08/2003 10:30 AM
ZDNet Dec 8 2003 9:44AM ET

Patent Group Forming

Patent Group Forming 03/06/2004 01:49 AM
Via Licensing is starting a group that aims to make it easier for companies to license patents related to 802.11: Via Licensing has formed similar groups for standards such as MPEG. The topic of patents in the Wi-Fi industry has taken center stage recently. Agere and Proxim have filed lawsuits against other companies for making 802.11 gear that they say infringes on their intellectual property. More recently, Nomadix and Calypso have received patents for functions in 802.11 networks and they say they'll pursue infringers, though we haven't heard of any action yet. The idea behind a licensing group is to offer a one stop shop where a vendor can go to pay for all patents related to 802.11 gear as they develop their products. But key to such a group is including members that have the important patents. Via Licensing hasn't revealed how many companies or which companies have expressed interest in the group. Retaining intellectual property is important but if these companies start trying to gouge each other with royalties it'll increase the price of products and stall the market. Then nobody will make any money. One of the reasons Wi-Fi has been so successful is that the equipment has gotten so cheap (an exec I spoke with yesterday said he saw an ad in the newspaper last weekend for a Wi-Fi card for $6.99, after rebates). I suppose that's a double-edged sword because while it means that more customers buy products it also means vendors see tighter margins. All the talk about patents recently may be an attempt by vendors to capitalize as best they can on a growing market....

Vosonic X'S-Drive Pro VP 300 40GB Flash
Memory Reading Hard Drive

Vosonic X'S-Drive Pro VP 300 40GB Flash
Memory Reading Hard Drive 06/30/2004 12:37 PM

The Vosonic X'S-Drive Pro VP 300 is 40GB external hard drive that is clunky, cheap-looking, has a crappy text-only integrated screen, plays MP3s, but not WMA, AAC, or OGG Vorbis, and can only read from one card from its card reader at a time. So why would any photographer want it? Because it's cheap, it does the primary job it was designed to do (act as remote backup for memory cards), and can accept as many additional 2.5-inch laptop hard drives as you want to swap into it, meaning that all other things aside, you can purchase this single $335 drive and continue to upgrade it for only the price of additional hard drives.
Read - Hard disk: X'S-Drive Pro VP 300 [BIOS]

TikiMac Unveils "Big Tiki Drive", the
World's First Hi-Speed USB Flash Drive
in the Form of a Grinning, Glowing Tiki
Idol

TikiMac Unveils "Big Tiki Drive", the
World's First Hi-Speed USB Flash Drive
in the Form of a Grinning, Glowing Tiki
Idol 03/14/2005 06:10 PM
TikiMac today unveiled the Big Tiki Drive, the world's first hi-speed USB compatible storage device in the form of a big, grinning Tiki idol, complete with hypnotic glowing eyes and a blinking "aura", for Macintosh and Windows PC-compatible computers and starting at $59. [PRWEB Feb 23, 2005]

Flash card makers bump up the volume

Flash card makers bump up the volume 02/12/2004 03:23 PM
The two biggest makers of flash memory cards are introducing formats with higher capacities, with which they hope to capture a larger piece of the growing digital camera market.

Drive makers ready 5x DVD-RAM burners

Drive makers ready 5x DVD-RAM burners 05/25/2004 11:50 AM
We're the fastest format, claims trade body

Car makers drive software standards

Car makers drive software standards 09/09/2004 04:52 PM
ZDNet Sep 9 2004 8:30PM GMT

"Adobe heeft de makers van DreamWeaver
en Flash ingelijft"

"Adobe heeft de makers van DreamWeaver
en Flash ingelijft" 04/18/2005 03:10 PM

Mac drive makers patch FireWire flaw

Mac drive makers patch FireWire flaw 11/03/2003 05:53 PM

Mac drive makers help stamp out FireWire
flaw

Mac drive makers help stamp out FireWire
flaw 10/31/2003 01:57 PM
A number of hard drive manufacurers release patches designed to prevent a glitch that has caused some FireWire 800 drives to lose data when used with the new version of Mac OS X.

It's a Happy Christmas for Disk Drive
Parts Makers

It's a Happy Christmas for Disk Drive
Parts Makers 12/23/2003 03:51 AM
Boston Globe Dec 23 2003 3:18AM ET

Happy holidays for makers of disk-drive
parts

Happy holidays for makers of disk-drive
parts 12/23/2003 04:35 PM
CNET Dec 23 2003 3:15PM ET

Drive makers ally to push portable data

Drive makers ally to push portable data 12/08/2003 04:36 AM
ZDNet UK Dec 8 2003 4:08AM ET

Disk Drive Makers Tighten Belts, Also
Fire People

Disk Drive Makers Tighten Belts, Also
Fire People 07/05/2004 10:47 AM

Om Malik, who changes website themes like I change shirts, which is to say 'every once in a while', opines on the future of hard drive manufacturers, who are currently in the process of losing their shirts right off their kicked-asses' backs, despite an ever-increasing demand for their product.

Now that is conventional wisdom! However, some of my friends who work in the disk drive business, are suggesting an unconventional logic. They believe that instead of focussing on churning out higher capacity drives at neck-snapping speeds (i.e. Moore's Law), the industry needs to become more responsive to the real market trends and offer many types of drives. (Moore's Claw)

Which is better? More reliable, more expensive hard drives, or large, cheap, and unreliable drives that can be rolled into a more-reliable RAID? I guess the answer is, "Both."

Maybe hard drive makers could take a tip from Taiwan's wildly-successful cameraphone imaging chip manufacturer Pixart, who is in an mildly-related bit of news is making noise about going all IPO on that ass. The ass of commerce, I guess I'm saying.
Read - The Disk Drive Conundrum [GigaOm]
Read - Taiwan's Pixart Reaps Camera Phone Boom, Eyes IPO [Reuters]

optical drive makers predict entry-level
DVD recorder drop

optical drive makers predict entry-level
DVD recorder drop 04/21/2004 05:02 AM

Waterproof USB Flash Drive

Waterproof USB Flash Drive 07/21/2004 09:30 AM

I guess a waterproof USB flash memory drive is a good thing (I mean, I am the person with the open aquarium in his floor, like, four feet from me), but in most instances, it might be the sort of added feature that doesn't ever really get used, like those annoying "seat belt" things they insist on cluttering up my death pod with.
Read - Clef USB Waterproof [AkihabaraNews]

New USB Flash Drive Plus Ink Pen
released

New USB Flash Drive Plus Ink Pen
released 05/07/2004 09:18 AM
Peripheral Enhancements Corp. has released the latest addition to the company's DiskGO! product line: the USB Flash Drive Plus Ink Pen. It's an aluminum barrel ink pen with a twist-off cap that reveals a USB 2.0 connector for the Flash Drive hidden within. It features 32MB, 128MB and 256MB capacities for US$39.95, $69.95 and $89.95, respectively. Mail-in rebates of $20 for all three models are available through the company's authorized reseller Web sites. The USB Flash Drive Plus Ink Pen ships with a USB extension cable and a replacement ink cartridge.

Disgo Pro 1GB USB Flash drive

Disgo Pro 1GB USB Flash drive 12/15/2003 07:04 AM
Reg Review Capacious

KanguruMicro 4GB Flash Drive

KanguruMicro 4GB Flash Drive 05/27/2004 07:51 AM
Oh good, I'd been worried it'd be a long time before we'd get to purchase $1,700 Yet Another Flash Drives, but nope, Kanguru is launching a 4GB NAND flash memory thumbdrive that will sell for, amazingly, that very amount. With...

PSA: Flash Drive Madness

PSA: Flash Drive Madness 09/27/2004 09:04 AM

Okay, it would seem we have a serious problem. I love flash drives as much as the next guy (I use them when I need to, sure, but only when necessary), but when one of our nation's most precious resources - college football players - start shoplifting from Wal-Marts just to feed their portable data addition, well... something has to be done.

According to Durham County court records, he is accused of stealing "an assortment of jump drives" -- portable data storage units that plug into PCs -- Sept. 12 at Wal-Mart at New Hope Commons in Durham. The computer equipment was valued at $374.49.

We need college football, and if these "jump drives" (known on the street as 'flash,' 'hotplug,' and 'taking the D train') are going to affect our young mens' ability to play ball, I say we ban them as soon as possible before we wake up to a society plagued by thousands of "pluggies."

Also, isn't calling this kid a punter a little over the top? He has a disease; show a little respect. (Thanks, Joe!)

UNC punter arrested, suspended [NewsObserver]

New: Imation 1 GB USB 2.0 Swivel Flash
Drive

New: Imation 1 GB USB 2.0 Swivel Flash
Drive 07/09/2004 10:11 AM
Imation released a 1 GB USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drive, which weighs less than one ounce and is about the size of a AA battery.

Kanguru offers 4GB flash drive

Kanguru offers 4GB flash drive 05/26/2004 01:43 PM
Kanguru Solutions on Wednesday announced a new 4GB model of their KanguruMicro Drive 2.0. It's a USB 2.0-equipped flash drive that measures 3 inches long. It sports 4GB of data storage capability. Compatible with Macs, PCs and Linux devices, the new KanguruMicro Drive 2.0 is equipped with 128-bit data encryption as well. The new 4GB model costs US$1,699.95. Other capacities ranging from 32MB to 2GB are available as well.

RWC Bulldog Flash Drive with Camera

RWC Bulldog Flash Drive with Camera 08/30/2004 08:08 AM

In doing some research (you know, "reading") for the article immediately below this one, I stumbled across a device listed as "coming soon" on RWC's homepage. The "Bulldog" is a USB flash memory device with an integrated 1.3MP digital camera. Keen Gizmodo readers will recall that Philips has a line of products similar to this: the "KEY ###" series. Judging by the lack of features on RWC's version, we're hoping it ends up as a more economical solution. Hoping.

Read - Product Information [RWC]

Related:
Tiny new camcorder from Philips [Gizmodo]

10 Way Flash Memory Drive Review

10 Way Flash Memory Drive Review 06/03/2004 12:22 PM

If you thought all Yet Another Flash Drives were the same, leave it to Ars Technica to prove you (us) wrong with a hugely informative (if pedantic) review of 10 different USB 2.0 Hi-speed flash memory drives, with benchmarks, read/write tests, and even an experiment involving two flash drives and RAID 0. It's a great place to start if you're interested in any of the drives, with include units from PNY, SanDisk, Mushkin, SimpleTech, FujiFilm (a write-speed beast), Verbatim, Transcend (the overall winner), and Iomega (who did very well all around).
Read [ArsTechnica]

Atari Cartridge USB Flash Drive

Atari Cartridge USB Flash Drive 03/24/2005 02:53 PM

Look, he admits right there on the page that he knows this is sort of retarded, so let's cut him some slack and wallow in the joys of a retro refit well done. I mean, he even made a new label and everything!

Retro Flash Drive [BrendanDawes]

Raiders of the Lost Flash Drive

Raiders of the Lost Flash Drive 04/23/2004 06:51 AM
Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite geeky goth, death metal fan, or Nazi? Look no further than this eagle-winged USB flash drive, currently selling for around ¥6,000 in Akihabara. Unfortunately, when opened, the swirling shreaks and shafts of holy light melt off the heads of you and your...

Son of the USB 2.0 Hi-speed Flash drive
roundup

Son of the USB 2.0 Hi-speed Flash drive
roundup 04/13/2005 04:36 AM

USB flash drives have become more common, due both to their utility and decreasing prices. They are a great tool for transporting files around, especially when the network is down. They are supported on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux right out of the box. And best of all, prices have come down considerably since our review last year.

In this edition, we pit ten drives against one another, testing them for durability, style, construction, bundled software, and read/write speed. And once again, the flash drive RAID array makes an appearance. So if you are looking to get your first flash drive, or are thinking about replacing your small and aging USB 1.1 flash drive, you've come to the right place.

Put contacts, more on Flash drive with
BitPal

Put contacts, more on Flash drive with
BitPal 05/14/2004 06:18 PM
BitPal 1.0 is a new mobile Address Book and To Do task manager...

SPY PEN USB Flash Drive with SD Card
Reader

SPY PEN USB Flash Drive with SD Card
Reader 06/29/2004 08:49 AM

It's sad that these days, almost anything that refers to itself as a 'spy something' is probably pretty pedestrian when it's all said and done. So while this "SPY DISK with card reader" isn't amazing, it is surprisingly enough that it actually does something cool at all. Available with internal memory sizes of 128MB or 256MB, the cap-end also functions as an SD/MMC card reader. You can't copy directly from the SD cards to the internal memory -- you'll have to copy to your PC, then back -- but it's a pretty great idea in general, even if it doesn't shoot lasers or eject poison gas. And hey, it's USB 2.0! Maybe the cheap gear is finally starting to see the light of fast transfer rates.
Read [Thanko via Akiba.SorobanGeeks]

Ars Technica USB Flash Drive Roundup II

Ars Technica USB Flash Drive Roundup II 04/13/2005 03:25 PM

Ars Technica has posted another in-depth round-up of USB Flash Drives, this time focussing on the new crop of USB 2.0 compatible drives. I'm going to buck convention and link you to the very end of the article where you can get their scores and prices, since for some reason Ars's janky CMS doesn't let you skip forward or backward more than a page at a time. If you want to start from the beginning, change the 12 to a 1 in the URL.

Oh, spoiler warning: The Transcend JetFlash 110 and SimpleTech Bonzai SD/MMC models both got 9 out of 10—the highest scores.

Son of the USB 2.0 Hi-speed Flash drive roundup [ArsTechnica]

Camera added to USB Flash drive

Camera added to USB Flash drive 05/18/2004 04:33 AM
A spy cam for your key ring

Memorex offers 2GB USB 2.0 flash drive

Memorex offers 2GB USB 2.0 flash drive 09/09/2004 07:21 AM
Memorex Products Inc. on Thursday introduced a 2GB version of its TravelDrive, a USB 2.0-equipped flash memory drive designed for portable storage. The device is compatible with Macs and PCs equipped with USB ports and costs US$299.99. Memorex TravelDrives are available in capacities ranging from 128MB to 1GB as well.

Nexcopy USB Flash Drive Duplicator

Nexcopy USB Flash Drive Duplicator 07/26/2004 06:03 PM

Although its limited to USB 1.1 speeds, the new USB Flash Drive Duplicator from Nexcopy could come in very handy to the select few that could make use of it. Functioning as a standalone device (no PC needed), up to 20 USB flash drives can be duplicated from a single source; you can even daisy-chain multiple units for more mass copying. Loading up the day's data for your fleet of pestering salesmen has never been easier!

Read - PC-free USB Flash Drive Duplicator [EverythingUSB]

Stuffed Animal MP3 Flash Drive

Stuffed Animal MP3 Flash Drive 04/20/2004 04:54 PM
It was bound to happen. Now that Yet Another Flash Drives have become such a commonplace commodity, they're starting to be shoved into surprising places--specifically, the insides of this knock-off stuffed Pooh Bear. Although the manufacturer's page doesn't make it clear exactly where the flash player is lodged, one can...

Imation rolls out 1GB flash drive

Imation rolls out 1GB flash drive 07/08/2004 10:16 AM
Imation Corp. has released its 1GB USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drive...

Flash drive gets biometric protection

Flash drive gets biometric protection 12/10/2003 07:46 PM
ZDNet Dec 10 2003 6:46PM ET

Snakey Webcam Flash Drive

Snakey Webcam Flash Drive 05/21/2004 08:31 AM
Yet Another Flash Drive, this one with a built-in sensor designed specifically for use as a webcam, plus all the usual USB 1.1 (crappy) data rates. Plus, it has a snapshot button for when you're carrying it around in your...

ALTech MP3-Car Flash Drive MP3 Player/FM
Transmitter

ALTech MP3-Car Flash Drive MP3 Player/FM
Transmitter 05/28/2004 11:00 AM

So this 'MP3-Car' is sort of interesting, if cheap looking. It looks like the idea is that you plug any USB flash drive into the FM transmitter base, which then presumably just reads file with an .mp3 extension off the drive an plays it. It has a line out, as well, that deactivates the FM broadcasting when in use. Problem is, the Anyware.com site that has the picture doesn't have a price or a 'buy now' link, and if the Altech MP3-WM32 or MP3-RF38 are the same units, the price is listed as $118. Without an integrated LCD screen at least, I'm thinking $40 is more like it.
Read - Product Page [Anywhere]
Read - Manufacturer's Page [Altech]

Update: Reader Callum Prentice found a review of the device, which includes a link to a vendor that is selling them for $60. That sounds about right.
Read< /b> [Tech-Mods]

There's one at I4U, too.
Read [I4U]

Hi-speed USB2 Flash Drive Round-Up

Hi-speed USB2 Flash Drive Round-Up 06/03/2004 12:28 PM

Grok Description matches for Flash-drive makers forming group
GrokA matches for Flash-drive makers forming group

Flash-drive makers forming group