Icy News: Biwin Rolls Out 2.5-Inch 6Gb SATA SSDs

"Biwin Technology Limited, in flash storage products, announcedElite Series SATA III SSDs, based on the LSI SandForce SF-2281 Flash Storage Processor, that are designed to improve storage performance in laptops and desktops.


With a standard 2.5" form factor (dimensions: 100 x 69.8 x 9.5 mm), they are compatible with virtually any desktop computer and millions of laptops. They support 6Gbps SATA III, and are downward compatible with 3Gbps SATA II systems." -via Storagenewsletter


With Biwin in the game with their Elite Series SSD, is it too late for them to compete with known bigger brand name SSD like Kingston or OCZ? let us know what you think about this!

MB971SP-B review - storagereview.com

The Icy Dock DuoSwap 2.5"/3.5" SATA Hot Swap Drive Caddy did the job it was designed for very well. Aimed to make it easy to hot-swap 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch hard drives or SSDs in a desktop environment, it did just that without any hassle. Compatible with nearly every SATA drive.........read the full review

ICY TIP: The Most Flexible Modules for system upgrades

As a system builder, there are various industrial applications that are requested in rackmounts, small form factor PC and industrial PC all requires some level of a customized chassis. However, meeting your customer’s requirements presents some sort of challenge and is at times not possible to completely meet their needs. The thing is, you’re not always sure if what you have will work for your client completely and may affect getting the deal. One way to resolve this is to make your chassis much more modular so that you can meet many of your clients demand. However, the cost to do so would be much more expensive and will take time to produce a product that fits your customer’s needs. This brings us to our point – we want to provide system builders with a flexible modular kit without the expensive costs or the time of completely customizing a chassis. By providing our Icy Dock modular kits for your chassis, you can meet the demands of your client, knowing there is a way to accomplish their requests. Since the modules are modular, there isn’t a need to stock inventory of different expensive chassis setups. As a result, this reduces the overhead of having multiple inventories of similar models and thus providing a more simple solution to many system builders. The Icy Dock modular kit consists of several of our converters, mobile racks and backplane lines. Converter Line: If your requirement is to upgrade to 2.5” SSD/HDD to the current system, our converter line includes either SAS & SATA support with options of durable light plastic or a full metal design. The goal is to use a 2.5” SSD/HDD in a 3.5” environment, and while making installation to 3.5” seamless as possible. This has been reflected in our MB882 & MB982 series allowing a patented tool-less hard drive installation design and the most flexible compatibility by exactly matching the screw hole placement of a 3.5” hard drive. The tool-less design make it simple to use in three easy steps: Opening the converter, placing the SSD/HDD in and closing the lid. Once in the converter, this device can be taken anywhere, and while will work with any chassis that uses a standard 3.5” hard drive bay. With our converter line, any system builder will be able to upgrade current servers to 2.5” hard drive or SSD with minimal effort and cost. Mobile racks & backplanes: If you are looking for a 2.5” multi-bay device to house larger storage, a few converters may not be the best solution. To address this need, the mobile rack and backplane key concept is to be able to maximize the use based on both 3.5” and 5.25” device bay spacing. This will allow the modules to be used in various chassis so long as it uses these standard dimensions. The second focal point is to provide a strong durable casing with an evenly matched design. This is to ensure that the module can perform under stress and over time, meanwhile, making it as easy as possible for non-technical users to use the product without a technician being there. The result is our MB991, MB992, MB994 and MB996 full metal models. The MB991 & MB992 series are mobile racks which are designed for use in 3.5” device bays. The 5.25” backplane modules includes the MB994 & MB996 series, which house up to four SATA/SAS and six 2.5” SATA SSD or HDD respectively. With Interchangeable tray design, system builder can easily expend their product line while providing the same tray system to the client. Our goal is to provide as much flexibility and support as possible. Please visit our website at www.icydock.com or contact us for more product info. Phone Support: 626.956.8800 Email Support: Sales@icydock.com Live Chat Support – Click HERE ICY DOCK Tel: 626.956.8800 Fax: 626.956.8811 1307 John Reed Ct. City of Industry, California 91745 Sales e-mail: sales01@cremax.com Support e-mail: tech@icydock.com

Icy News: Big Gaps in Small Businesses' Backup Plans

"A recent study from Carbonite, Inc., Small Business Data Backup Usage Study, July 2011, revealed surprising responses from small business owners on how they prepare for a disaster. The findings address a number of topics, from small businesses' approach to backing up data to their confidence in their strategy for protecting against information loss..." - via Storagenewsletter


The point of the study is to show the how data is being backed up in small businesses today. Take the information with a grain of salt as not every business operates in the fashion described. The main point is when and how the backups are performed. They add to that by saying, if it isn't done on a regular basis, there will be lapses of data and may be an issue down the road. So one solution would be to automate the process, but then where can the owners find a solution with larger space and automated backups? They offer their online cloud services at a cost. However, we think it may be better spent in finding a RAID enclosure such as our MB662USEB-2S-1. Using a RAID 1 setup, you will be able to mirror your data easily at a one time cost. To automate the process, find a backup software of your choice, and customize what folder, file and date to backup to the Icy Dock. This makes it very simple to do and cost effective.


Please find our related ICY TIP's on how to set this up in more detail:


Build a small, cost effective server for your home or small business with MB561US-4S-1 & TonidoPlug 


How to backup your photos, video and data in a safe and secure RAID storage device

Please feel free to let us know what your thoughts are!

Icy News: iPad to Dominate Sales of NAND Flash in Tablets

"With its leading market share position and high memory usage, Apple Inc.'s iPad is set to continue to dominate worldwide demand for NAND flash in media tablets at least through the year 2015, according to the IHS iSuppli Memory & Storage Service from information and analytics provider IHS Inc. Apple's iPad in 2011 accounted for a commanding 78% of global gigabyte shipments of NAND flash for use in media tablets, down from 92% in 2010, when it had the market all to itself for most of the year. Despite the inroads of competitors this year, Apple will continue to dominate tablet NAND purchasing in 2012, with a 72% share of gigabyte shipments. By 2015, Apple will continue to account for a majority of tablet NAND purchasing, at 58%..." - via Storagenewsletter 


With the mobile market and namely tablets taking up NAND resources, could there be a fight for memory with SSD's in the future? Although this article does not touch upon it, we believe it may have an impact on future prices of SSD and any device that uses such memory (which more than likely, most embedded systems and computers). This may change alongside the trend of increasing use of tablets and smartphones, but let us know what you think! Will this have an effect on the flash market? Or will devices that uses this type of memory will become more efficient? 

Icy News: Seagate Promises to Double HDD Capacity With HAMR

"Seagate Technology PLC has become the first hard drive maker to achieve the milestone storage density of 1 terabit per square inch, producing a demonstration of the technology that promises to double the storage capacity of today's hard drives upon its introduction later this decade and give rise to 3.5-inch hard drives with a capacity of up to 60 terabytes over the 10 years that follow. The bits within a square inch of disk space, at the new milestone, far outnumber stars in the Milky Way, which astronomers put between 200 billion and 400 billion.

Seagate reached the landmark data density with heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), the next-generation recording technology. The current hard drive technology, Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR), is used to record the spectrum of digitized data - from music, photos, and video stored on home desktop and laptop PCs to business information housed in sprawling data centers - on the spinning platters inside every hard drive. PMR technology was introduced in 2006 to replace longitudinal recording, a method in place since the advent of hard drives for computer storage in 1956, and is expected to reach its capacity limit near one terabit per square inch in the next few years.

"The growth of social media, search engines, cloud computing, rich media and other data-hungry applications continues to stoke demand for ever greater storage capacity," said Mark Re, SVP of Heads and Media Research and Development at Seagate. "Hard disk drive innovations like HAMR will be a key enabler of the development of even more data-intense applications in the future, extending the ways businesses and consumers worldwide use, manage and store digital content."

Hard drive manufacturers increase areal density and capacity by shrinking a platter's data bits to pack more within each square inch of disk space. They also tighten the data tracks, the concentric circles on the disk's surface that anchor the bits. The key to areal density gains is to do both without disruptions to the bits' magnetization, a phenomenon that can garble data. Using HAMR technology, Seagate has achieved a linear bit density of about 2 million bits per inch, once thought impossible, resulting in a data density of just over 1 trillion bits, or 1 terabit, per square inch - 55 percent higher than today's areal density ceiling of 620 gigabits per square inch.

The maximum capacity of today's 3.5-inch hard drives is 3TB, at about 620 gigabits per square inch, while 2.5-inch drives top out at 750GB, or roughly 500 gigabits per square inch. The first generation of HAMR drives, at just over 1 terabit per square inch, will likely more than double these capacities - to 6TB for 3.5-inch drives and 2TB for 2.5-inch models. The technology offers a scale of capacity growth never before possible, with a theoretical areal density limit ranging from 5 to 10 terabits per square inch - 30TB to 60TB for 3.5-inch drives and 10TB to 20TB for 2.5-inch drives.

The 1 terabit per square inch demonstration extends
a line of technology firsts for Seagate, including:

• 1980: ST-506, the first hard drive, at 5.25 inches, small enough to be deployed in early microcomputers, the precursor of the modern PC. The 5 megabyte drive cost $1,500.
• 1992: The first 7200RPM hard drive, a Barracuda drive
• 1996: The first 10,000RPM hard drive, a Cheetah drive
• 2000: The first 15,000RPM drive, also a Cheetah hard drive
• 2006: Momentus 5400.3 drive, a 2.5-inch laptop drive and the world's first drive to feature perpendicular magnetic recording technology
• 2007: Momentus FDE (Full Disk Encryption) drive, the industry's first self-encrypting hard drive
• 2010: Momentus XT drive, the first solid state hybrid hard drive, combining traditional spinning media with NAND flash, to deliver speeds rivaling SSDs

Seagate achieved the 1 terabit per square inch breakthroughs in materials science and near-field optics at its heads and media research and development centers in Bloomington, Minnesota, and Fremont, California."

-via storagenewsletter.com

Seagate has always been on the cutting edge of hard drive technology as you can tell from the article and their achievements. Their new HAMR technology is a brand new technology that could possibly produce 30TB to 60TB 3.5" HDDS and 10TB to 20TB 2.5" HDDS. With this new technology a single HDD will have a larger capacity than some servers. Let us know what you think about the new HAMR technology. 

MB082SP review - posted by hitechlegion.com

Many US citizens have somewhat odd notions about Europe as a continent, and even tend to blur the actual countries together into one large group. When they think of Europe, they think of castles, vineyards, large estates, etc, and a certain nobility and refinement. Truly, there is good reason for this, after all, much of what is standing in Europe is significantly........read the full review

MB981U3-1SA review - posted by umlan.com

Today we will take a look at the latest model ICY DOCK MB981U3-1SA SATA & IDE to USB 3.0 Docking Station and is considered a new product on the market since there are no others alike........read the full review

ICY TIP: SSD Installation Guide: Build a hot-swap internal dual 2.5" drive bay for your system with MB082SP

Purchasing an SSD is the simplest way to improve your performance without shelling out too much money. If you are going to use an SSD in your current case, you will find out that more than likely; there isn’t a location to properly fit your SSD in. Likewise, many modern cases use slightly awkward 2.5” locations, can be a hassle to install, or are only one or two 2.5” slots. There is an easy solution to this with the MB082SP 2.5” HDD/SSD bracket. The MB082SP is effectively the best bracket available for one reason. It is because the EZ-Lock System provides an easier way to remove the hassle with installing and maintaining your SSD. When you install an SSD into your case, there is usually an adapter or you may need to purchase a separate bracket to fit your case. The pain of installing a total of 8 screws for 2 x SSD’s and another 4 to mount is not a great way to spend your afternoon. In comparison, the MB082SP’s EZ-Lock System only requires 4 screws to mount into your case. Each slot on the MB082SP uses an EZ-Lock mechanism to lock in your SSD’s. One could say that it is like installing a battery to your digital camera. Once you hear two ‘clicks’, you are ready to install to your case. Gamers and power users will love this product for its flexibility. Having a way to easily swap the SSD’s without uninstalling and messing with the entire bracket to do so, really speaks for itself. You can be on your way with your work without working on something you would rather not do. You have paid for your SSD, so do the same to get allow you to focus more on what you will be doing on your computer, rather to your computer. System integrators also will also benefit greatly from using this bracket for their current and future builds. Installing only takes the time of mounting to the case, so all the time from installing the hard drives are nonexistent. Knowing that once you install the MB082SP into your client’s case, any maintenance required for faulty hard drives are a few seconds away. The MB082SP is the perfect upgrade tool alongside with your SSD or HDD. You get the performance and convenience you would expect. No more of dealing with screws once you install your MB082SP bracket. In addition, the MB082SP will fit in most computer cases because of it’s carefully screw hole placement. It is simply the best way to install your SSD. Thanks to the new EZ-Lock system, we make the MB082SP into an “internal hot-swap 2.5” bay” rather than just an average bracket. It is an inexpensive but great upgrade for any PC systems for your current need and future upgrades. Click HERE to learn more about MB082SP Please contact us for any questions you may have. Live Chat:Click Here Email: tech@icydock.com ICY DOCK Tel: 626.956.8800 Fax: 626.956.8811 1307 John Reed Ct. City of Industry, California 91745 Sales e-mail: sales01@cremax.com Support e-mail: tech@icydock.com

New Product Announcement - ICY DOCK DuoSwap MB971SP-B 5.25” Hot Swap Drive Caddy for 2.5” & 3.5” SATA Hard Drive or SSD

External docking stations are popular because of its flexibility and compatibility. However, because it is for external use, the interface limits the transfer speed of your hard drive while only allowing one to be use at a time. In a standard computer case, there are several 5.25" bays usually reserved for your DVD ROM drive, however, will not naturally fit with your 2.5" or 3.5" hard drives without some assistance. Using the MB971SP-B DuoSwap, you will save precious desktop space by integrating both 3.5" & 2.5" slots into a single 5.25" bay. This gives you the ability to expand and easily go from your external docking station to your computer in just seconds. Some key features that help make using the device simple to use are: Individual LED's, power button & eject button. Because the hard drives are connected internally, you will be able to transfer your files up to SATA 6Gb speed. You will be able to finish the job done much faster than ever before with this setup. The security of your hard drive or SSD is a non-issue as the "Eagle-Hook" mechanism switches on immediately after the 3.5" drive is inserted and locks the 3.5" hard drive in place. Having an easy way to use your hard drives as they should be used, without the worry of installing or removing makes it a must have accessory for any personal PC, Lab testing PC or HDD duplication system. Key Feature: * Connects up to one 2.5" & 3.5" SATA HDD in one 5.25" bay for a space saving setup. * Supports a single 2.5" HDD/SSD up to 9.5mm while the 3.5" bay is in use. * Fast and simple tool-less drive installation. * 2 part anti-dust cover protects system internals even when a small 2.5" SATA drive is used. * Anti vibration kit for the 3.5" drive bay to help reduce movement. * Eagle-Hook mechanism design added extra security to the 3.5" hard drive. * Individual LED for both 2.5" & 3.5" bays. * Easy access individual power buttons allows hard drive life expendability and energy conservation. * Large individual drive eject button for hassle free drive removal. * Perfect for any technical level of computer users. * Support SATA 3 6Gbps. Click HERE to learn more about EZ-FIT PRO ICY DOCK Tel: 626.956.8800 Fax: 626.956.8811 1307 John Reed Ct. City of Industry, California 91745 Sales e-mail: sales01@cremax.com Support e-mail: tech@icydock.com

Visit ICY DOCK at NAB 2012

Visit us at NAB 2012 Dear Partners, Icy Dock is excited to inform you that we will be attending the NAB 2012 show in Las Vegas, Nevada. We would like to invite you to our booth so that we can meet with you and show off some of our brand new products. We will be displaying our current product lines as well as some brand new products. Contact your ICY DOCK representative or email tech@icydock.com to get a ticket and reserve a meeting time. We look forward to seeing you at NAB 2012.

ICY DOCK USA 1307 John Reed Ct. City of Industry, CA 91745 Tel: 626.956.8800 Fax: 626.956.8811

Icy News: PNY Brings Out Professional SSD Range

"120GB to 480GB, LSI SanForce processor, Intel MLC chips

PNY Technologies, Inc. introduced its Professional SSD range.



Built for enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals alike, the drives are available in 120GB, 240GB and 480GB capacities.

Jonathan Filleau, Consumer Product Marketing Manager EMEA, said: "PNY today added its fourth generation of SSDs to an already comprehensive range of upgrade and storage solutions. Consumers will be well aware of the experience and expertise at PNY's disposal when dealing with both flash memory products and components, and should trust that when partnered with SandForce, we have manufactured a robust and reliable product."

The Professional SSD range takes advantage of SandForce SF 2281/2 controllers and Intel memory. These controllers allow for maximum read speeds of up to 550 MB/s, write speeds of up to 520 MB/s and 60,000 I/O per second. The range provides a solution for the consumer looking to improve their computer's performance. Used as boot device, the SSDs decrease start time, and provide a boost to game and application performance, whilst operating at cool temperatures ensuring efficiency and power even for laptop computers.

Product Specs: 

• Controller SandForce SF 2281 / SF 2282 (480GB version)
• Memory Intel 3K P/E Endurance NAND components Synchronous-Mode MLC
• Form factor 2.5"
• Connectors SATA III / 6G
• Max read up to 550 MB/s
• Max write up to 520 MB/s
• Random IOPS 60,000 (Random write 4KB)
• Compatible with Windows (32-bit & 64-bit), Linux, and Mac OSX TRIM support (requires OS support)
• Warranty 3 Years" -via  storagenewsletter.com

PNY has always been a popular name in the memory industry and they have always provided a quality product. PNY is now releasing a Professional grade SSD. The SSD features maximum read speeds of up to 550 MB/s, write speeds of up to 520 MB/s and 60,000 I/O per second. Let us know what you think about PNY's new SSD.