Seagate Technology Holdings plc, a mass-capacity data storage leader, today introduced the Seagate FireCuda Forge drive, representing the first Seagate hard drive powered by the Alkemi intelligent storage platform. With Alkemi, the FireCuda Forge combines solid-state drive (SSD) responsiveness and hard disk drive (HDD) capacity in a single drive, using adaptive intelligence to give gamers and creators the speed and space they need without added complexity.

A new platform for a new reality
From massive game libraries and 4K video to AI-powered animation, people are creating, working with, and keeping more data than ever. IDC projects annual global data generation will more than triple, from 218 zettabytes in 2025 to more than 718 zettabytes by 2030. As digital libraries expand, consumers need fast access to active content and the capacity to preserve growing collections.

AAEON (Stock Code: 6579) today announced the release of the UP Xtreme PTL Edge Air, a Panther Lake-powered Mini PC featuring Frore Systems' AirJet solid-state active cooling technology.

With this innovative thermal management, the Mini PC replaces conventional fan-based cooling with ultrasonic-frequency membrane vibration technology to generate high-speed pulsating airflow to provide high-capacity heat dissipation without the added height that comes with a heatsink.

Sandisk today announced the Sandisk NAS portfolio of high-endurance SSDs purpose-built for modern network-attached storage (NAS) environments. As prosumers and small businesses generate more data and increasingly rely on collaborative, always-on workflows, users are seeking reliable high-speed private cloud deployments utilizing NAS. The new Sandisk NAS 600 SATA SSD and Sandisk NAS 800 NVMe SSD are engineered to deliver the reliable, consistent performance, high-endurance, and scalability required for today's demanding NAS workloads.

Designed for accelerating hybrid and all-flash NAS systems, Sandisk's new NAS SSD portfolio includes two high-endurance and high-performance SSDs engineered for multi-user or demanding creative professional workloads.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (NasdaqGS: SIMO), a global leader in designing and marketing NAND flash controllers for solid-state storage devices, today unveiled its new MonTitan SSD Reference Design Kit (RDK), featuring the company's next-generation patented PerformaShape technology. Designed for Agentic AI infrastructure, the platform enables enterprise SSDs to serve as a persistent memory layer supporting KV cache offload and autonomous AI agents, while delivering predictable QoS, sustained performance, and optimized endurance for dynamic, always-on Agentic AI workloads.

Agentic AI Redefines Enterprise Storage Requirements
Unlike conventional AI applications, AI agents continuously reason, act, retain context, and interact with external tools, generating diverse data types and rapidly changing access patterns. As AI data centers support continuous, multistep inference and increasingly large KV caches, enterprise SSDs must deliver high throughput, consistent latency, predictable QoS, and the endurance required for sustained, write-intensive operations.

Apricorn, the leading global provider of quantum-resistant hardware-encrypted external storage solutions, today announced the availability of the 4TB Aegis Secure Key 3 (ASK3), the highest-capacity hardware-encrypted USB drive of its kind. Built on a mini solid-state drive architecture housed in a USB flash drive form factor, the new ASK3 delivers eight times the storage capacity of comparable hardware-encrypted USB flash drives, giving organizations an unprecedented combination of portability, speed and security.

The new 4 TB model incorporates the same hardware enhancements introduced in the latest generation of the ASK3, including a new bridge controller chip for faster performance, improved data transfer speeds and an environmental protection design that helps safeguard both the device and the data it contains in demanding operating conditions.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (NasdaqGS: SIMO), a global leader in NAND flash controllers for solid-state storage devices, today announced the SM2524XT, a next-generation PCIe Gen 5 DRAMless SSD controller purpose-built for AI inference and KV Cache-intensive workloads. The SM2524XT leverages a new four-processor-core architecture with PCIe Gen 5 x4 and NAND interface speeds up to 4,800 MT/s to achieve sequential read speeds up to 14 GB/s and industry-leading random performance of up to 2.5 million IOPS.

Built on TSMC's advanced 6 nm process technology, the SM2524XT delivers up to 25 percent higher performance per watt compared to the previous generation controller, sustaining peak random I/O throughput even under the most demanding thermal and power constrained conditions. Against the previous generation controller, the SM2524XT improves random performance by up to 25 percent, slashing latency and accelerating response times for the highly fragmented data access patterns that define KV Cache and AI inference workloads.

Apricorn, the leading global provider of quantum-resistant hardware-encrypted external storage solutions, today announced significant enhancements to its Aegis Secure Key 3.0 (ASK3), delivering faster performance and new environmental protection capabilities designed to secure the device and its data despite the most demanding physical circumstances. The ASK3 was updated to meet and exceed the latest National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) for FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation, for which it has formally been submitted. This positions the ASK3 for use by federal agencies, defense contractors, and organizations across healthcare, finance, legal digital forensics, and other regulated industries.

"With our submission of the ASK3 for FIPS 140-3 Level 3 validation, we're reinforcing a design that was built from the start to meet and exceed these requirements," said Jeanclaude Toma, CEO at Apricorn. "We engineer all of our products to deliver consistent, real-world security under the conditions our customers actually face. In the near term we will see FIPS 140-3 validation across our diverse product lines, positioning Apricorn as the only AS9100 certified provider of FIPS-based security offerings."

Solidigm, a pioneer in enterprise data storage, today announced it has exceeded initial investment goals for its Greater Sacramento initiatives, including the company's Rancho Cordova headquarters and surrounding research and development (R&D) campus. Announced in September 2022, Solidigm committed to investing $100 million into regional R&D facilities. Approximately three-and-a-half years into the build out, the company has surpassed this figure and will continue to invest in local talent and technology to help fuel global AI advancements.

In addition to $75 million in local lab investments, Solidigm has introduced close to 100 new NAND tools through the development of more than a $5 million world-class NAND lab and R&D center. "We have the most robust data storage product line for AI data centers," said Greg Matson, SVP, Head of Products and Marketing at Solidigm. "Our industry leading SSDs help our customers achieve the highest levels of efficiency, density, and performance in storage for their AI demands. And all of the innovation for us starts right here in Rancho Cordova."

To overcome the thermal barriers limiting AI performance, Frore Systems today unveiled LiquidJet Nexus, a new integrated liquid cooling system designed for the AI era. As AI compute densities surge, heat is emerging as a primary constraint, elevating what experts are calling the "AI Thermal Stack" - the infrastructure responsible for extracting heat from advanced computing systems and rejecting it into the atmosphere. The AI Thermal Stack is increasingly determining the compute density, system efficiency, and overall performance of AI Data Centers.

LiquidJet Nexus is designed for liquid cooling ½ U compute trays like NVIDIA Kyber, directly cooling GPUs, CPUs, DPUs, NICs, DC-DC power converters, and VRs. It integrates multiple multi-stage 3D short-loop jetchannel liquid cooling LiquidJet coldplates into a unified system. LiquidJet Nexus delivers 75% higher heat transfer efficiency, keeps components 8°C cooler, eliminating hoses, connectors, and manifolds, and reducing thermal stack weight by 65%. This unified system addresses the thermal demands of next-generation AI hardware.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (NasdaqGS: SIMO), a global leader in designing and marketing NAND flash controllers for solid-state storage devices, today announced the launch of the SM8008, a PCIe Gen 5 x4 NVMe enterprise SSD controller purpose-built for data center boot drives and power-sensitive enterprise storage applications.

As hyperscale and enterprise data centers expand server deployments, boot SSDs have become a critical infrastructure component across every system node. The SM8008 addresses this growing demand with a controller architecture optimized for power efficiency, predictable performance, and enterprise-grade security at scale, while supporting the OCP Hyperscale NVMe Boot SSD Specification to meet production-ready enterprise deployment requirements.

Conner Peripherals, once a pioneering force in the evolution of personal computing, was known throughout the 1980s and 1990s as the industry leader and dominant standard in digital storage, particularly for 3.5-inch hard drives. By 1990, Conner Peripherals was the fastest-growing start-up company in the history of US commerce. Conner helped shape the foundation of modern digital storage and set benchmarks for performance, reliability, and compact engineering.

The Conner brand proudly announces its return to the marketplace with a bold new vision, integrated artificial intelligence (AI), and a revitalized product lineup. The rebirth of Conner is blending its legacy of innovation with cutting-edge design to meet the demands of an increasingly mobile, data-driven world. As consumers generate more content and rely on multiple devices, Conner is stepping forward with modern solutions that redefine what portable storage can be, which will be on display at the 2026 CES in Central Hall, Booth #20217.

YPlasma, a pioneer in solid-state thermal management with operations in Newark, NJ and Spain, today announced its participation in CES Las Vegas 2026. Located at Eureka Park, Stand #60845, YPlasma will host the World Premiere of the first-ever application of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma actuators for consumer electronics cooling—a revolutionary solution designed to replace mechanical fans and traditional ionic wind devices.

As electronics become thinner and AI-driven processing demands more power, traditional cooling methods are reaching their physical limits. YPlasma's solid-state technology addresses these challenges by using cold plasma to generate high-velocity "ionic wind" without a single moving part.

Responding to the rapidly growing demand for high-density, low-latency storage in AI servers and data centers, SSSTC has introduced its next-generation enterprise solid-state drive (SSD), the ER4 Series SATA SSD. The new series offers capacities of up to 16 TB, making it one of the few SATA SSDs on the market to deliver such high density. It also features impressive random read/write performance of 98K / 30K IOPS, while the 8 TB model achieves 98K / 55K IOPS—combining large capacity with exceptional performance ideal for AI inference, real-time analytics, and high-concurrency workloads.

The ER4 Series uses a 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s standard interface and supports hot-swapping, enabling direct replacement of traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). This allows businesses to upgrade their storage seamlessly while maintaining existing infrastructure and optimizing cost efficiency. The lineup includes 16 TB (15.36 TB) and 8 TB (7.68 TB) models, both delivering sequential read/write speeds of up to 550 MB/s and 530 MB/s, respectively. Each model also provides 98K random read IOPS, significantly enhancing processing capabilities in high-concurrency environments—particularly beneficial for OLTP workloads, AI inference, cloud platforms, and data analytics requiring low latency.

Kingston Digital, Inc., the flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced it releases its first cable-free solid-state drive for those in need of an affordable and reliable, portable solution for data back-up and transfers.

With the sleek look of a traditional flash drive in a compact, durable metal casing, the Dual Portable SSD can easily transfer files between USB Type-A and USB-C devices such as laptops, desktops, mobile devices and more with USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds up to 1,050 MB/s read and 950 MB/s write. To improve productivity and enhance your workflow, this all-in-one storage and transfer solution boasts capacities up to 2 TB for large files, high-res photos and 4K videos.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation, a global leader in designing and marketing NAND flash controllers for solid-state storage devices, today announced its SM8388, the industry's leading power-efficient 8-channel PCIe Gen 5 enterprise SSD controller, designed for high performance, low power, lower cost, and high-capacity QLC enterprise SSDs—enabling Nearline SSDs. It sets a new benchmark by combining ultra-high performance and QLC NAND support with enterprise-grade security features and exceptional energy efficiency, addressing the growing demand for scalable, high-capacity warm data storage in AI and cloud environments.

"The SM8388 extends our proven MonTitan SSD development platform that was first introduced with our successful high-performance, 16-channel PCIe Gen 5 SM8366 controller," said Alex Chou, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Storage & Display Interface Solution Business at Silicon Motion. "Building on the same robust architecture that has been adopted by leading enterprise SSD makers, the SM8388 is purpose-built for Nearline SSDs that serve AI-driven databases and data-centric infrastructures, combining exceptional throughput with industry-leading power efficiency."

PNY announced the addition of the CS3250 M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 5 x4 SSD to its lineup of solid-state drives. The CS3250 pushes the limits of storage technology with ultra-fast NVMe PCIe Gen 5 x4 performance. With sequential read speeds of up to 14,900 MB/s and write speeds up to 14,000 MB/s, it delivers the speed and responsiveness required for today's most demanding workloads. Designed for AI developers, gamers, content creators, and performance-driven professionals, the CS3250 sets a new benchmark for high-end computing.

Enhanced Computing
Built for the future of computing, the CS3250 harnesses next-gen NVMe PCIe Gen 5 x4 technology to deliver next-level performance, making it the ultimate solution for powering AI image generation, AAA titles, and demanding workloads. Whether you are pushing the limits of creativity or performance, the CS3250 ensures lightning-fast load times, seamless multitasking, and unbeatable responsiveness, empowering professionals and enthusiasts alike - raising the bar for premium storage solutions.

Creative work happens everywhere. It happens on-location, in transit, and often under pressure. Seagate Technology Holdings plc, today announced the LaCie Rugged SSD4, a compact external solid-state drive (SSD) built for creators working beyond the four walls of a studio.

For filmmakers, photographers, and audio professionals who need reliable high-performance data storage, the Rugged SSD4 delivers up to 4000 MB/s read and 3800 MB/s write speeds. The drive's USB 40 Gbps port allows users to quickly transfer files and work directly from the drive across Mac, iPad, PC, and mobile phones.

xMEMS Labs, the leader in solid-state MEMS audio solutions, today announced that its breakthrough Cypress full-range MEMS speaker, together with the Alta-S companion drive ASIC, is now ready for mass production. This milestone represents the industry's first commercially viable full-range solid-state audio solution capable of meeting the demanding Sound Pressure Level (SPL) requirements for noise-cancelling true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds.

With Cypress' silicon diaphragm, monolithic solid-state construction, lightning-fast mechanical response, and flat, near-zero phase response, earbuds can now achieve wider-bandwidth noise suppression, improved passive noise isolation, and unprecedented sound clarity in a package just 46 mm³ and weighing only 98 milligrams.

xMEMS Labs, the leader in solid-state MEMS speakers and micro-scale thermal management, will unveil a next-generation headphone architecture at the company's annual xMEMS Live 2025 seminar series on September 16 in Taipei and September 18 in Shenzhen. This new architecture pairs Sycamore, the world's first MEMS loudspeaker for headphones, with µCooling, the first air pump-on-a-chip, to deliver pristine audio and reduced moisture build-up in a lighter, thinner, and more comfortable headphone experience.

Replacing conventional 40-50 mm dynamic coil drivers, the Sycamore MEMS loudspeaker introduces a solid-state alternative that is 98% smaller by volume (just 85 mm³ vs. ~4,000 mm³ for 50 mm drivers) and weighs only 150 milligrams. Despite its micro-scale size, Sycamore delivers full-range, high-fidelity audio performance while requiring only a 1cc back volume, freeing up space inside the earcup for larger batteries, advanced PCBs, and thinner industrial designs.

Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is thrilled to debut its new next-gen solid-state drive—the NM990 M.2 2280 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD, engineered for High-end gamers, professional creators and AI developers.

Leveraging next-generation PCIe 5.0 technology, the NM990 PCIe 5.0 SSD delivers speeds up to 14,000 MB/s read and 11,000 MB/s write, almost two times faster than typical Gen 4 SSDs. It provides superior performance for serious gamers and professional rendering.

xMEMS Labs, Inc., inventor of the world's first monolithic silicon MEMS air pump, today announced the expansion of its revolutionary µCooling fan-on-a-chip platform into XR smart glasses, providing the industry's first in-frame active cooling solution for AI-powered wearable displays.

As smart glasses rapidly evolve to integrate AI processors, advanced cameras, sensors, and high-resolution AR displays, thermal management has become a major design constraint. Total device power (TDP) is increasing from today's 0.5-1 W levels to 2 W and beyond, driving significant heat into the frame materials that rest directly on the skin. Conventional passive heat sinking struggles to maintain safe and comfortable surface temperatures for devices worn directly on the face for extended periods.

Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a global leader in storage and multimedia solutions, proudly announces the launch of its new SSD475P 2.5" solid-state drive, purpose-built for industrial applications and high-performance environments. Featuring Power Loss Protection (PLP) technology, the SSD475P uses built-in capacitors to continue supplying power during unexpected power outages, ensuring data is properly written and significantly reducing the risk of data loss.

The SSD475P is equipped with a SATA III 6 Gb/s interface and 112-layer 3D NAND flash, offering storage capacities of up to 8 TB, combining high-speed access with exceptional capacity. With sustained read/write speeds of up to 560/530 MB/s and a built-in DRAM cache, the drive enhances random access performance and overall endurance. Thanks to its Direct Write firmware, the SSD475P provides outstanding write stability for prolonged, intensive data workloads. It ensures consistent write speeds without throttling, making it ideal for industrial use cases involving frequent access and high write volumes, such as industrial PCs, embedded systems, and data logging devices.

xMEMS Labs, Inc., the pioneer of monolithic MEMS-based solutions, today announced the expansion of its revolutionary µCooling fan-on-a-chip platform into AI data centers, bringing the industry's first in-module active thermal management solution to high-performance optical transceivers.

Originally developed for compact mobile devices, xMEMS µCooling now provides targeted, hyper-localized active cooling for dense, thermally-challenged environments inside 400G, 800G, and 1.6T optical transceivers—a critical yet underserved category in next-gen AI infrastructure.

According to a fresh Money Today SK news article, Samsung is expected to launch a next-generation Galaxy Ring model later this year—this tiny wearable device is touted to operate with a "dream battery" design. The South Korean giant's Electro-Mechanics division is reportedly tasked with the challenging development of "all-solid-state" batteries for all manner of ultraportable products. Yesterday's report suggests that Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Ring sequel—apparently scheduled for launch within Q4'25—will be driven by the Electro-Mechanics team's pioneering effort. The production of all-solid-state battery units is an expensive endeavor, so industry watchdogs have predicted tough retail conditions for the forthcoming "Galaxy Ring 2" rollout—the original unit was not exactly a "hot property" in terms of sales figures.

Money Today's inside sources reckon that the Electro-Mechanics branch will—eventually—fit all-solid-state battery designs inside new-gen earphones (aka Galaxy Buds) by Q4 2026, and very futuristic smartwatches by the end of 2027. Given cost considerations, larger all-solid-state solutions—potentially for usage in smartphones—are not in the pipeline. Around early February of this year, the development of Samsung's (inevitable) "Galaxy S26" mobile series was linked to alleged 6000+ mAh silicon-carbon battery units. The South Korean's smartphone engineering team is reportedly trying to play catch up with more advanced solutions, as devised by competitors in China. The status of Samsung's proprietary silicon-carbon prototype is the subject of much online debate, but certain insiders believe that employees are still working hard on the perfection of an ideal "battery formula."

Russian and Belarusian semiconductor manufacturers have achieved a significant milestone in domestic chip production capabilities. In collaboration with Belarus-based Planar, the Zelenograd Nanotechnology Center (ZNTC) has developed a new lithography system supporting 350 nm process technology for 8-inch (200 mm) silicon wafers. This development represents a strategic response to Western sanctions severely restricting Russia's access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The system employs solid-state laser technology to project circuit patterns onto photoresist-coated wafers through a photomask that defines the circuitry. After selective exposure, the photoresist undergoes chemical processing to build circuit structures. While the 350 nm node marks a critical capability for domestic semiconductor production, it sits almost three decades behind leading-edge fabrication processes in high-performance computing applications.

This technology is comparable to what powered Intel's Pentium II processors in the late 1990s. Despite this technological gap, the equipment will enable the production of various electronic components suitable for consumer electronics and certain specialized military applications where bleeding-edge performance isn't required. ZNTC has already outlined plans to develop a more advanced 130 nm lithography system by 2026 as part of a government-backed initiative to incrementally enhance domestic semiconductor capabilities. While unable to match the 3-5 nm processes currently deployed by global semiconductor leaders, this lithography system establishes a foundation for domestic chip manufacturing infrastructure, especially in the category of mature nodes. The success of this intermediate solution will likely influence government funding priorities as the country attempts to narrow the technological gap with Western semiconductor capabilities in the coming years.