USB 3.0 clears the way for Finalization of ExpressCard 2.0

• Author: USBWorld
• Filed under: USB News, USB gadgets
• Date: Nov 18,2008

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

PCMCIA, the leading technology trade association for PC Card(TM) and ExpressCard® technology, today announced the newest release of the ExpressCard Standard 2.0.  This version has been significantly updated to accommodate the faster speeds increasingly demanded by today’s high-performance mobile technologies.

ExpressCard technology (www.expresscard.org) is the next-generation PC Card technology for  high-performance expansion of desktop and mobile systems. ExpressCard and PC Card slots can be found in more than 95 percent of notebook computers.

“ExpressCard technology is closely tied to the PCI Express® and USB specifications, and the 2.0 release of our standard takes full advantage of recent advancements in both interface technologies,” said Brad Saunders, chairman, PCMCIA.  “Now that the new SuperSpeed USB specification is ready, PCMCIA can move forward to finalize the ExpressCard 2.0 release and make it available to members in early 2009. Consumers can expect to see new, innovative products that take advantage of the enhancements offered by the ExpressCard 2.0 Standard starting in 2010.”

“SuperSpeed USB brings a whole new level of performance enhancements that will drive the next generation of consumer electronics,” said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF president and chairman.  “Having SuperSpeed USB support in the latest ExpressCard Standard gives developers an additional form factor to take advantage of these new features. ExpressCard technology is a natural extension of USB.”   The new ExpressCard Standard will support transfer rates ranging from two to 10 times faster than ExpressCard Standard 1.2, depending on the data protocol used.

Some of the applications that benefit from the improved performance are:

• Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) 2.0 adapters supporting large file transfers between computers and various storage devices;

• USB 3.0 adapters supporting large file transfers between computers and peripheral devices;

• Very high-performance streaming media and video adapters; and

• Very high-performance storage modules based on flash memory technologies, e.g. solid-state drive applications.

The ExpressCard Standard is based on the advanced serial I/O technologies, PCI Express® and USB. The Standard is being updated to comply with the recent release of the PCI Express specification, Version 2.0, which offers transfer rates of up to 5Gbps, two times faster than its previous version.  The ExpressCard 2.0 Standard also supports the new USB 3.0 specification released today.  SuperSpeed USB will support speeds of up to 10 times faster than Hi-Speed USB.

The ExpressCard 2.0 Standard supports backward compatibility with products compliant with any previous versions of the Standard.  Any compliant ExpressCard product will work in any ExpressCard slot, regardless of which version of the Standard the product complies with. A new product compliance and logo program will be phased in once the ExpressCard 2.0 Standard is released.

Current ExpressCard “plug ‘n’ play” applications include memory, local area network (LAN), wireless broadband (WWAN), WiFi, memory adapters, parallel adapters, serial adapters, TV tuners, smart card readers, instrumentation, 1394A&B adapters, serial ATA (SATA) adapters and USB adapters.

Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, HP, Intel, Lenovo, Lexar Media, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Sony, Texas Instruments and Toshiba are among those supporting development of the ExpressCard Standard.

MIMOBOT Taps Consumers Creativity for Designer USB Flash Drive Series

• Author: USBWorld
• Filed under: USB News
• Date: Nov 17,2008

The newest series of MIMOBOT designer USB flash drives takes design studio Mimoco in a decidedly new direction. Known for their artistic MIMOBOT line of character-based flash drives, the studio has put their flagship brand squarely into the hands of their fans, thanks to the Vimobot Design Contest, a unique competition which tapped the creative power of the MIMOBOT community. The six winning designs are now available in the form of the VDC MIMOBOT Series of USB flash drives in 1GB ($24.95) to 8GB ($79.95) capacities.

Late last year, Mimoco began the Vimobot Design Contest, a Do-It-Yourself vinyl art toy challenge which sought the best and most innovative character designs. The entries were hand-created by the entrants, using Mimoco’s oversized blank Vimobot vinyl toy as a canvas. After the hundreds of entries from unknown, emerging, and amateur artists in the MIMOBOT community were narrowed to twenty finalists, MIMOBOT forum denizens chose their six favorite designs to become MIMOBOT flash drives. The winning VDC creations represent a wide variety of artistic styles, from traditional character design to the semi-abstract.

“Our community is what drives our success as a company,” says Dan Ruby, Mimoco’s Minister of Information. “We tried to take the idea that a company’s brand doesn’t belong to the company, but rather to the consumers, to a new level with this contest. Using a DIY vinyl art toy as a platform to solicit artwork for a series of flash drives had never been done, and we’re thrilled with the results.”

The six winning designs represent the beginning of a strong collection of community-created characters that Mimoco will add to their portfolio of nearly 100 limited edition MIMOBOT designs, ranging from incredibly detailed to iconic to super cute, all of which lean towards contemporary. The VDC Series designers hail from the US, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates and each winner receives a cash prize and shipment of their design in MIMOBOT flash drive form.

The VDC MIMOBOT series also continues Mimoco’s devotion to the creation of original, rich, and engaging content, with the release of mimoZine Issue 4. MimoZine is Mimoco’s quarterly digital magazine, focusing on topics like music, tech, entertainment, and art. Issue 4, releasing on the VDC MIMOBOT Series, features a profile of the ROTHBURY Enviro-Music Festival, a tour of pop-culture’s meeting grounds - San Diego Comic Con, and an exploration of the James Brown estate collection on Christie’s auction block. With the release of mimoZine Issue 4, Mimoco is happy to announce all previous mimoZine issues are now archived and can be viewed at mimozine.com.