Storage News - Page 1

About a month ago, as part of Flash Memory Summit 2023 (FMS 2023), we reported on KIOXIA delivering samples of a new and exciting type of flash memory to customers. It was for the Linux Foundation's Software-Enabled Flash Community Project, on which KIOXIA is a key partner.

An exciting project because it's all about open-source SSDs, which are flash storage designed to meet the needs of hyperscale environments like the cloud. Software-Enabled Flash is exactly that: developers are given direct control to maximize flash memory through software-defined storage.

And now, with this week's update, we've got another important step for the Software-Enabled Flash Project, with KIOXIA donating a command set specification to the Linux Foundation - which means products can now hit the market.

The new Kingston IronKey D500S is the latest USB flash drive from the company, offering military-grade security and reliability - but it also adds something into the storage mix that we've mostly seen in movies and espionage-based entertainment. And that is 'Dual Hidden Partitions,' where data can be kept secure and invisible to those who don't have the correct password.

Kingston IronKey D500S is all about security and reliability, image credit: Kingston.

This 'Hidden File Store' is an extra layer of security that sits on top of the military-grade hardware encryption - FIPS 140-3 Level 3 (Pending) certified XTS-AES 256-bit encryption - and other protections put in place to stop unwanted users from accessing your thumb drive. With multiple levels of access and support for complex or passphrase access, it's a USB flash drive perfect for businesses or individuals looking to store sensitive data.

The military-grade protection extends to the device's reliability; it's waterproof, dustproof, crush-resistant, and "vibration-resistant to Military Standards." Which we assume means it will survive an explosion.

Although a lot of the focus in 2023, at least when it comes to SSD performance, reviews, and news, has been on the new PCIe Gen5 technology - where we're seeing some massive speed increases over the previous generation and massive SSD coolers to keep the temperatures down. However, PCIe Gen4 is still the go-to option for many because it's more affordable and can deliver when it comes to speed.

The Samsung 990 PRO Series debuted in 2022 and earned critical acclaim (including a couple of Editor's Choice awards at TweakTown) due to its price, performance, and overall design. So then, why is Samsung 990 PRO back in the headlines? When Samsung first showcased the series, it noted that a 4TB model and variant was on the cards for 2023.

So yeah, the 4TB variant of the Samsung 990 PRO is finally here (with an MSRP of USD 349.99), with a baseline Samsung 990 PRO 4TB model hitting retail this month and a Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink coming in October 2023.

External SSD storage that is small enough and light enough (under 29 grams) to fit in your pocket is how Kingston describes its new XS1000 External SSD. And that's certainly true, but it's also small and lightweight enough to fit on a keychain with dimensions (69.54 x 32.58 x 13.5mm) that are more in line with a USB thumb drive than a full-on external.

The tiny Kingston XS1000 External SSD, image credit: Kingston.

And with the enclosure housing a 3D NAND SSD, you've got up to 2TB of storage delivered over a USB-C (with a USB-C to USB-A cable also included) capable of delivering read speeds of 1,050 MB/s and write speeds of 1,000 MB/s, which is definitely fast for portable storage that is all about convenience and on-the-go productivity.

Perhaps the biggest plus for the tiny Kingston XS1000 External SSD range (available in 1TB and 2TB capacities for USD 79.99 and USD 124.49, respectively) is backed by Kingston's limited 5-year warranty with free support alongside the company's reputation for reliability.

A new report into drives - both hard disks and SSDs (and indeed USB drives) - has been published.

The survey from EaseUS (which makes backup solutions) provides some illuminating statistics, encompassing a wide swathe of 208,000 PC owners and over 750,000 drives (with the survey running over the past three months).

The precise number of drives included was 754,142, of which 346,477 were SSDs, 200,818 were HDDs, and 206,847 were USB drives.

The quality of microSD and full-size SD cards varies wildly, and that comes down to the intended application - if all you're doing is moving images to and from a camera that stays indoors, there's no real need to go all out.

Samsung's new PRO Ultimate microSD and SD card range, image credit: Samsung.

For professional photographers who work in various weather conditions and take full advantage of modern-day drones to capture video and images - you need a storage solution that will deliver speed and reliability. The PRO Ultimate series of Samsung microSD and full-size SD memory cards represent the company's new flagship UHS-I memory cards designed for professionals and content creators.

Available in the two most popular memory card form factors, the Samsung PRO Ultimate series is available in capacities of up to 512GB with a reported sequential read speed of up to 200 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) and write speeds of up to 130 MB/s, which is more than enough to record high-quality 4K and Full HD video.

The transition from PCIe Gen4 to PCIe Gen5 storage has led to an impressive leap in overall read and write speeds - where now sequential read speeds in the region of 10 to 12GB/s are not uncommon. But, with great power (or speed) comes great responsibility (or the need to keep overall temperatures down).

The new T-FORCE DARK AirFlow SSD Cooler is designed for PCIe Gen5 SSDs, image credit: TEAMGROUP.

The arrival of high-speed PCIe Gen5 SSDs has also meant that storage devices are not noyl faster than they have ever been but running hotter. With several companies releasing SSD options with all-in-one cooling solutions involving large heatsinks and active fans, the new T-FORCE DARK AirFlow SSD Cooler from TEAMGROUP has been designed to keep PCIe Gen5 SSD temperatures cool during periods of high transfer speeds.

As a custom solution, the T-FORCE DARK AirFlow ensures that a PCIe Gen5 SSD maintains optimal operating temperatures even in high-speed transfer mode over a sustained period. With a graphene-patented dual-layer structure alongside two 5mm pure copper piped with multi-layered aluminum fins, a "high-pressure smart PWM fan" will adjust its speed according to requirements.

If you're after an external USB-C storage device with military-grade security, you can stop the search because the new Kingston IronKey Keypad 200C has you covered. The small thumb drive has the latest FIPS 140-3 Level 3 military-grade security specifications, including XTS-AES 256-bit encryption alongside Brute Force and BadUSB attack protection.

The new Kingston IronKey Keypad 200C offers military-grade protection and security, image credit: Kingston.

Physical device-independent security means that the IronKey Keypad 200 Series can be unlocked without software and plugged into any system with USB-C support - making it one of the most secure and flexible storage expansion options available today.

As you can see from the images, the lock system uses a PIN code, and with that, you can set up different Admin and User profiles - to help set up read-only modes to protect the drive from untrusted systems. There's also the option to make the drive Read-Only to help bolster the integrity of the data stored.

VMware Explore is the flagship event for all things cloud, from enterprise to architecture to infrastructure and more. VMware Explore 2023 is kicking off this week in Las Vegas at the Venetian Convention and Expo Center from August 21 to 24, with the event all about bringing people together to share their expertise in building a cloud-based future.

KIOXIA CM6 Series Enterprise NVMe SSDs and KIOXIA PM7 Series 24G Enterprise SAS SSDs for the cloud, image credit: KIOXIA.

"Those engaged in enterprise applications, cloud architecture, infrastructure, end users, networking, and security will be among their peers at VMware Explore as we're inviting all to help build the new multi-cloud world," writes the official VMware Explore description.

And with that, KIOXIA will be on hand to showcase its innovative SSD products for the modern cloud-based data center, including KIOXIA CM6 Series Enterprise NVMe SSDs and KIOXIA PM7 Series 24G Enterprise SAS SSDs.

Seagate has launched a new range of Limited edition Starfield-inspired external storage solutions that look out of this world for Xbox. Sporting a white finish with the Constellation logo of the game's main campaign faction in a "design that feels pulled directly from the Settled Systems of Starfield" - with RGB lighting to match - Seagate is offering a full range of options covering the company's Game Drive and Game Hub products for Xbox.

Although you probably won't be able to play Starfield off one of these drives when firing up the game on an Xbox Series X|S console - on account of current-gen titles requiring the use of the internal high-speed SSD - They certainly look the part for fans excited to play Bethesda Game Studios (Fallout, Skyrim) latest RPG.

The limited edition Starfield Game Drives are available in 2TB and 5TB capacities (USD 109 or 160, respectively), with the larger Starfield-inspired Game Hub arriving with a whopping 8TB of external storage for USD 239.99. Both offer full-speed USB 3.2 Gen 1 transfer rates, with the Game Hub requiring external power versus the more portable Game Drive options. On the plus side, the Game Hub offers front-facing USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting additional peripherals or charging devices.