Icy Dock MB981U3-1SA 2.5″/3.5″ USB 3.0 SATA & IDE Hard Drive Docking Station review

Once upon a time, IDE Hard Disk Drives were all the rage, and if you do still have some of these, soon to be, legacy drives then you will be surprised to see a company creating products that allow you to dock an IDE drive, on top of that, this dock also allows you to use SATA drives too.

While this product in itself is not unique, it is certainly a rarity and something we were very interested to take a look at. Most docks that are readily available on the market currently can usually fit 2.5″ or 3.5″ SATA drives only and sometimes only one or the other of these sizes. This Icy Dock creation takes both IDE and SATA drives of both sizes due to a very cleverly designed adapter... full review go to here

Too expensive to buy hard drives due to Thai flood? SSD opportunity coming! ICY DOCK show you how to use a 2.5" hard drive!

Due to Thai flood, 3.5" hard drive prices soar up over 100% in many countries. Just no worry, use your SSD and 2.5" hard drive in a 3.5" bay!!

ICY news: Thai floods boost PC hard drive prices

(Reuters) - Prices for hard drives are jumping as flooding in Thailand creates a shortage of the major component used in personal computers and one big customer is complaining of price gouging.

Drive manufacturers have raised prices by 20 to 40 percent and international electronics distributor Avnet Inc in turn has raised its prices by a similar amount after water poured into factories this month, said Avnet Senior Vice President Chuck Kostalnick.

"The word we're getting is that prices are going to continue to go up," he told Reuters Friday. "This isn't going to be a one-time event."

Flooding in Thailand, the No. 2 exporter of hard drives, has killed at least 377 people since July and devastated industrial areas in the center of the country... completed news to Reuters

Icy Comment: Worldwide Hard drive supply is meeting a critical shortage, prices of hard drive are also incredible high now...It hard to say when hard drive can recover supplying. At this time 2.5" Hdd and SSD may have chance to occupy market right now, but it still depends on users favor...

ICY Game: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review

You've seen bits of Uncharted 3. Giant, processor-stretching moments of scale like Drake being tossed about like frying scampi in a capsizing boat, or our hero clinging to an aeroplane's landing gear as it rushes vertiginously from the ground. You might have even thought that: "Wow, that's vertiginous."

But the game doesn't open with spectacle. It starts in the pub; a dusty, pleasingly authentic boozer playing host to Drake and Sully. There's a deal, suspense, London drizzle, East End heavies - but while it's not the eager-to-please attention grabber you might expect from the biggest blockbuster on PS3, it's packed with fine detail, nuanced performances, and a storytelling confidence that's just as gripping as any showy, cards-on-the-table opener you care to mention.
Of course, as you get a little further, those moments of spectacle show up in force, in greater numbers and with greater impact than in previous games. It makes Uncharted 3 a refined juggling act of emotional smarts and technical muscle, the real trick being able to combine the two rather than having them run in parallel...read more at www.computerandvideogames.com

ICY news: Microsoft issues temporary fix for critical Windows hole

Microsoft issued a temporary fix this evening for a previously unknown critical Windows vulnerability being exploited by the Duqu Trojan to infect systems.
The software giant said in an advisory issued late tonight that a flaw in the Win32k TrueType font-parsing engine affected every version of Windows from XP through Windows 7. The vulnerability is related to the spread of the Duqu malware, a Stuxnet-like Trojan infecting computers via a Word document...read more at CNET

ICY news: Kingston Digital Transforms USB Key Into Active Storage Device

With urDrive, free software to simplify file management

Kingston Digital, Inc. announced urDrive, a free pre-loaded application available on a variety of its DataTraveler USB Flash drives.


urDrive transforms USB drives from passive storage to engaged, active storage, allowing consumers to access and organize their personal files, photos, music, games and videos. A built-in photo viewer and MP3 player makes looking at pictures and listening to music easy.


"USB drives have historically served as digital couriers, transporting data from one device to another. Kingston is taking the lead in transforming the way consumers interact with those devices," said Craig Tilmont, urDrive business manager, Kingston. "urDrive enables consumers of all ages to make the USB Flash drive an interactive experience beyond just storing and transferring data between devices."


urDrive enhances security on the PC with Norton PC Checkup. The diagnostic tool scans for virus infections (including spyware, worms and adware) and checks for slow performance and risks to identity and data. urDrive further enhances the digital experience with the Maxthon 3 Web browser. It boasts startup and rendering speeds, and architecture that gives users a portable, safe browsing experience. All temp files, history and cookies remain on the drive, keeping browsing private particularly on public computers.

"Consumer computing habits have evolved and urDrive brings a new level of sophistication to mobile storage that is fresh, functional and different," said Kevin Chapman, general manager and vice president, Norton Consumer Services. "Integrating Norton PC Checkup with urDrive allows users to interact with content in an engaging way with an additional layer of security and performance analysis added to the experience. We are proud to be a part of this new evolution of active USB storage with Norton PC Checkup offering peace-of-mind to mobile users wherever they go."

"Maxthon 3 offers urDrive customers a truly safe and portable browsing experience," said Karl Mattson, general manager and chief of product, Maxthon International LTD. "Now, with urDrive, your browsing history, bookmarks and settings follow you wherever you go."
urDrive appeals to consumers of all ages, whether they are at work, home or traveling. For example, business professionals can access content at work or home and even extend storage capacity beyond the USB with free, additional online backup. The service syncs files from USB to cloud offering backup and access. For family entertainment, urDrive provides access to the latest casual game titles from EA Games and PopCap Games. Busy moms can rest assured that their kids can safely engage in online activities with the Fooz Kids kid-safe web browsing application. Travelers can view, manage and share their growing photo and video albums on the go, while carrying digital copies of critical documents, like passports.

urDrive is available as a free, pre-loaded application on Kingston's entry-level DataTraveler 101G2, 108 and 109 USB Flash drives, and soon on the DTIG3. These devices offer consumers a choice in design and capacity, from 4GB to 32GB. Source from StorageNewsletter.com