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PQI Power Drive merges power bank, card reader and wireless access point into one
After showing off its USB OTG accessories and NFC flash drive, PQI decided to tease us with its unannounced Power Drive that was sat quietly in a corner at Computex. Much like the Air Pen launched last November, this upcoming device acts as a portable wireless access point with storage expansion, meaning you can share an RJ45 network connection and your files over WiFi. But what's new is that not only is the RJ45 port collapsible to reduce device thickness, there's now also a standard SD card slot in addition to the old microSD slot. Better yet, as the name suggests, the Power Drive can also be used as a USB power bank to charge up other devices, making this PQI's most versatile WiFi product yet. Alas, details are light on the specs, so stay tuned for its announcement at some point in Q4 this year. %Gallery-190769%
PQI demos NFC-encrypted flash drive, offers different access modes via Android app
Sure, there are already plenty of cool options when it comes to encrypted flash drives, but what about one that uses NFC on your Android or even Windows 8 device to unlock it? PQI showed us one such implementation at Computex. Essentially, this NFC flash drive requires an NFC-enabled device to toggle its access mode: full access, read-only, one-time access (and remains hidden afterwards) or hidden. All you have to do is choose the desired mode in the app, type in your preset password, and then tap the flash drive (even when unplugged) with your device to change the former's setting -- provided that the password matches, of course. Since the encryption is done on the storage controller level, the computer's drive utility wouldn't be able to see the dongle at all if it's hidden, so you wouldn't even be able to format it unless you unlock it or, well, physically destroy it. And that could be anywhere from 8GB all the way up to 64GB of storage space, when the drive launches in Q4 this year.
PQI unveils upcoming micro-USB OTG drives and accessories
Taiwanese flash memory specialist PQI had quite a big presence at Computex, and luckily for us, it also brought along several new products to show off. The biggest bunch from the lot were the company's new Connect 200 and Connect 300 series micro-USB OTG dongles, most of which offer memory expansion that will come in handy for microSD-less devices. Do bear with us while we go through all six of these products.
PQI USB 3.0 flash drive is world's smallest, easiest to misplace
Storage in the cloud has limited the appeal of previous-generation flash drives, but until we can beam 32GB video clips across the web in less than a minute, there's always room for a USB 3.0 "traveling disk" on our key rings. Especially when it's smaller than a key. The PQI U819V measures just 3.15cm long, but ships with a keyring and attached cap, so at least its accessories will be nearby when it gets misplaced in your desk drawer. We're still waiting on pricing and availability information, but we do know that storage capacity ranges from 4GB to 32GB, and the drive is backwards-compatible with USB 2.0 ports. PQI says the drive's cap also doubles as a cell phone ornament, but if you need a square silver USB cap to dress up your mobile, you may want to redirect some cash from your flash drive fund to upgrade your cell.
PQI showcasing microSATA SSD, ExpressCard SSD and more at CES
Good heavens, it's been years since we've seen anything noteworthy leave the labs of Power Quotient International. Thankfully, the outfit will be relevant once more when CES rolls around, as its forthcoming SSD line has quite a few big hitters. First up is the 1.8-inch microSATA SSD S518, which is destined to squeeze into tight spaces in capacities of up to 125GB, while the 32GB ExpressCard SSD S520 finally gives you a reason to utilize that funky slot over there that's gone untouched for months. There will also be a 2.5-inch SATA SSD S525 (available in sizes up to 125GB) and an elusive e-SATA Combo Card S530. As for details on pricing and availability? You'll have to wait till the show gets rolling for that, but the full release is waiting just past the break to tide you over.[Via PC Launches]
Samsung to deliver only 85% of promised NAND flash to "its major customers"
Remember that Seoul power outage which took down six chip production lines for the world's largest flash memory producer, Samsung? Well, those predictions of NAND flash memory shortages appear to be ringing true. If statements from PQI's general manager, Jance Lu are to be believed, then Samsung will be fulfilling only 85% of their promised NAND flash deliveries to "its major customers" in the second half of August -- i.e., now. It goes without saying then that the estimated 3% shortage in global NAND supply will be followed by a sharp increase in NAND prices due to the unquenchable demand. With modern manufacturers relying on "just in time" inventory fulfillment to keep storage and holding costs to a minimum, you'd better hold tight for possible flash-heavy, product shortages-to-come this holiday season. Egads, if true, we're looking at possible shortages in cellphones, GPS devices, handhelds, DAPs and PMPs including, of course, iPods and iPhones which source much of their memory from Samsung.
PQI shows off JoyTone U820 digital audio player
Looks like ginormous SSDs aren't the only products PQI's been cranking out of late, as the firm's latest DAP was showing off its sparkle at Computex. The JoyTone U820 features a glossy black exterior, 1.5-inch 128 x 128 resolution LCD, ID3 tag support, MP3, WMA, and SMV playback, a photo viewer, digital voice recorder, and USB connectivity. Unsurprisingly, there was no word as to when the U820 would find its way from the show floor onto store shelves, but as you already know, more pictorial delight awaits you after the break.
PQI debuts 256GB 2.5-inch SSD drive
We've seen 256GB and even 512GB SSD drives before, but they've so far been confined to the larger 3.5-inch form factor -- not exactly the ideal solution to fulfill our dream of an all-SSD laptop with more storage than we're ever likely to use. Well, it looks like Taiwanese manufacturer PQI is starting to bring that excessively-demanding dream a little closer to reality, recently unveiling a 2.5-inch SSD drive with a full 256GB of storage space. Unfortunately, there's no word on what it'll cost, although we're sure it'll be enough to dampen our enthusiasm considerably. That's apparently not all PQI has up its sleeve though, with the company also set to release a 32GB SSD ExpressCard, a 32GB 1.8-inch SSD drive, and a high-speed 16GB CompactFlash card for good measure.
PQI's U510 flash card gets ritzy for Chinese New Year
Although PQI's not cramming 16GB onto this rendition of its U510 USB flash card, it is giving the device quite a fancy makeover for the Chinese New Year, as the Limited Fortune Pig Edition Card Drive (seriously) dons red and gold colors in preparation for the celebration. Moreover, the "hairline treated surface," along with the peony at the bottom right corner surrounded by fortune pigs, are reportedly meant to symbolize "prosperity, joy, happiness, sincerity," and all sorts of other good things to kick off the New Year. Interestingly, this isn't the first time a USB flash device has gotten ritzy for the forthcoming occasion, but considering that these aren't actually made of precious metals, we have a good feeling they'll be a bit more manageable on the wallet. Per usual, the cards come with a flat, retractable USB 2.0 cable, carrying bag, and personal file management software, and though we aren't sure just how much these nifty cards will run you, only 1,000 1GB flavors (pictured after the jump) are being produced while just 500 2GB units will see the light of day, so we'd suggest you place your dibs right about now if you're interested.[Via FarEastGizmos]
PQI's 64GB SSD with SATA connector: a world's first, twice
PQI just announced the availability of their 64GB, 2.5-inch drive -- doubling the size of current SSDs packed in either 1.8-inch or 2.5-inch IDE enclosures. That's news, big news in and of itself. But these drives are also the world's first to sport SATA. That's right, thick juicy SATA which should make it possible to do a one-for-one swap with your existing laptop's spinner. So check it DV editors, before the end of the month you too will have access to ultra-fast flash for your video. No word on pricing yet, but 64GB of NAND on a SATA interface will likely buck the trend of falling SSD prices. Temporarily anyway.
PQI's "pen-like" retractable Cool Drive U350
Power Quotient International -- best known for squeezing exorbitantly large amounts of data onto incredibly small modules -- is at it again with its zany flash drive antics, and this time the company is unveiling a retractable version to keep that presumably delicate USB connector safe. The Cool Drive U350 will be available in 0.5/1/2/4GB sizes and play nice with both Windows XP and OS X-based systems, but differs from the stockpile of other alternatives by "automatically retracting the USB head into the main body" when the outer tab is pulled. Although the U350 is a tad lengthy at 7.75 centimeters, at least it's less likely to be "misplaced" when out and about, and the "pen-like" mechanism will give you one more thing to fidget with while on the subway if nothing else.[Via Far East Gizmos]
PQI has 64GB SATA 2.5-inch flash drive ready for August
We knew PQI could put their flash memory prowess to better use than that "The card is just not a card!" deal they were messing around with last time we saw 'em. It looks like they've gone and done us proud with a 2.5-inch SATA flash drive for notebooks with a whopping 64GB of storage, giving it a real claim to replacing that clunky old HDD in our laptop -- once we can scrounge up the $2000 this thing will be selling for. The best news is that the drive should be out in August of this year, almost even beating Samsung's $1000 32 gigger to the punch. Supposed transfer speeds are at a not-too-shabby 32MBs, but the real payoff for early adopters will be the reliability and battery life afforded by these things.
PQI's U510 squeezes 16GB into a 3mm thick drive
We've seen plenty enough units claiming to be the "world's ____ flash drive," and while we think most of the size awards can safely go to the iDisk Diamond, it's hard to begrudge the title of "world's thinnest flash drive" to a 3mm thick unit that features a whopping 16GB of storage. The new U510 from PQI in Taiwan takes its credit card form factor seriously at 3.3 x 2.12 x 0.1-inches, and the USB 2.0 device features a thin retractable USB jack. No word on pricing or availability, but we're guessing it's not going to be cheap.[Via New Launches]
