As part of CES 2018, Western Digital has a handful of announcements today that it says bring new ways for users to consume, capture, and preserve their photo and video content. The announcements include an ultra-small USB 3.1 drive, a new My Passport Wireless SSD, and more…
First off is the SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.1, which the company touts as “the world’s smallest 256GB USB flash drive.” It’s available for $150 from SanDisk.
In addition to the 256GB USB 3.1 drive, Western Digital is also showcasing the “world’s smallest” 1TB USB-C flash drive, currently in prototype form. There’s currently no release information there, though.
Western Digital also today announced the My Passport Wireless SSD, which it says offers a durable, shock-resistant SSD. You can access saved photos and videos wirelessly, making it “the perfect companion for outdoor capture.” The My Passport Wireless starts at $249 for 250GB and ranges to $799 for 2TB.
- Built-in SD card reader with one-touch copy button
- Durable, shock-resistant SSD inside
- All-day battery life (up to 10 hours)
- Wirelessly stream 4K videos and view photos
- Import from USB card readers
- Built-in power bank to charge mobile devices
- RAW file preview support
Meanwhile, the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is another rugged SSD, offering 550MB/s transfer speeds. This drive will be available in capacities of up to 2TB and is IP55 certified:
This rugged portable SSD delivers high-speed transfers of up to 550MB/s, making it a great option for saving and editing hi-res photos and videos. Available in capacities up to 2TB, this drive is built for storing extensive photo shoots, and with the IP55 rating, it can stand up to rain, splashes, spills, and dust while taking your content on-the-go.
Last but not least, Western Digital announced an update to the My Cloud Home app, adding integration with Alexa and Chromecast for sharing and accessing content via voice-activation.
All the details on today’s Western Digital announcements can be found in the press release below:
[9to5-press-release]
Western Digital Unveils New Solutions to Help People Capture, Preserve, Access and Share Their Ever-Growing Collections of Photos and Videos
At CES 2018, Western Digital Showcases Voice-Activated Media Streaming via Smart Home Devices, the World’s Smallest 1TB USB Flash Drive and a New Series of High-Performance Portable SSDs
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8, 2018 – At today’s Consumer Electronics Show 2018 (CES 2018), Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) unveiled new and breakthrough consumer solutions that address today’s personal content explosion, including voice-activated media streaming via popular Smart Home devices, the world’s smallest 1TB USB flash drive and a portfolio of ultra-mobile, high-performance, wireless and high-capacity flash storage products. Sold under the SanDisk® and WD® brands, these offerings ensure that personal experiences and memories can thrive for years to come.
Smartphones, drones, action cameras and virtual reality (VR) goggles are capturing and creating rich content that users want to access and share with friends and followers alike. Innovations in multi-lens cameras, 8K video, 5G wireless, VR, augmented reality (AR) and video streaming are enabling more immersive experiences. As a result, consumers are looking for easier ways to capture, preserve, access and share their personal content as it becomes richer and more robust.
“Our lives are increasingly connected to and enriched by pictures, videos, music and ideas,” said Dinesh Bahal, vice president of product management, Client Solutions, Western Digital. “From the parent filming a school recital on their smartphone to the drone enthusiast or pro photographer, our range of consumer solutions are designed to help everyone preserve, access and share their digital world.”
At CES 2018, Western Digital is showcasing its latest solutions for today’s data-driven consumers, including:
– New voice-activated media streaming features via Smart Home devices. The My CloudTM Home device empowers people to easily capture, preserve and organize all of their content in one central place. In a Smart Home environment, the My Cloud Home device now works with popular devices that support Amazon 8k services so people can access their stored music collection via voice commands. The My Cloud Home app now also works with Google® Chromecast™ technology to allow people to stream their home videos, TV shows and movies on the big screen using Chromecast-enabled Smart TVs.†
– Continuing its legacy of technology milestones, Western Digital offers a preview of the future of flash storage, demonstrating the world’s smallest 1TB* USB device, a powerful USB Type-C flash solution capable of preserving an enormous amount of content in one tiny form factor; and the world’s smallest 256GB* USB flash drive. The new 256GB SanDisk Ultra Fit™ USB 3.1 Flash Drive, a low-profile USB drive for people who want to add more photos, videos, games and audio files to their notebooks, tablets, TVs, gaming consoles and car audio systems. With 256GB, people have the flexibility to keep more content at their fingertips – approximately, 14,000 photos, 10 hours of full HD video and 16,000 songs, with 64GB still available for files.**
– For avid photographers and drone enthusiasts who require durable and high-performance media capture solutions, Western Digital is releasing two portable SSDs. The My Passport Wireless SSD, which features one-touch card copy to enable editing and sharing of content out in the field, as well as a new capability to directly access the device within third-party mobile creative apps, like FiLMiC Pro and LumaFusion. While the new, superfast SanDisk Extreme® Portable SSD is perfect for saving and editing hi-res photos and videos on-the-go.
Enabling the possibilities of data, Western Digital offers the industry’s broadest portfolio of products and solutions to help people capture, preserve, access and transform their personal content. For more information, visit our websites: WD and SanDisk.
About Western Digital
Western Digital creates environments for data to thrive. The company is driving the innovation needed to help customers capture, preserve, access and transform an ever-increasing diversity of data. Everywhere data lives, from advanced data centers to mobile sensors to personal devices, our industry-leading solutions deliver the possibilities of data.
Western Digital® data-centric solutions are marketed under the G-Technology™, HGST, SanDisk®, Tegile™, Upthere™ and WD® brands.
†Smart Home app and account registration may be required. Smart Home device compatibility may be changed, terminated or interrupted at any time and may vary by country.
[/9to5-press-release]
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