SanDisk increases MacBook storage with USB-C external SSD

SanDisk unveiled its Extreme 900 portable solid state drive (SSD) at Computex 2015, one of the first high capacity external drives that will play nice with the USB-C connector on Apple's latest 12-inch MacBook. The Extreme 900 is also compatible with existing notebooks and desktops with a full-sized USB Type-A connector.

"The SanDisk Extreme 900 Portable SSDs are all about performance and capacity. Available in up to 1.92TB, the new drives features transfer speeds nine times faster than a portable hard drive, giving users a significant advantage when they are working with 4K video, taking detailed high-res photos or creating large graphics files," SanDisk said in a statement.

Encased in an aluminum design, the Extreme 900 has fast read and write speeds, going up to 850MB/s. The drive ships with both USB-C and USB Type-A cables so you can migrate and access your data between newer systems – like the MacBook and Chromebook Pixel – and existing systems will full-sized USB ports – like the MacBook Pro and Air. Compared to traditional hard drives with USB-C connectors, like the Porsche Design Mobile Drive from LaCie, SanDisk's advantage is that SSDs offer faster speeds and more durability.

Extreme 500 SSD

In addition to the Extreme 900, SanDisk is also releasing a more compact Extreme 500 Portable SSD. While the Extreme 900 drive comes with capacity approaching 2TB, the Extreme 500 is available in up to 480GB capacity, or roughly a quarter of the maximum storage of its bigger counterpart.

Built for portability, SanDisk claims that the Extreme 500 is roughly half the size of a smartphone and comes with rubber bumpers and a metal ring to allow it to clip to a bag, making it more rugged for mobile users in the field.

The Extreme 500 has data transfer speeds of up to 415MB/s.

Pricing

The SanDisk Extreme 500 will be available in capacities of 120GB ($99, £65, AU$130), 240GB ($149, £97, AU$195), and 480GB ($239, £156, AU$313). The SanDisk Extreme 900 will be available in 480GB ($399, £261, AU$522), 960GB ($599, £392, AU$784), and 1.92TB ($999, £653, AU$1,307) capacities.

Both drives will come with a three-year warranty and will be available worldwide.

Smallest USB 3.0 flash drive

In addition to the portable Extreme 500 and Extreme 900 external solid state drives, SanDisk also showed off what it considers to be the smallest USB 3.0 flash drive. The compact offering is available in capacities of 128GB and 256GB, with both models barely protruding from the USB port that it plugs into.

With the compact design, users can likely leave the diminutive flash drives plugged into their laptops, Ultrabooks or tablets while traveling without fear of damaging the USB port. As the drives are always plugged into a system, this saves time and also mitigates concerns that the drives may become misplaced or lost while in transit.

The 128GB SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 flash drive are priced at $119 (£78, AU$156) while the 256GB SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 are priced at $199 (£130, AU$260). Both drives are available worldwide.

• Read our review of the 2015 MacBook

June 01, 2015 at 12:30PM
Chuong Nguyen

Micromax Canvas A1 AQ4502 with 8GB internal memory launched

Samsung Galaxy S5 to get Android 5.0.2 update this month

The Android 5.0.2 update for the Samsung Galaxy S5 (SM-G900) will be rolling out early this month. The revelation was made by Australian carrier Optus on its website (see image below). It's worth noting that the June time frame was mentioned by Optus while the update was being tested - the testing is complete now. The update is expected to bring bug fixes as well as performance improvements. This comes just weeks after the South Korean company said that it would roll out micro-updates to its devices facing Lollipop update issues. It is, however, not yet known if and when other Samsung devices that have been updated to Lollipop will get the same update. Source |...

LG G4 Dual-SIM gets priced at $810 for India

Nvidia's new 4K-ready GPU will power your Oculus Rift

Nvidia has just introduced its latest flagship GPU, the GeForce GTX 980Ti, which has got both 4K gaming and virtual reality in its sights.

The new Maxwell-based GPU packs in 6GB of video RAM and will deliver 4K gaming at a decent framerate - above 30 FPS - while boasting speeds of up to three times faster when compared to the GTX 680.

But here's where things get really interesting: the GTX 980Ti has just over 90% of the CUDA core count of the prohibitively expensive Titan X, but comes in for less - $650 (around £425/AU$825) compared to the X's $1000. The X does have double the VRAM, but still, it's not a whole world of difference.

We've already mentioned 4K gaming, but Nvidia's new baby is also designed to support virtual reality in a big way. We now know what the demands of the Oculus Rift will be, and the GTX 980Ti will certainly be up to the task (Oculus listed the GTX 970 as the minimum for the Rift).

Nvidia's Maxwell architecture also supports the latest DirectX 12, while the new GPU is pretty damn energy efficient compared to something like the GTX 750; as Nvidia puts it, these second-gen Maxwell designs sip, not gulp, your power.

On another note

Nvidia is also introducing a line of notebooks that will be powered by its G-Sync GPUs. For the uninitiated, G-Sync is Nvidia's solution for screen tearing - and a mighty effective one - that maintains refresh rate without costing you image quality of game performance.

Starting June 1 you'll be able to get your hands on new notebooks from Asus, Gigabyte, MSI and Clevo, all flaunting the tech, with specs and pricing to be announced by the manufacturers.

• Check out our full Titan X review

June 01, 2015 at 05:00AM
Hugh Langley

HTC Desire 820G+, Desire 626G+ launched in Taiwan

Purported ZTE Nubia X8 images, details leaked

Gionee Elife E8 gets a video hands-on treatment

Week 21 in review: Xperia Z3+, S6 edge Iron Man, Android M

This week saw a few major announcements and naturally drew the most attention. The clear winner was the Sony Xperia Z3+ launch, which is an incremental upgrade over last year's Z3. The hardware is mostly the same, a bit thinner (at the cost of some battery capacity), improved waterproofing removed the need for a flap over the USB port and allowed Sony to drop the charging pogo pins. The biggest change on the Xperia Z3+ is the chipset, a Snapdragon 810 with a 64-bit octa-core processor and a beefier GPU. We're curious to see how it copes with the smaller battery. An even smaller announcement garnered tons of attention, an Iron Man Limited Edition for the Galaxy S6 edge. It looks cool in red and yellow, but the best thing about it is the Arc reactor wireless charger. The next major version of Android was unveiled this week, dubbed M. The biggest change is the addition of granular permissions, but there are a large number of minor improvements. USB Type C and fingerprint sensors are supported natively, Google also unveiled the latest iteration of its mobile payment system. From then on it's pretty much all rumors. A Xiaomi Mi 5 rumor promised a 5.5" screen, probably with QHD resolution. It's expected that the company will snag the upcoming Snapdragon 820 chipset, perhaps utilizing its ultrasound fingerprint sensor. Lumia fans are pining for a new flagship (it's been so long) and their hope is the Lumia 940. It's rumored to follow the small/big trend and launch as a 5.2" model and a 5.7" XL model. There are hints that it could use USB Type C, which can output video to a big screen, turning the phone into a desktop via Windows Continuum. It seems that there are always rumors about the iPhone and this week was no different. It has been a very long time since the last major camera update (8MP/1080p has been used since the 4S), but the iPhone 6s may change that. So far the scuttlebutt is that it will use a 12MP camera with smaller pixels, but compensate with a RGBW sensor that will boost low-light performance. .news-item .n-left { float: left; width: 16%; text-align: center; margin-left: -13px; } .news-item .n-right { float: left; width: 84%; } .news-item a { padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; } .news-item .n-right h2, .reviews-item .n-right h2 { clear: both; padding: 0 0 3px 0px; font: 400 19px Oswald, Arial; margin-top: -4px; } .n-right p { line-height: 155%; } .news-item { padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; border-top: 1px solid #ccc; } .news-item p { margin-left: 0; } .n-right h2 a { text-decoration: none; color: #000; } Sony Xperia Z3+ quietly launched globally A revamped Xperia Z3, the new smartphone comes with Snapdragon 810 and little surprises. Samsung launches Galaxy S6 edge Iron Man Limited Edition With red and gold colored Iron man styling, this limited edition S6 edge has custom Avengers theme. Android M detailed: granular permissions, mobile payments The payments are joined by official fingerprint sensor support. Apps have a better way of integrating the web. Android M developer preview now out for Nexus 5, 6, and 9 The Nexus Player Android TV box also gets its own developer preview image, interestingly. Android M detailed: The little things New cut/copy/paste UI, app standby, direct share, improved volume controls, updated UI, and much more. Xiaomi Mi 5 may pack a 5.5-inch screen, Snapdragon 820 chipset The new chipset supports Sense ID, ultrasound fingerprint sensing tech, which could be supported. Lumia 940 and XL to have 20MP camera, USB Type C connectors The two will have recent Snapdragon chipsets - 808 for the 5.2" model and 810 for the 5.7" XL model. iPhone 6s camera rumored to use a 12MP RGBW sensor from Sony The addition of the white pixel is to improve low-light performance. The rumor denies a dual-camera setup. Microsoft and Sony fall out of top 10 smartphone vendors in Q1 According to mobile analyst Tomi Ahonen, Samsung was the top vendor in the first quarter, followed by...

The Top 10 trending phones of week 22

Another week later, our traditional trending chart sees little action at the top. However, a major launch took place a few days ago, and that inevitably had an impact on the ranks further down the table. The Top 10 trending phones chart is a recap list of the devices that gathered the most hits throughout the week. In other words, the chart represents the interests of the majority of you, our visitors. You guessed it, the Sony Xperia Z3+ is the big name that became official mid-week, and for the little time it had, it managed to enter the chart in seventh spot. Comparisons to older models brought in the Xperia Z2 too, even further up in fourth position. Why it isn't the Z3 instead, is a question that will remain unanswered. The top positions remains occupied by the Samsung Galaxy S6, now even more closely followed by the Galaxy Grand Prime. The Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML is in third second week in a row. The Xiaomi Mi 4i returns to the chart in ninth, after slipping off the Top 10 for a couple of weeks. The rest are all typical participants, who seem to constantly keep you interested. The Apple iPhone 6 is rocking between 4th and 5th each week, and has settled in 5th spot this week, inching ahead of the Galaxy S5. A couple of other Samsung handsets, the Galaxy A5 and E7 complete this week's chart in 8th and 10th respectively. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the LG G4 is in a distant 27th position. .news-item .n-left { float: left; width: 26%; text-align: center; } .news-item .n-right { float: left; width: 74%; } .news-item a { padding-bottom: 0; padding-left: 0; } .news-item .n-right h2, .reviews-item .n-right h2 { clear: both; padding: 0 0 3px 0px; font: 400 19px Oswald, Arial; margin-top: -4px; } .n-right p { margin-top: 25px; line-height: 155%; } .news-item { padding-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; border-top: 1px solid #ccc; } .news-item p { margin-left: 0; } .n-right h2 .phone-name { display: inline-block; width: 252px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: text-bottom; } .n-right h2 a { text-decoration: none; color: #000; } .flat-button{ text-align:center; text-decoration: none !important; font: 400 22px Oswald,Arial !important; //font-family: sans-serif; -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 150%; //background: #0CADA7; padding: 20px 60px !important; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px; border-radius: 5px; margin: 10px 0; -webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; -ms-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; -moz-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; -o-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; color: #fff !important; } .flat-button-1 { background: #0CADA7; } .flat-button-1:hover { background: #0A948F; color: #666666 !important; } .flat-button-2 { background: #FF7E47; } .flat-button-2:hover { background: #EE7440; color: #666666 !important; } .n-right .rank-info { display: inline-block; font-family: "Oswald",​Arial,​sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 100; } .n-right .rank-info .current-rank { font-size: 23px; } .circle { background: none repeat scroll 0 0 #8fb28f; border-radius: 50%; height: 23px; width: 23px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 10px -1px 10px; } .arrow { width: 0; height: 0; border-style: solid; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 10px -1px 10px; } .arrow-up { border-width: 0 15px 25px 15px; border-color: transparent transparent #0cada7 transparent; } .arrow-down { border-width: 25px 15px 0 15px; border-color: #ff7e47 transparent transparent transparent; } Samsung Galaxy S6 RANK: 1WAS: 1 specs review Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime RANK: 2WAS: 2 specs review Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML RANK: 3WAS: 3 specs review Sony Xperia Z2 RANK: 4NEW IN specs review Apple iPhone 6 RANK: 5WAS: 4 specs review Samsung Galaxy S5 RANK: 6WAS: 6 specs...

Counterclockwise: superhero edition

Meizu teases home button revolution for the m2 note

A lot of disconcerting info has been popping up on the upcoming Meizu m1 note successor, and consensus hadn't been reached even on the device's name. Some called it the Meizu m1 note 2, others Meizu note 2, but then a GFXBench entry listed it as m2 note. Well, apparently that last one is the real deal, as indicated by a post on Meizu's Facebook page. In terms of hardware, we know nothing more than what the benchmark listing revealed, which is a 5.6-inch FullHD display, Mediatek MT6753 chipset with an octa-core processor and 2GB of RAM. A 12MP primary camera, capable of 4K video recording, was quoted, and it will be accompanied by a 5MP selfie snapper. One other feature that was rumored to make its way to the new device was a fingerprint scanner, and meizu has neither confirmed nor denied that. And as if keen to fuel the rumors, the company's Indian branch has posted another teaser, promoting a Home button revolution. Whether that means simply a hardware button, or indeed added functionality, remains to be seen. We understand Meizu's desire to build hype around the launch of the m2 note only a couple of days from now. The unveiling is scheduled to take place on June 2 in Beijing so stay tuned. Source 1...

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 revealed in a case leak

The successors to Samsung's premium tablet family Galaxy Tab S, so far known as Galaxy Tab S2, have been regulars at the rumor mill for the past few months. By now we've gotten a look at their alleged specs, and most recently a press image surfaced revealing a Galaxy S6-like design. Well, case manufacturers are again one step ahead, and a bumper back cover for the upcoming tablet has been spotted in wild. The silicone protector is for the larger 9.7-inch model, as there will also be an 8-inch offering. Much like the first generation, two sizes will be available, though in a newly adopted 4:3 aspect ratio. Alleged Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 bumper case A quick rundown of the specs points to a 1,536 x 2,048 pixel resolution on either diagonal, a Samsung-made Exynos chipset with an octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. The tablets will run Android 5.0.2 Lollipop upon launch which is expected to take place some time in...

HP to bring a couple of Android tablets to India

HP is apparently going to make a couple of tablets available on the Indian market some time soon, as indicated by a local retailer. The two devices have very different target groups but both run the outdated Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, though HP's website states a KitKat update is available. The fist device is the HP Slate 7 Voicetab Ultra, and that name reveals a lot about the tablet. Bordering on the unacceptable, the 7-inch tablet could be used as a phone, albeit a very large one - it has an earpiece and all. Screen resolution is 1,200 x 1,900 pixels. Computing power comes courtesy of a HiSilicon (read Huawei) chipset, and although it's not explicitly stated, the 1.6GHz quad-core processor and Mali-450 GPU point to the Kirin 910. 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage are on board, and a microSD slot provides expansion options. A 13MP/5MP camera combo is there to take care of capturing memories, and battery capacity is 5,000mAh. The other tablet is the HP Slate 8 Plus, which is a bit lower-specced. The 8-inch display comes with the rather low 800 x 1,200 pixel resolution, same chipset and storage, but only a single gig of RAM and a 5MP/1MP camera pair. The battery on the Slate 8Plus is rated at 4,800mAh. Both devices come with a microSIM slot and support quad band 2G/3G and a host of LTE bands, as well as 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluuetooth v4.0, so connectivity should be a non-issue. The retailer quotes prices at INR 29,990 ($470) and INR 22,990 ($360) for the Slate 7 Voicetab Ultra and Slate 8 Plus, respectively. The tablets are yet to appear on HP's Indian website...

Great tech innovators: Shigeru Miyamoto

• Age: 62
• Company: Nintendo
• Best known for: Creating some of the biggest, most influential games of all time.
• Quote: "I think that inside every adult is the heart of a child. We just gradually convince ourselves that we have to act more like adults."

Nobody knows the meaning of the word "fun" quite like Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto. He joined Nintendo in 1977, just as the company was starting to transition into video games. Miyamoto's first big breakthrough moment was Donkey Kong, a game that was actually inspired by the love triangle dynamic in Popeye. But instead of Bluto, Popeye and Olive Oyl, it was a gorilla (Bluto) a carpenter (Popeye) and a girl (Olive).

In fact, most of Nintendo's biggest franchises can be attributed to "Shiggy" Miyamoto, including Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox and F-Zero.

One of Miyamoto's more recent moments of significance was the creation of the Wii. Miyamoto played a big role in the creation of Nintendo's "Project Revolution", which ended up living up to its codename. The Wii made motion gaming mainstream and turned out to be a massive success, despite lacking the graphical grunt of its two arch rivals, the PS3 and the Xbox 360.

Miyamoto's success undoubtedly stems from his philosophy: if a game is fun for him, others will find it enjoyable too. His focus isn't on the graphics but the mechanics and the gameplay - and he hates cutscenes. In 1999 he said: "I will never make movie-like games".

Miyamoto's is still Nintendo's greatest asset, and he continues to work on titles for both the Wii U and the 3DS - showing no signs of stopping. Games have been his life, and Miyamoto has earned his place at the top of the podium by never letting anyone or anything stand between him and his philosophy.

"Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about rock-n-roll."

• In partnership with Microsoft, powered by the HP Spectre x360

May 30, 2015 at 08:18PM
TechRadar

T-Mobile Lumia 435 now available on Walmart for just $50

The T-Mobile variant of the Microsoft Lumia 435, which was unveiled back in January this year, is now available on Walmart for just $49.88. It's worth mentioning that the device is listed on Microsoft Store website for $70. Specs-wise, the handset is powered by a Snapdragon 200 SoC with 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and sports a 4-inch WVGA screen. It comes with 1GB RAM and 8GB expandable internal storage, and packs in a 1,560mAh battery. In terms of camera, the Lumia 435 features a 2MP rear unit and a VGA front shooter. It comes with Windows Phone 8.1 pre-installed, and offers HSPA+ connectivity (no LTE support). Source |...

Week in Gaming: Splatoon hits the Wii U - is it ink-redible or dissap-painting?

Micromax Unite 2 starts getting Lollipop update

The Unite 2, which was announced by Micromax back in May last year, has started receiving the Lollipop update. Sized at around 413MB, the OTA update brings Android 5.0 to the entry-level handset. The build is dated April 24. If you haven't received the update yet, you can manually check for it by heading to Settings -> About phone -> software update on your device. This comes just days after Micromax officially launched the Unite 3 smartphone in India. The device runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out-of-the-box, and is priced at INR 6,999 ($110). Source |...

Oppo R7 now available for pre-order in the UK

Lollipop sporting ZTE Overture 2 arrives on Cricket for just $50

The successor to the ZTE Overture, which was launched back in June 2013, is now available in the US on Cricket Wireless. Dubbed Overture 2, the device is priced at $49.99 on contract - you can also get it for free thanks to a $50 mail-in rebate. Specs-wise, the handset is powered by a quad-core chipset clocked at 1.2 GHz, and sports a 4.5-inch display with a 854 x 480 (FWVGA) resolution. It comes with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory (expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card), and packs in a 2100 mAh battery. In terms of camera, the Overture 2 features a 5MP rear unit and a VGA front shooter. It also offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, as well as support for Dolby Digital Plus. Source | Via | Image...

Google and Qualcomm are working on a Project Tango smartphone

Google and Qualcomm have a Project Tango smartphone with 3D-sensing camera tech in the works. Currently the search giant is offering a Project Tango tablet for developer for $512 in the Google Store. The partnership between Google and Qualcomm will see the chipmaker incorporate the 3D-sensing camera technology into its smartphone reference designs. There are no definite plans for a consumer-friendly Project Tango handset for the time being. Source...

Renders showing the next ZTE flagship smartphone leak out

ZTE has launched a lot of high-end Nubia devices lately, but we haven't seen a flagship smartphone that isn't part of the Nubia line for ages. That seems to have been noticed by the Chinese company too, and it's apparently hard at work at a new top of the line ZTE handset that's Nubia-less for a later release. Three purported leaked renders of the device show the new design employed by ZTE, and it's clearly inspired by Apple's iPhone 6 form, as you can see (click the thumbnails for full size pictures). Next ZTE flagship The yet-unnamed ZTE upcoming flagship looks made from an unibody metal construction, and features a rear camera with dual-LED flash that is positioned right where the iPhones have it too. There's a plastic part that takes up the upper part of the back of the phone, which houses the antennas. The front of the smartphone supposedly comes with 2.5D glass, which is all the rage right now. Thanks to that, the phone comes with nearly zero lateral bezels. There's only one logo, and it's housed on the back, while the front is devoid of brands. It also appears it doesn't sport capacitive Android buttons, which means it might come with software-rendered buttons instead. Unfortunately there are no details about specs right now, but these should leak out in due...

Huawei Honor 7 tipped to feature 4GB RAM, 13MP OIS camera

Sony Xperia Z3+ preview: First look

The Sony Xperia Z3+ was only recently announced and we're happy it made it to our testing grounds so quickly. While we're already busy working on a full review, we decided to give you an early taste of what it's like...

Meet the tiny PC that can handle 33 million pixels

Zotac will launch a computer that fits on one's palm at Computex in a few days' time in Taiwan and that PC, the ZBOX MA760, can do one thing that most computers can't.

The AMD processor that powers it has enough graphic firepower to drive not one or two but four monitors, with resolutions of up to 4K on each.

That's more than 33 million pixels or the equivalent of 16 full HD monitors playing simultaneously. But rather than gamers, the MA760 uses AMD's Eyefinity technology to target the growing digital signage industry.

Not for gamers

So no, you won't be able to play a flight simulator or shoot your enemies. It is likely that customers will use these to display static pictures rather than videos.

Curiously, Zotac opted for a laptop APU, the FX-7600P, probably to reduce heat dissipation. This quad-core processor has 12 Radeon R7 Graphics cores but doesn't support H265 unfortunately (so it won't be your ultimate media PC).

The rest of the specification is rather impressive for such a small computer. There are two memory slots, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, a VESA bracket, four USB 3.0 ports and an external antenna (as well as the four DisplayPort connectors).

• Here are the best all in one PCs on the market

May 29, 2015 at 11:55PM
Desire Athow