Archive for October, 2016

Express Yourself With This External Hard Drive

Cyrus October 26, 2016 USB News & Press Releases

For anyone who wants both security and style in a portable drive, Western Digital’s My Passport line continues to be one of the more practical options on the market. WD recently refreshed the design and feature set, and the result is a portable drive that feels less like a generic black brick and more like a polished, everyday tool you’d actually want to carry.

Western Digital My Passport portable hard drive

The drive is available in a range of colors and finishes, which sounds cosmetic on the surface, but it reflects a broader shift in how external storage is positioned: not just as backup hardware, but as part of a daily workflow. The enclosure is compact, bus-powered (no external power brick), and easy to throw into a laptop bag without thinking twice.

Functionally, WD has doubled down on the features that actually matter. Automatic backup can be scheduled using WD Backup software, which means files are copied quietly in the background instead of relying on you to remember to drag folders over once in a while. The drive also supports password protection and built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption through WD Security, which gives you a layer of protection that doesn’t depend on third-party software.

A Trans-Pacific Internet Cable From Google

Cyrus October 14, 2016 USB News & Press Releases

Ever wonder how data from a server in Beijing can reach a computer in San Diego? As deceptively simple as it sounds, that data goes through a cable. Cables spanning various distances, numerous speeds, and controlled by an incredible variety of owners, run through the ocean to connect these different sides of the world. Google, in a partnership with Facebook and China Soft Power Technology, is looking to take the next leap in the quality and speed of these vital methods of data transfer. That leap comes in the form of a few 8,000 mile cables, and it’s called the Pacific Light Cable Network.

The Pacific Light Cable Network, or the PLCN, will transmit 120 terabits of data per second between Los Angeles and Hong Kong and is expected to be functional by 2018. According to Google’s submarine networking infrastructure director, this will decrease latency in certain cases and will provide a much faster and more reliable experience when communicating between the two regions.

The Audio Jack Could Be Gone For Good

Cyrus October 3, 2016 USB Hardware & Gadgets, USB Security & Compliance

To the confusion and frustration of many iPhone 7 users, the lack of an audio jack is being seen as a step forward rather than back. With the advent of USB Type-C, audio will no longer require a 3.5mm headphone port. Instead, that data can be transmitted, along with videos and power, through Type-C.

The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) recently announced its awaited audio specifications for USB Type-C to end the reign of our beloved headphone jack so lets take a look at the new standard. Officially called the USB Audio Device Class 3.0, manufacturers that need to feed sound through USB Type-C ports are affected the most by it. Everything from PCs to phones is included and the USB-IF expects Type-C to be the “primary solution for all digital audio aplications, including headsets, mobile devices, docking stations, gaming set-ups, and VR solutions.”