Technology News: Data Storage

New Pogoplug Brings Mobile Devices Into the Cloud
November 20, 2009

On Friday, Cloud Engines launched a bigger, shinier version of its Pogoplug USB file-sharing device/service. This will let users share files, photos and videos directly from USB drives or memory sticks plugged into the Pogoplug device with friends or clients over the Internet.

Pre-integration is the Ticket With Cisco-EMC Cloud Venture
November 04, 2009

Cisco is broadening its footprint with a major move into the cloud computing space. The company has formed a far-reaching partnership with EMC -- a joint venture in which VMware, a majority owned subsidiary of EMC, will also play a large role. Called "Acadia," the new entity is marketing vBlock infrastructure packages, aka "vBlocks."

Maintaining Integrity and Security in a Data Migration
November 04, 2009

Data migrations these days have become a necessary evil in every IT environment. The rapid rate at which hardware and software becomes outdated, coupled with a need to save costs by taking old assets off the books as soon as possible, means that data migrations are something no one can avoid.

Intel Boasts Breakthrough in Durable Multilayer Memory
October 29, 2009

Intel and Numonyx on Wednesday announced what they categorized as a "key breakthrough" in research on phase change memory. Their researchers demonstrated a 64Mb test chip that lets manufacturers stack multiple layers of PCM arrays within one die. This could lead to the creation of smaller memory devices with more capacity and lower power consumption for RAM and storage.

Sidekick Data Rises From the Ashes
October 15, 2009

T-Mobile and Microsoft susidiary Danger have restored the data Sidekick customers lost when Danger experienced a massive server failure last week. The company announced the news via an online forum used to keep customers apprised of developments. The companies also provided a few sparse details about the meltdowns.

T-Mobile Offers Glimmer of Hope - or $100 Credit - in Data Loss Debacle
October 13, 2009

Service is now largely restored to Sidekick users, but T-Mobile is apparently still struggling to retrieve content and data lost due to a server malfunction over the weekend. At the same time, the carrier is piling on the mea culpas to its customers, many of whom are furious about the incident.

The Winding Path to Xsan Nirvana
October 13, 2009

The Apple Xsan system follows the relatively common path that other storage area network products have established, which is to simplify storage management, and the Xsan delivers -- but it takes a lot of planning to reach Xsan Nirvana. An overview of the Xsan system requires technical and budget planning.

Sidekick Users Burned by Danger in the Cloud
October 12, 2009

Users of T-Mobile's smartphone, the Sidekick, suddenly found themselves without address books, calendars, to-do lists and photos -- data that the carrier had been maintaining through a subsidiary of Microsoft called "Danger," which hosts back-end services for mobile companies.

Managing the Long Tail of Digital Storage
September 24, 2009

"The IRS isn't interested in the show that flopped." If you're unfamiliar with that line, it's straight out of the Broadway musical The Producers, which was a notoriously over-the-top story about how to increase profit by making something, a product, that does not strike it big.

Seagate Lifts Home Networks to the Cloud
September 16, 2009

Hard drive manufacturer Seagate has come up with a new way to attack the chaotic home entertainment market: Let users create their own personal information clouds. On Tuesday, it unveiled its FreeAgent Theater + high-definition media player; and on Wednesday it announced the FreeAgent DockStar network adapter.

When Microsoft Exchange Availability Matters the Most
September 10, 2009

The average worker checks email once every 15 minutes, recent studies have shown, with some users checking email as often as 40 times per hour. In addition, increasing use of personal mobile devices means that employees have become attached to their email at all times, with some checking their device as soon as each email arrives.

Cloud Computing, or Everything as a Service
September 03, 2009

If you ask anyone today to define "cloud computing," there is slim chance you will get agreement on an exact definition. It is one of those emerging technologies that everyone knows they want to get into, but no one seems to know why or what the real benefit is. There is a lot of promise, but very few companies have realized tangible benefits from such services.

Toshiba Finds a Spot at the Blu-ray Lunch Table
August 11, 2009

If Toshiba's announcement 18 months ago that it was dropping the HD-DVD format was the anticlimatic thud that ended the DVD format wars, Tuesday's announcement that it would join the Blu-ray Disc Association was little more than a dull echo. However, it did settle one important question: whether the one-time champion of HD-DVD would refuse to go along with Blu-ray.

The Vital Role of E-Presentment in Online Self-Service
July 31, 2009

Driven by competitive pressure to improve the customer experience, organizations are moving toward an online self-service model that pushes the boundaries of electronic information presentation, or e-presentment. Yet as they embrace this model, new challenges await, including how to ensure customers have seamless online access to relevant and accurate information in the format they want.

The Stunning Impact of E-Discovery on IT
July 09, 2009

In today's world, it is no wonder that every lawsuit has electronic evidence. Unfortunately, for the most part, lawyers and judges do not understand IT or the Internet. As a result, litigation generally misses the mark regarding what is now referred to as "ESI," or electronically stored information.

In Clouds We Trust?
July 01, 2009

When the economic crisis hit last year, much of the government response was targeted at shoring up public faith in what once had been perceived as rock solid institutions. We all are now highly aware that these foundations were not as sturdy as once believed, and as a result, many are justifiably skeptical when being asked to trust the same organizations with their now-diminished portfolios.