OCZ released the Arowana Flash Translation Layer (FTL) firmware update for SSDs running Indilinx Barefoot controllers, and 34 nm NAND flash. The update was announced in May, 2011, and released for the OCZ Vertex Plus family, but it's only now that users of the original Barefoot-controlled drives get a firmware to update their drives with. The new 3.55 firmware significantly improves sequential and random-seek performance. The screenshots below (in order) are of a Barefoot-driven OCZ Vertex drive with the old firmware (IDE), new firmware (IDE), and new fimware (AHCI). To learn more about the update, and how to go about do it to your drive, visit this page. Like most other SSD firmware updates, the process erases everything on your drive, so be sure to make a backup.

Fueled by strong sales growth in its core chip businesses-and boosted by a major acquisition-leading semiconductor supplier Intel Corp. in 2011 attained its highest annual market share in more than 10 years, according to the IHS iSuppli Competitive Landscape Tool from information and analytics provider IHS (NYSE: IHS). Intel in 2011 increased its overall semiconductor market share to 15.6 percent, up 2.5 percentage points from 13.1 percent in 2010, according to the final IHS semiconductor estimate for the year. This represents the highest market share for Intel going back to at least 2001, when it reached 14.9 percent. Over the last five years, Intel's share of the market ranged from 11.9 percent to 13.9 percent.

"Intel in 2011 captured the headlines with its major surge in growth," said Dale Ford, head of electronics and semiconductor research for IHS. "The company's rise was spurred by soaring demand for its PC-oriented microprocessors, and for its NAND flash memory used in consumer and wireless products. Intel's revenue also was boosted by its acquisition of Infineon's wireless business unit. The company's strong rise helped it to stave off the rising challenge mounted by No. 2 semiconductor supplier Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., which had been whittling away at Intel's lead in recent years." The table below presents the final 2011 semiconductor market share ranking from the IHS.

After asking around Taiwan, Digitimes has apparently found out Intel's SSD intentions for the rest of this year. As soon as May the Santa Clara-based chip giant is said to bring out the 300 Series ' Maple Crest' drives, as well as the 720 Series (Ramsdale). The 300s are consumer-grade solutions, while the 720s target enterprises and feature a PCIe interface.

The 720 Series SSDs will come in 400 GB and 800 GB capacities and, like the 300 Series, will utilize 25 nm MLC (multi-level cell) NAND Flash memory.

In Q3 Intel is set to be making the transition to 20 nm NAND and will release the 500 Series 'King Crest' models, while later on, in Q4 we should see the arrival of the 100 GB, 200 GB, 400 GB and 800 GB Taylorsville drives part of the 700 Series, and the Jay Crest and Oak Crest SSDs bearing the 300 Series banner.

Micron Technology, Inc., today announced results of operations for its second quarter of fiscal 2012, which ended March 1, 2012. For the second quarter, the company had a net loss attributable to Micron shareholders of $224 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, on net sales of $2.1 billion. The results for the second quarter of fiscal 2012 compare to a net loss of $187 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, on net sales of $2.1 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2012, and net income of $72 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, on net sales of $2.3 billion for the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash, storage, and enthusiast computer products is pleased to announce the company has named Mai Kosla as the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales Operations. Ms. Kosla will serve a key role in strategic planning and improving sales productivity and operational efficiencies.

"Mai has a proven track record of developing and executing Patriot Memory's ongoing sales initiatives," said Doug Diggs, CFO of Patriot Memory. "Her strong skillset and experience will be vital to our executive management team in developing sales strategies."

Data storage expert TDK corporation unveiled the eSSD, a single-package embedded SSD chip. The chip combines a SATA 3 Gb/s SSD controller, and NAND flash in capacities ranging between 1 GB to 4 GB. The SSD controller logic is based on TDK's new GBDriver R3 controller design, and the NAND flash is of single-layer cell (SLC) type. The eSSD provides sequential transfer rates of 55 MB/s read, and 30 MB/s write, it packs an automatic garbage disposal and wear-leveling logic, along with native 128-bit AES data encryption. The package measures 17 x 17 mm, with a ball-count of 208. The chip can be part of anything, from large logic boards of embedded computing appliances, to tiny half-height mSATA SSDs. TDK is giving the chip in its mSATA board forms as evaluation samples.

ORICO officially introduced the HS-01 series 2.5" SATA solid-state drives (SSDs). The drives come in four variants, based solely on the design of the drives' shells, while internally, the four are identical. Internally, the HS-01 is driven by LSI-SandForce SF-2281 controller, with 25 nm MLC NAND flash memory, offering 256 GB of storage. Apparently, these drives incorporate the latest firmware microcode released by LSI that helps the drive make better use of its available NAND flash capacity.

The drives take advantage of the SATA 6 Gb/s interface, offering sustained sequential speeds of 500 MB/s (read) and 350 MB/s (write). The four previously mentioned variants are HS-01A-256S3, HS-01C-256S3, HS-01D-256S3 and HS-01E-256S3 (first picture, CW). The bodies are made of CNC-milled aluminum, which are ridged to assist in heat dissipation. Backed by 5-year warranty, the HS-01 series 256 GB drives are priced at 2,898 RMB (US $458.3).

Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, is proud to showcase the extraordinary performance capabilities and new higher capacity of the next generation SATA III 6Gb/s SSD720 solid state drive (SSD). Built with industry-leading 24nm toggle-mode MLC NAND flash chips and now available in extra-large capacities up to 512GB, an SSD720-equipped computer boots-up faster, games run more smoothly, and overall system responsiveness is improved.

Taking full advantage of the latest SATA III 6Gb/s specification and driven by a powerful SandForce controller, the SSD720 boasts impressive sequential read/write transfer speeds of up to 560MB/540MB per second and lightning-fast 4k random file writes up to 86,000 IOPS. This exceptional performance translates into ultra low response times, launching heavy graphics applications, such as Adobe Photoshop and Premiere CS5, and AutoCAD 2011, in under three seconds. Completing file operations at least three times faster and providing ultra-low access latencies by avoiding platter seek time, the SSD720 is the ideal drop-in replacement for standard rotating hard drives (HDDs).

With significant growth in demand for NAND flash memory, with the advent of Intel's Ultrabook form-factor, and the transition of Apple's MacBook range to slimmer form-factors that could raise demand of solid-state storage, memory makers are stepping up production of NAND flash memory. Samsung recently announced the setting up of a 12-inch NAND flash wafer production facility in China. In response to this, the other major Korean memory-maker, Hynix, indicated that its plant located in Wuxi, China, will switch from producing DRAM to NAND flash. This switch seems short-term and Hynix plans to expand the plant later, to accommodate NAND flash production. Hynix is currently a much smaller player in the NAND flash industry than Samsung.

Marvell today announced mass deployment of the Marvell 88SS9187 SATA controller fueled by high performance embedded processor technology. The 88SS9187 features a 6 gigabit-per-second (Gb/s) SATA Revision 3.1 compliant host interface optimized for the fast-growing solid state drive (SSD) sector, offering many game changing benefits to the consumer, mobile and enterprise markets. A significant number of high-profile SSD manufacturers are set to deploy Marvell's newest solution immediately, with additional partners expected to integrate 88SS9187 implementations later this year.

Marvell's newest SSD controller boasts an open, world-class architecture that supports industry-standard, high-speed NAND Flash interface up to 200 MB/s per channel. The 88SS9187 also offers a groundbreaking correction capability thanks to its high performance ECC engine with Adaptive Read and Write Scheme and on-chip RAID functionality to allow use of the latest generation of NAND Flash devices in the fast-growing SSD markets.

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox game console, codenamed "Durango", will arrive in 2013. More importantly, it is said to completely lack an optical disc drive. The lack of a disc drive could mark a milestone in the evolution of console game distribution. Microsoft already has a high-volume digital distribution platform in Xbox Live, its significance in a post-disc console era will only increase.

This is not to say that Microsoft will completely do away with physical media, an interchangeable NAND flash-based media could also take shape, seeing how prices of NAND flash-storage has come drastically down over the past couple of years. It would be a going back to solid-state game cartridges, for home consoles. Some portable consoles use solid-state media even today.

InnoDisk Corporation, a leader in industrial DRAM and Flash storage solutions, announces that its SATADOM storage device has been qualified by Intel for the new Romley Server Boards. InnoDisk SATADOM has been selected as the preferred boot device on the SATA port.

SATADOM has five times the performance of normal USB drive (135 MB/sec and 116 MB/sec Read/Write versus 25 MB/sec and 20 MB/sec for USB). SATADOM's low profile form-factor makes it ideal for 1U and blade server applications. InnoDisk SATADOM, designed with SLC NAND Flash, delivers the highest endurance for performance demanding and mission critical applications.

Japanese company Green House introduced the GH-SSDxS-1MA series (where "x" = capacity in GB). Built in the 1.8" SATA form-factor, the drives are available in capacities of 32 GB (GH-SSD32GS-1MA), 64 GB (SSD64GS-1MA), and 128 GB (GH-SSD128GS-1MA). The drives use MLC NAND flash, and an unknown controller with 64 MB DDR cache. Features such as TRIM, NCQ, and ECC (48bit/2KB) come standard.

Sequential speeds are up to 230 MB/s (read) and 190 MB/s (write) for the 64 GB and 128 GB models; and 220 MB/s (read) with 100 MB/s (write) for the 32 GB model. Backed by 1 million hours MTBF and 1,500G/0.5 ms shock-resistance, the 32, 64, and 128 GB models are priced at 10,500 JPY (US $129), 16,800 JPY (US $206), and 25,200 JPY (US $310), respectively. They are slated for mid-March.

According to DRAMeXchange, a research division of TrendForce, the following report presents a forecast of six major DRAM and NAND Flash industry trends in 2012-2015.

Trend-1: Mainstream PC DRAM Specification DDR3 to Dominate Market Until 2014

DDR3 has been the mainstream PC DRAM specification since 2011, and DRAMeXchange expects it will remain so until 2014. Although JEDEC will officially announce standards for DDR4 in 2012, DRAMeXchange is conservative as to whether the new specification will follow the historical pattern set by DDR and DDR2 and hit the market in 2014-2015, as the marginal benefit to PC performance provided by DDR4 will be limited. However, Intel will still hold decisive influence over the matter.

Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash, storage, and enthusiast computer products is pleased to announce the company has named Paul McGuire as Executive Vice President of Sales. The addition of Mr. McGuire to Patriot Memory's Executive team will swiftly propel the company through its next set of growth objectives. In his role, Mr. McGuire will be overseeing worldwide business development and ramping up sales channels for Patriot Memory's full suite of products.

"As we continue to aggressively expand our global sales initiatives with our key corporate alliances, we are very excited to have Paul McGuire join our team," said Paul Jones, CEO of Patriot Memory. "Paul is an extremely focused executive leader with the experience to be an enormous asset in positioning Patriot Memory for incredible growth in our major global channels."

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST), a leading supplier of enterprise-class solid state and hard disk drives, today announced that EMC Corporation (NYSE:EMC) has qualified and is now shipping Hitachi Ultrastar SSD400S SLC-based (single level cell), 2.5-inch, SAS solid state drives (SSD) in its "all Flash" VNX Unified Storage systems for mission-critical Microsoft and Oracle environments. The Ultrastar SSD400S family is the world's first jointly develop SAS and FC enterprise-class SSDs, combining Hitachi GST's proven enterprise HDD strength with Intel's extensive capabilities developing high-endurance SLC NAND flash memory and advanced SSD technology. All of this powers Hitachi GST's leading line SSDs with high endurance, reliability and sustained performance for Tier 0, mission-critical server and storage workloads.

STEC, Inc., The SSD Company, a leading global provider of solid-state drive (SSD) technologies and products, today announced that its enterprise-class MACH16 SSD technology now extends to the embedded market in one of the industry's smallest solid-state form factors.

The new MACH16 Slim SATA SSD provides embedded system designers with the same advanced flash management technology as STEC's enterprise SSDs. The device leverages industry-standard 22-pin SATA cabling (supporting JEDEC MO-297 and SFF-8156 specifications) and provides the highest data integrity, endurance and reliability available in this market segment. With these features, the MACH16 Slim SATA SSD is well-suited for high-performance and rugged embedded systems.

Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash, storage, and enthusiast computer products today launches its new Supersonic Boost XT USB 3.0 drive. Designed and built for even the most rugged applications, the Supersonic Boost XT will feature an ultra-durable rubberized housing for extreme protection. Offering transfer speeds of up to 90 MB/s, the Patriot Memory Supersonic Boost XT will deliver excellent transfer speeds, perfect for those who rely on having fast access to their data and media while trying to manage a busy lifestyle.

Measuring in at just over 6 centimeters long and 2 centimeters wide, the Supersonic Boost XT also features a small and light form factor for superior portability. Continuing on with Patriot Memory's award winning customer service, the Supersonic Boost XT will come with a 5-year warranty.

While Vertex 3 is OCZ's flagship SATA 6 Gb/s SSD based on the SandForce SF-2281 processor, Agility 3 is its performance-mainstream variant that uses the same SF-2281, but with async NAND flash memory. Reviews have found the drive to offer high price-performance. OCZ has traditionally kept Agility 3 reserved for lower capacities, reserving higher capacities for its other product families., however two new variants hit the radar in the Japanese markets today, the 180 GB (AGT3-25SAT3-180G), which is not even listed on OCZ's global site, and a 360 GB variant (AGT3-25SAT3-360G).

The 180 GB variant offers sequential speeds of up to 525 MB/s read, and 500 MB/s write, with 35,000 IOPS 4K random write performance; while the 360 GB variant offers sequential speeds of 525 MB/s read, 495 MB/s write, and 35,000 IOPS 4K random write performance. Like all other drives in the Agility 3 series, the two are built in the 2.5-inch form-factor, with SATA 6 Gb/s interface. The Agility 3 180 GB is priced at 19,000 JPY (US $256), and the 360 GB variant at 36,000 JPY (US $447).

Intel Corporation and Micron Technology, Inc., today announced that the companies have entered into agreements to expand their NAND Flash memory joint venture relationship.

The agreements, which are designed to improve the flexibility and efficiency of the joint venture, include a NAND Flash supply agreement for Micron to supply NAND products to Intel and agreements for certain joint venture assets to be sold to Micron. Under terms of the agreement, Intel is selling its stake in two wafer factories in exchange for approximately $600 million-the approximate book value of Intel's share. Additionally, Intel will be receiving approximately half of the consideration in cash and the remaining amount will be deposited with Micron, which may be refunded or applied to Intel's future purchases under the NAND Flash supply agreement. The agreements also extend the companies' successful NAND Flash joint development program and expand it to include emerging memory technologies.

SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced it is working with key industry chipset vendors to help ensure a best-in-class user experience for mobile devices based on Microsoft Corp.'s upcoming Windows 8 operating system.

Companies such as Intel Corporation, Qualcomm Incorporated and Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) are using SanDisk iNAND Extreme embedded flash memory with some of their top Windows 8 hardware development platforms. SanDisk is working with these companies to optimize its iNAND Extreme flash memory products with Windows 8-based tablet and mobile designs.

To anyone who's familiar with SSDs, "SandForce" is equally familiar, as it makes the brains of some of the fastest client SSDs in the business. Buyers have also come to know of SandForce-driven SSDs as being characterized by unique capacity amounts caused by allocating a certain amount of the physical NAND flash capacity for some special low-level tasks by the controller, resulting in capacities such as 60 GB, 120 GB, 240 GB, for drives with physical NAND flash capacities of 64, 128, and 256 GB, respectively. This allocation is called "over-provisioning". An impression was built that this ~7% loss in capacity is some sort of a trade-off for higher performance. It appears like that's not quite the case.

Announced last month, the SSD500 solid state drives from Transcend have now started selling in Europe. The SSD500 drives make use of SLC (single-level cell) NAND Flash memory (providing up to 100,000 erase/write cycles), and feature a 2.5-inch form factor, a SATA 3.0 Gbps interface, TRIM support, and read/write speeds of up to 260/230 MB/s.

The 16 GB , 32 GB and 64 GB SSD500 models are backed by a three-year warranty and cost 164.01 Euro, 314.07 Euro and 596.89 Euro, respectively.

SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced it has developed the world's smallest 128 gigabit (Gb) NAND flash memory chip currently in production. The semiconductor device can store 128 billion individual bits of information on a single silicon die 170 mm2 in size - a little more than a quarter of an inch squared, or smaller than the area covered by a U.S. penny.

The use of NAND flash memory in high tech equipment like smartphones, tablets and solid state drives (SSDs) allows advances in the full function, small form factor devices that are highly valued by consumers. Shrinking the size of NAND flash memory allows smaller, more powerful computing, communications and consumer electronics devices to be built while keeping costs low.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have concluded that solid state drives (SSDs) have a bleak future in the evolution of computing technology. They have discovered that fast flash based storage are facing come pretty glaring technology hurdles during their natural course of evolution, which they don't think it will overcome. To begin with, shrinking (miniaturizing) them, to increase capacity or decrease manufacturing costs, will severely degrade performance beyond a point, 6.5 nm silicon fab process.

The scientists studied 45 different flash chips in various sizes, which showed that scaling of latencies and error-rates are 'tolerable' enough as the technology miniaturizes only till 6.5 nm, or the year 2024, when this fab process will be common, beyond which they question the drives' viability. Beyond this point, the more capacity you squeeze into flash memory chips, the more performance degrade (latency and error-rate scale beyond tolerable scales).