I first saw Microboards Technology’s MX-2 running at NAB 2008. Three of its features really stuck in my mind: The first feature was the homegrown Microboards software, which replaced the badly aging Prassi control programs found on previous Microboards units. Second, the new HP print engine now featured both faster printing and separate ink cartridges. The third feature was the Blu-ray Disc option. Though it took nearly a year to get the MX-2 in my hands for testing (and I didn’t get a Blu-ray Disc version), it was well worth the wait. The MX-2 proved to be a reliable, fast performer with excellent print quality.

The unit arrived in a heavy, 38" x 24" x 15" box containing the printer/duplicator and the cross-platform software bundle. Windows users get the aforementioned Microboards control software, called PrintWrite, plus the label designer, SureThing CD Labeler. On the Mac side, you get Charismac Discribe, which is functional though more bare-bones, and no label creation software. Discribe does run on older, PowerPC-based Macs, which is nice. But Microboards still doesn’t offera networking option for either platform, which is long overdue for this class of device.

The MX-2 I reviewed came with two Sony/NEC Optiarc AD-5200A disc drives, which featured 20X single-layer DVD±R and 12X DVD±R DL write speed. This unit lists for $2,995; a single-drive system, the MX-1,retails for $2,795. Note that you can buy either the single- or the double-drive configuration with a Blu-ray burner for $500 extra per Blu-ray drive. I was hoping to test a Blu-ray-capable device, but you test what they send you—in this case, it was DVD only.

In order to get a read on real-world performance for the AD-5100Adrive—before my own real-world testing on a dance-school video project kicked in—I trolled some online purchase sites for user reviews. At Amazon.com U.K., I found binary results: one five-star review("brilliant drive") and one one-star review ("noisiest drive ever").The results were more informative at ebuyer.com, where the drive collected five five-star reviews, with the oldest dating from April2008. This tends to confirm that the drive lives up to its expectations, and when I used it, the unit wasn’t particularly noisy,eliminating that concern.

New Print Engine
One of the key features of the MX line of printer/recorders I mentioned is a new print engine from HP that offers separate cyan, magenta,yellow, and black cartridges and 4800dpi printing. Most printer/recorders use consolidated color cartridges that you have to change when any single color runs out, which is frustrating when you have plenty of ink remaining in the other colors. According to Microboards’ press materials, one set of ink cartridges should be able to produce between 850 and 1,500 discs, depending, of course, upon your label designs.

At about $50 per cartridge, this put the cost per disc between about 13cents and 22 cents per disc, which is in line with the CX-1 and other similar products. While Microboards uses a standard HP print engine and the cartridges have the HP logo molded into them, the Microboards representative told me that the ink is custom mixed for optical disc labels and that standard HP replacement cartridges would not work in the MX-2.

Note that in addition to the cartridges, you may also have to purchase replacement print heads, of which there are two: one for black/yellow and the other for cyan/magenta. Each print head costs about $70, and Microboards rates them for 20,000 prints each. If you print about 500 discs per month, which is the unit’s rated capacity, you should have to replace the print heads after about 40 months. Just to be clear, the unit ships with the four cartridges and the two required print heads,so you shouldn’t have to buy any consumables for a while.

Microboards claims that, in addition to conserving ink, the new print engine is faster than the CX-1, which my tests confirmed. Specifically, the CX-1 printed a full-color disc in 107 seconds, while the MX-2 printed a similar label in 70 seconds. For many DVD jobs, of course,print speed is largely irrelevant. That is, if recording the disc takes 8 or 9 minutes, even in a two-drive system—so long as the printer gets the job done in 2 or 3 minutes—printing should never cause a bottleneck. Of course, if you’re printing CDs, which are much lower-capacity and, thus, burn faster, print speed could become really critical to overall throughput, and the MX-2 should really shine.

In addition, for high-volume, fast turnaround DVD reproduction, which might pair the MX-2 with one of Microboards’ 10-drive tower duplicators, print speed is critical. I tested print speed for a10-disc job with simple text labels, which took 8:50 (min:sec), less than a minute per disc. Most of this was disc-transport time—getting the disc to and from the print head—with only a few moments for the actual printing. This makes the MX-2 fast enough for most print-only jobs. This may be the reason Microboards offers a print-only version of the MX-2 called the PF-Pro DVD/CD Disc Auto Printer for about $2,600.

With this as background, let’s take a deeper look at the recording hardware and software.

The MX-2 is very similar to the CX-1 in shape and size, with a "don’t lift this yourself" weight of 42 lbs. and a bulky 22" x 22" size. Though similar in appearance, the unit is more modular than the CX-1, according to the Microboards rep, and is built with a focus on easy field maintenance. This is important since users dislike shipping back the unit for simple repairs. As an example, you can open the top cover to access moving parts by removing a few Phillips-head screws. There’s also a side port that provides easy access to the disc drives, which are usually the first components to go. Rather than having to dig into the heart of the beast to access the ink cartridges, you can now replace them in a front panel, which is much less intimidating.

As with the CX-1, the output bin hangs off the front of the unit, so you’ll need to install the MX-2 on the front edge of a desk or table. Make sure it is a very solid table, as the print head action is very powerful; it noticeably shook the folding table that I performed most of my tests on. Fortunately, you can quickly unscrew the output bin when not in use for easier storage.

The MX-2 uses the same gravity-feed input bin as the CX-1. It’s positioned on the top toward the back of the unit, where it’s out of the way; however, blank discs are uncovered and exposed to dust and other office detritus, which can mar printing, at least for the top disc. The unit has a 100-disc capacity. A small robotic arm pulls the discs from the input stack and feeds them to the recorders. Then, a conveyor belt carries the discs from the drives in the back to the printer in front.

Inserting blanks in the input bin can be a bit awkward. The first four or five discs go in flat, with the rest stacked up against one of the screwed-in support rods. However, the entire workflow proved very solid. During my 4 weeks with the unit, I produced several hundred discs without a jam or other error that stopped production. If either of the disc drives failed to complete recording a disc, the MX-2 simply dropped it out into the reject tray in the back of the unit and kept on chugging.

PrintWrite Software
In terms of software, I found PrintWrite a welcome change from the dated Prassi software that shipped with the CX-1. As with the Prassi software, you can perform the standard range of job types, including copying a disc; creating audio, video, and data discs; and creating or burning a disc image. You can also batch-record and print a series of jobs by adding multiple masters, entering the desired number of blanks,and inputting the desired label by job number.

The software workflow is driven by tabs atop the interface, which walk you through selecting a job type and choosing your input, label, quantity, and other job parameters. There is also a tab for monitoring your progress. Overall, the software worked well, but it did have a slightly "version 1.0" feel, particularly with printing the inner diameter of the disc.

To explain, when you create your labels in SureThing, you specify the inner diameter of the disc print area, which is 22mm for the Verbatim media that I always use. However, when you insert your label into PrintWrite, you again have to specify the inner diameter in the software. You can’t set a default inner-ring value in PrintWrite, and the value resets back to 36mm for each new project. So if you use hub-printable media like I do and forget to reset the target inner diameter each and every time you create a project, you’ll end up with the white halo of unprinted space around the inner ring. This is frustrating, and it could have been easily avoided by letting users set their own preference.

In addition, if you’re a pro who likes to twiddle with recording speeds and other low-level controls, you’ll quickly notice that these controls aren’t available. For example, before starting my recording trials, I wanted to make sure that the recorders were set to the fastest recording speeds. I couldn’t find the print-speed control. When I asked Microboards about this, the rep responded that the software deliberately lacked these controls because it was targeted toward nontechnical users. Given how the typical user of such a device has changed from a techie to an admin, this probably makes sense. But if you fall into the former class, you’ll miss the details.

Other than that, however, the software proved to be very reliable,which was impressive for a 1.0 version. In addition, even without my input, the unit performed very well, printing and recording 10 4.4GB video DVDs in 57:53, compared to 74 minutes for the single-drive CX-1.However, these results were slightly slower than the 55:03 time recorded by the dual-drive MF Digital Scribe PC 9602. To be fair,though, that unit comes with its own embedded computer, and it cost $2,000 more when I tested it in March 2007.

As I mentioned, Microboards still ships the SureThing CD Labeler program for label creation.  It’s a solid choice with lots of templates and background content. As with most label design programs, SureThing makes it easy to input background images into the menu design, which you can supplement with customizable text. I especially like the standard icons for disc type, operating system and the like, which are available in both black and white—although I couldn’t find a Blu-ray logo, which would have been timely.

Though more a function of the print engine than the label design software, the MX-2’s print quality was simply fabulous, with vibrant color and sharp detail and easily the best I’ve ever seen on a printer/duplicator. Overall, in terms of reliability, performance, and output quality, the MX-2 proved to be an exceptionally solid product offering from one of the most experienced and established companies in the business.

Jan Ozer (jan at doceo.com) is a contributing editor to EMedialive.com, EventDV, and Streaming Media.

Philips and OM&T B.V. have agreed to transfer the supply of the Philips CD and DVD calibration- and test discs to OM&T B.V. from March 1st, 2009. OM&T B.V., a Dutch subsidiary of Moser Baer India Ltd, will combine the supply of the Philips CD and DVD test discs alongside its own test discs offering a comprehensive range of specialized test- and calibration discs, to serve a large number of customers in the optical disc field.

Moreover, OM&T B.V. will act as a sales agent for the Philips Blu-ray Disc test discs which will continue to be sold under the Philips brand. The Blu-ray Disc test discs will be supplied to the market in accordance with the Philips supply conditions for BD test discs.

Full details will be made available soon on the OM&T website: http://www.om-t.net.

Eztoo Software Inc has announced Eztoo DVD To MPEG Converter for MAC v1.10.03. As one of the best powerful Mac DVD To MPEG, Eztoo DVD To MPEG Converter for Mac has excellent output quality and rich video settings. Rip DVD to sorts of video files on Mac OS NOW! Eztoo DVD To MPEG for Mac can help you rip DVD to MPEG for Mac. Eztoo DVD To MPEG for Mac is specially designed for Mac OS users to rip DVD to MPEG with powerful functions.

Super DVD ripper software is an easy to use DVD copying and ripping software which can copy DVD to MPEG1 MPEG2 files.

Pricing and Availability
Eztoo DVD To MPEG Converter for MAC v1.10.03 runs under Mac OS 9,Mac OS X,Mac OS X 10.1,Mac OS X 10.2,Mac OS X 10.3,Mac OS X 10.4,Mac OS X 10.5 and costs $24.95 (US). Licensed users are entitled to the fully-functional copy of the software.

Further information on the product, as well as its free evaluation copy is available from http://www.eztoosoft.com/dvd-to-mpeg-converter-for-mac.html. Eztoo DVD To MPEG Converter for MAC v1.10.03 can be ordered directly from https://www.regnow.com/softsell/nph-softsell.cgi?item=17561-69. The program comes with an installer and uninstaller for easy usage.

IEEE (http://www.ieee.org/portal/site) the world's largest technical professional society, announced today that it will be granting its prestigious IEEE Milestone Award to Royal Philips Electronics (www.philips.com) for its contribution to the development of the Compact Disc (CD) on March 6th 2009. The award coincides with the 30th anniversary of the historic demonstration of the first CD prototype codenamed "Pinkeltje" on 8 March 1979.

Despite the recession of the early 1980s, Philips and Sony invested and planned for the successful commercial introduction of the Compact Disc in 1982. The CD was the first ever digital mass consumer product to find its way into almost every consumer's home. Since its introduction in 1982, over 3.5 billion audio CD players, 3 billion CD-ROM drives and an astonishing 240 billion CD discs have been sold.

"The compact disc was a revolutionary new concept that fulfilled a great consumer demand for a robust, high quality compact audio medium," says John Vig, 2009 IEEE President and Chief Executive Officer. "By leveraging research advances in optics, mechatronics, microelectronics, digital signal processing and error control coding, a unique platform was created that has really changed the audio as well as the computing world."

"By building a strong IP position in optics and signal processing, Philips has contributed to a high point in convenience, comfort and quality in the consumers' audio & video experience, and to the related global +.business success in optical storage (CD, DVD and Blu-ray). This also led to spin-offs in semiconductor's lithography and future generation biomedical sensors," says Rick Harwig, Chief Technology Officer of Philips Electronics. "The Compact Disc demonstrated clearly that continued long-term investments in breakthrough innovation during an economic downturn can not only contribute significantly to the company's success, but even have the power to revitalize a complete industry in decline."

The Milestone award is an initiative of the IEEE History Center. Since the program was established in 1983, the IEEE has only awarded 83 milestone awards, including companies like IBM (magnetic disk memory), Hydro-Québec (735 kV transmission technology), JVC (VHS video) and now Philips with the commemoration of Compact Disc.

Fantom Drives, by MicroNet an innovator in storage solutions for the consumer and prosumer markets, today introduced the DataDock II™, a high-speed, low-cost portable dual drive hardware RAID storage solution that is ideal for creative professionals and super-users who want hassle-free RAID storage they can use anywhere. The DataDock II blends best-in-class capacity and performance while providing four interface options and two hot-swappable 3.5-inch SATA II removable hard drives available in 1TB, 2TB and 3TB configurations.

Designed to meet the ever-increasing storage needs of professionals, including digital photographers, audio/video editors and graphic designers, the DataDock II combines a unique blend of functionality and ease-of-use for both primary and secondary data. Unlike single-drive backup solutions, this solution adds data protection/security and the flexibility to choose redundancy with RAID 1 or the performance of RAID 0. DataDock II’s RAID 1 (mirroring) simultaneously writes data to two independent hard drives – giving users immediate data recovery when needed. If a drive fails, users can continue to access their data while the failed drive is replaced. Data Dock II’s RAID 0 (striping) allows users to write data across both drives for increased performance.

The DataDock II utilizes Oxford Semiconductor’s OXUF9360DSB chip to provide four interface options (eSATA, FireWire 400, FireWire 800, and USB 2.0), and data transfer rates of up to 300MB/s using eSATA.

A durable aluminum enclosure with a low noise DC fan makes this little unit (9.75 inches long by 5 inches wide by 2.5 inches high) quiet and cool. DataDock II is compatible with Apple Time Machine, and comes with NTI Shadow backup software.

MicroNet/Fantom Drives offers optional DataDock II hot-swappable spare drive modules that come with a protective carrying case to keep the module free of dust and moisture.

"The DataDock II is a perfect fit for creative professionals who are looking for outstanding data storage functionality at a very affordable price," said Terry Paoli, Marketing Communications Manager, MicroNet/Fantom Drives. "This product meets those demands with superior performance, secure data protection, high capacity storage and tremendous ease-of-use at an unbeatable price."

The DataDock II is available now through authorized Ingram Micro VARs and selected e-tailers. The product comes in 1TB, 2TB and 3TB configurations, with MSRP starting at $299.00.

About MicroNet Technology and Fantom Drives
For 20 years, Torrance, California-based MicroNet and Fantom Drives have manufactured a full range of storage solutions that customers can rely on. >From the affordable G-Force line of desktop products to high-performance RAID and NAS solutions. MicroNet and Fantom Drives continue to lead the industry in reliability, quality, performance and value. Their award-winning storage solutions include G-Force External Hard Drives, RAIDBank4 and Platinum RAID desktop Disk Arrays, Genesis V rackmount RAID, PlatinumNAS and MaxNAS Network Attached Storage (NAS), Optical Drives and a complete range of accessories. For product and reseller information, contact MicroNet and Fantom Drives, at phone: 310-320-7272, fax: 310-328-0202, or on the World Wide Web at www.micronet.com or www.fantomdrives.com.

Macrovision Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ:MVSN) today announced that the newest version of its LASSO media recognition solution has expanded access to deeper entertainment data and more types of data worldwide. LASSO now includes a larger global database supported by both editorial and user-submitted data that can be localized to regional specifics in stand-alone devices. This expanded offering provides consumer electronic (CE) manufacturers with the ability to create devices with richer experiences for consumers by allowing them to further explore and experience entertainment media that is most relevant to them.

The new version of LASSO uses global data from user submissions compiled against Macrovision’s current AMG editorial database of more than 1.5 million pop and classical music albums, 13 million tracks, and 400,000 movie titles. CE manufacturers can then take this database and localize it in stand-alone devices based upon media recognition requests and local user data submissions made in the respective geographic areas. By offering a localized dataset, LASSO can specifically address user preferences and provide a more robust and enjoyable entertainment experience to consumers as they interact with their media.

"The consumer experience is centered on being able to simply store and replay their content at the highest quality without a lot of fuss," said David Reynaga, Head of Future Products at Imerge, one of the premier manufacturers and developers of movie and music focused entertainment servers. "LASSO offers our customers an easy way to interact with content, find what they are looking for and discover new content."

In addition, Internet connected LASSO-powered devices now will have embedded linking capability that allows users to easily navigate between artist biographies and album reviews. LASSO also includes the ability to recognize Blu-ray discs and allows consumers to submit DVD information.

"Extensive media recognition capability in devices such as MP3 players, mobile devices, home CD and DVD players, and automotive entertainment systems is an essential element that makes the device fantastic for a user," said Corey Ferengul, EVP of Product Management and Marketing at Macrovision. "LASSO provides an easy-to-implement solution that further customizes the device to local preferences and allows users to go deeper and experience their media at the next level."

LASSO includes a software development kit and access to Macrovision’s full AMG entertainment database, and can be implemented in both a networked or stand-alone device. It is now available worldwide.

About Macrovision Solutions Corporation
Macrovision Solutions Corporation is focused on providing a uniquely simple digital home entertainment experience by delivering solutions to businesses to protect, enhance and distribute digital goods to consumers across multiple channels. Macrovision's technologies are deployed by companies in the entertainment, consumer electronics, cable and satellite, and online distribution markets to solve industry-specific challenges and bring greater value and a more robust user experience to their customers. The result of deploying Macrovision's solutions is a simple end user experience for discovering, managing and enjoying digital content. Today, Macrovision provides connected middleware, media recognition, interactive programming guides, copy protection and rich media, data and metadata on music, games, movies and television programming. The company also operates an entertainment portal which can be found at http://www.allmusic.com. Macrovision holds approximately 4,000 issued or pending patents and patent applications worldwide.

Macrovision is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with numerous offices across the United States and around the world including Japan, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. More information about Macrovision can be found at www.macrovision.com.

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES (SINGULUS) has developed a new production system including process technology for the manufacture of recordable Blu-ray Discs (BD-R). SINGULUS already became world market leader for production systems in 2008, when it launched the BLULINE II. SINGULUS has already delivered the first development system for BD-R. For this new development, it is now able to build on its exchange of expertise with its long-term cooperation partner Info Source Multimedia Ltd (ISMM). Since the beginning of 2008, the new BD-R production system is in use at ISMM and they are the first supplier of recordable Blu-ray Discs in China.

The new system is aimed at the segment of the forthcoming recordable Blu-ray Discs (BD-R). The BD-R will be needed for the recording of high-definition films that are already being broadcast by television stations in the USA and will become increasingly commonplace throughout Europe. The Blu-ray format has definitively become established as the new standard in the film and television market. High-definition television or HDTV (HD ready and full HD), in combination with the video format Blu-ray, is the new technology of the media sector.

According to a study by the research organization FutureSource, production of recordable Blu-ray Discs is expected to reach approx. 1 billion by 2012. Stefan A. Baustert, CEO of SINGULUS, remarked: "We are absolutely convinced that the new production system for recordable Blu-ray Discs will likewise be able to capture a successful market position. SINGULUS is well positioned to benefit from future business."

Background/brief profile of SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES
In 2008 SINGULUS unveiled its new BLULINE II system for the production of 50 Gigabyte dual layer Blu-Ray Discs and already supplied a total of 55 systems for Blu-ray production lines.

SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES AG will be concentrating on the Optical Disc and Solar segments in future. In the Optical Disc segment, the spotlight is on consolidating the worldwide market lead for Blu-ray production systems and rapidly bringing the new inline mastering system for Blu-ray to market.

With STANGL continuing to enjoy strong growth, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES has moved to develop the Solar segment swiftly. SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES' new solar coating machine SINGULAR has initially presented in September 2008 and will be marketed in 2009. The new system exploits the expertise acquired by the core area of Optical Disc.

www.singulus.nl

Organized crime increasingly is involved in the piracy of feature films, with syndicates active along the entire supply chain from manufacture to street sales of pirated movies, according to a new RAND Corporation report. While crime syndicates have added piracy to criminal portfolios that include drugs, money laundering, extortion and human smuggling, the profits from film piracy also have been used on occasion to support the activities of terrorist groups, according to researchers.

"Given the enormous profit margins, it's no surprise that organized crime has moved into film piracy," said Greg Treverton, the report's lead author and director of the Center for Global Risk and Security at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "The profits are high and penalties for being caught are relatively low."

RAND researchers found no evidence terrorists are widely involved with film piracy, but they outline three cases where film piracy supported terror groups and warn that such connections could grow in the future.

"If you buy pirated DVDs, there is a good chance that at least part of the money will go to organized crime and those proceeds fund more-dangerous criminal activities, possibly terrorism," Treverton said.

Much film piracy involves making copies to share with friends or individuals swapping copies on the Internet, activities that usually do not generate any payment. The RAND report, supported by a grant from the Motion Picture Association, was intended to examine to what extent criminal and terrorist groups are engaging in counterfeiting, using film piracy as an example.

RAND researchers detail 14 case studies of film piracy, providing compelling evidence of a broad, geographically dispersed and continuing connection between piracy and organized crime. As well as documenting cases in North America and Europe, the report outlines the involvement of organized crime with film piracy in South America, Russia and many parts of Asia.

The report draws on a global pool of research that produced case studies to explore the extent of the connections among organized crime, terrorism and counterfeiting. The research is based upon 2,000 pages of documents and interviews with more than 120 law enforcement and intelligence agents from more than 20 countries.

Because of its image as a victimless crime and the fact that those who buy are complicit in the crime, information about counterfeiting is sparse and information about the involvement of organized crime sparser still, Treverton said. Because most instances of counterfeiting go unaddressed, there is reason to believe that the more formal data, like arrests and convictions, understate the extent of counterfeiting.

The RAND report outlines three cases where film piracy has helped support terrorist groups:

* Historically the best documented case involves the Irish Republican Army that used many criminal activities, including film piracy, to support its efforts to drive the British from Northern Ireland. A political agreement in 1998 ended its violent acts, but at least parts of the IRA continue to operate as a criminal enterprise that remains involved in counterfeiting activities.
* The D-Company is an organized crime group active for generations in India. Since the 1980s, it has been the major syndicate involved with film piracy in India. The group was transformed into a terrorist organization when it carried out the "Black Friday" bombings in Mumbai in 1993 that killed more than 257 people and injured hundreds more. It continues to advance a political agenda with its actions funded at least partly by the proceeds of crime.
* Another case involves the tri-border area of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay that has emerged as the most important financing center for Islamic terrorism outside of the Middle East, channeling $20 million annually to Hezbollah. At least one transfer of $3.5 million was made to Hezbollah by known DVD pirate Assad Ahmad Barakat, who received a thank-you note from the Hez­bollah leader. Barakat was labeled a "specially designated global ter­rorist" by the U.S. government in 2004.

Researchers say that the losses from film piracy have grown as the expansion of digital technology makes it easier to create high-quality counterfeit copies of movies.

Film piracy can be even more profitable than drug trafficking or other enterprises commonly linked to organized crime. In one example cited in the report, a pirated DVD made in Malaysia for 70 cents was marked up more than 1,000 percent and sold on the street in London for about $9. The profit margin was more than three times higher than the markup for Iranian heroin and higher than the profit for Columbian cocaine, according to the report.

Worldwide, the criminal penalties for counterfeiting are relatively light and prosecution is sparse, researchers say. In France, for example, selling counterfeit products is punishable by a two-year prison term and a $190,000 fine, while selling drugs is punishable by a 10-year prison term and a $9.5 million fine. Meanwhile, just 134 people were sentenced in U.S. federal courts for intellectual property crimes during 2002, contrasted to more than 1.5 million arrests for drug offenses nationally in 2003.

The RAND report says that counterfeiting levels are not likely to decline unless governments worldwide commit more resources and create greater accountability for intellectual property protections. Such a commitment would need to produce stronger anti-counterfeiting laws, consistent enforcement against pirating and stronger penalties, including larger fines and prison sentences.

Other potential solutions include customs and immigration efforts to stop counterfeit goods at national borders, and help from the financial community in spotting piracy syndicates' money-laundering tactics.

The study, "Film Piracy: Organized Crime and Terrorism," is available at www.rand.org. Other authors of the study are Carl Matthies, Karla Cunningham, Jeremiah Goulka, Greg Ridgeway and Anny Wong.

The study was conducted by the RAND Center for Global Risk and Security, and the RAND Safety and Justice Program.

About the RAND Corporation
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world.

www.rand.org

WD® (NYSE: WDC), the world's leader in external storage solutions, today announced that WD ShareSpace™ network storage systems now offer 8 TB (terabytes) of capacity, up to 30 percent faster transfer speeds, and DLNA(1) media streaming capabilities. Combined with its ease-of-use and small footprint, WD ShareSpace is now a more compelling solution for small offices and digital media enthusiasts who want to store, protect and share massive amounts of content.

Responding to small-business customers' needs for increased shared storage, WD incorporated its industry-first 2 terabyte WD Caviar® Green™ drive into WD ShareSpace's flexible four-bay design, creating a massive 8 TBs of storage in a small footprint.

The included WD Anywhere Backup software provides automatic and continuous protection for the valuable data from every PC and Mac on the network.

To speed up both backup and storage, WD improved WD ShareSpace's read and write speeds up to 30 percent for large media files. Current WD ShareSpace owners may download the new firmware update to experience these performance improvements.

Twenty-six percent of broadband households worldwide find it very appealing to be able to play PC-stored content on their TV, and the majority of consumers buying network storage cite as important the ability to serve content to other devices (58 percent), according to a recent Parks Associates studies (Aug. 2008).

To meet the needs of digital media enthusiasts, WD added a DLNA Certified media server to the WD ShareSpace system, making it easy to stream music, photos and videos to popular DLNA-Certified devices including Windows® Vista® PCs, Playstation®3, and Xbox 360®. The previously included iTunes® Music Server lets anyone on the network stream the music collection on WD ShareSpace to any PC or Mac running iTunes.

"With its huge capacity and small footprint, WD ShareSpace has become a popular choice among small business owners. By doubling capacity and increasing transfer speeds, the new 8 TB WD ShareSpace offers more value to small business users," said Jim Welsh, senior vice president and general manager of WD's branded products and consumer electronics groups. "Digital media enthusiasts, on the other hand, will really appreciate the new streaming support which lets them easily stream to PCs, Macs and game consoles. With the new WD ShareSpace, we have made important improvements for all our customers."

Price and Availability
The new 8 TB capacity will be available this week at WD's online store (www.shopwd.com). WD ShareSpace network storage systems also are offered in capacities of 2 TB and 4 TB. MSRP for the WD ShareSpace storage system with 8 TB is $1,699.99 USD.

Features
The new high-speed network storage systems feature:

• A small-footprint, 4-bay storage system that takes up very little space and provides plenty of storage to go around;
• GigE connectivity with data transfer rates up to one gigabit per second when used in a GigE network;
• RAID 0/1/5 capabilities for data protection and speed;
• E-mail alert system that monitors drive and system health and sends you an e-mail if a problem is detected;
• UPnP/DLNA 1.5 Certified Media Server;
• iTunes server for centralized shared music;
• Microsoft Active Directory® directory service support;
• Plug a USB drive into the front-mounted USB 2.0 port and push a button to transfer automatically all the data on the drive to the WD ShareSpace system;
• Automatic and continuous(2) network backup software including licenses to back up 3 computers;
• WD's unique MioNet remote Web access service (for PC and Mac) that lets users access the drive from anywhere;
• Download manager that supports scheduled downloads through FTP and HTTP;
• Windows Vista® operating system ready;
• Built-in FTP server;
• 3 USB 2.0 ports;
• Equipped with WD drives using WD GreenPower technology, this system, with its efficient cooling architecture and power saving mode, consumes up to 33 percent less power(3) and is reliably cool and quiet; and,
• 3-year limited warranty.

www.westerndigital.com