M-Audio announces Fast Track Ultra

M-Audio have announced the shipment of the Fast Track Ultra audio/MIDI interface. The 8 x 8 audio interface features USB2.0 connectivity, MX Core DSP mixer and four pre-amps with Octane technology, making it one of M-Audio's most power interfaces to date.

The Fast Track Ultra, designed for mobile and desktop production, utilizes high-speed USB 2.0 technology for advanced performance. The increased data speed lets users enjoy exceptional fidelity on all inputs and outputs simultaneosly.

“With high-bandwidth USB 2.0, award-winning M-Audio preamp technology and the flexible MX Core DSP mixer, the Fast Track Ultra delivers a new level of functionality our customers have not yet seen in a USB audio interface,” says Adam Castillo, M-Audio’s marketing director. “The Fast Track Ultra is the only high-speed USB 2.0 interface that comes with M-Audio’s mature, stable drivers, rock-solid performance and renowned customer support.”

The Fast Track Ultra carries an MSRP of US$449.95.

M-Audio website

USB 3.0

USB 3.0 will be the next generation of high speed USB technology and is expected to provide large bandwidth gains over USB 2.0.

The proposed USB 3.0 technology will offer a transfer speed of 4.8 gigabits per second, ten times what is currently available from USB 2.0. Does this also mean ten times the power? Probably not as USB 3.0 will be designed to be energy efficient and support optical connections.

The USB 3.0 promoters group has been formed to make USB 3.0 a reality. Currently, its members include big names such as Intel, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Texas Instruments and NEC.

USB 3.0 will target synchronised, high bandwidth applications in the PC, consumer and mobile markets that are becoming necessary as file sizes are approaching and exceeding 25 Gigabytes.

Backwards compatibility is another important consideration of the USB 3.0 standard. It will be designed to allow the same plug and play capabilities of previous USB technologies. USB 3.0 ports and cabling will be designed to enable backward compatibility as well as providing future proofing for optical cables.

The final USB 3.0 specification is scheduled for release in the second half of 2008 and the first USB 3.0 products should be hitting the market in 2009.

The latest USB 3.0 information is available at usb.org.

Synchrotech 13 port USB hub

Synchrotech have released a 13 port USB 2.0 hub, a compact device that provides a nice solution for all you people out there that are finding that 4, 6 or 8 port USB hubs are just not enough.

The Synchrotech 13 port hub is fully USB 2.0 compliant and USB 1.1 backward compatible for older devices. Support is provided for low, full and high speed USB devices and it will work with any system that supports the USB specification. It features plug and play installation and transparent operation.

As you would expect from a 13 port hub though, this device is a bit power hungry and requires its own 4-amp power supply (provided) for fully loaded conditions.

The Synchrotech 13 port hub is reasonably priced at US$45.

Specifications:

• USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 compliant
• Supports High Speed 480Mbps, full speed 12Mbps and low speed 1.5Mbps (Megabits) operation
• Reliable transmission for 4.5 meter USB cable segments
• 13 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 downstream ports (Type A receptacle )
  
• 1 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 upstream port (Type B receptacle )
• Self powered mode delivers full 500mA to each port
• System Requirements: Win 98SE/Me/2000/XP/Server 2003/Vista, Mac OS X - any version (supports USB 1.1 for Mac OS 8.6 and later), any operating system that fully supports USB including Open/Net/FreeBSD and Linux.
• Part number: USB-HUB-K13

Synchrotech website

Smart Enterprise Guardian released

Gemalto and Lexar Media Inc, have released the SEG (Smart Enterprise Guardian), a USB Flash storage device that incorporates smart card security and Flash storage encryption technology for the protection of digital identities and sensitive documents.

The Smart Enterprise Guardian can protect network access and confidential information, enhance productivity with easy to use security services and make business transactions safter and more efficient.

The SEG combines Gemalto's .net based solution and Lexar's hardware based memory encryption technology to provide secure mobility for small businesses and Enterprises. The device features an intuitive user interface and requires no software setup. Users with minimal PC and security knowledge can make the most of the SEG immediately thanks to transparent data encryption.

"The Smart Enterprise Guardian represents a new category of multi-purpose smart USB devices which ensure trusted business mobility," added Cédric Collomb, senior vice-president, identity and access management at Gemalto. "The synergies between Gemalto and Lexar will allow employees to work from anywhere in a Windows environment, enjoying both security and freedom."

The SEG can store up to 2GB of data and is compatible with Windows XP, 2000 and Vista.

OCZ ATV Ultra fast and rugged USB flash drives

If you are after a USB 2.0 Flash Drive that is ultra fast and rugged, then you should probably consider the OCZ ATV and ATV Turbo drives from OCZ Technology Group.

The ATV Turbo (the yellow drive) is claimed by OZC to have the fastest USB Flash Drive speeds on the market with read rates of up to 35MB per second and write rates of 30MB per second. That certainly sounds fast to me - I can remember the days when it would seem to take forever just to copy a 5MB mp3 to a Flash drive. If the 30MB per second really is possible, you should be able to copy six 5MB mp3s to the drive in one second!

Featuring a heavy duty shock and water proof design, the ATV and ATV Turbo Flash drives have been designed to handle harsh conditions. The colourful housing is made from a durable rubber and is claimed to keep the Flash data safe in a range of conditions, even when the drive is completely submerged in water. I'm not sure I would like to test that claim.

The ATV and ATV Turbo USB 2.0 Flash drives are compatible with Windows Vista and are optimised for ReadyBoost technology. ReadyBoost is a Windows Vista technology that allows you to use non-volatile flash memory, such as a USB flash drive, to improve system performance without having to install additional memory. The USB Flash device acts as a cache memory where the operating system can store and retrieve frequently accessed data much faster than from the hard drive.

The OCZ ATV USB Flash Drive is available in 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities.
The OCZ ATV Turbo USB Flash drive is available in 2GB and 4GB capacities.

Links for each Flash drive on the OCZ Technology website are provided below:
OCZ ATV USB 2.0 Flash Drive
OCZ ATV Turbo USB 2.0 Flash Drive