Seagate has shipped the new Barracuda XT hard drive with 2TB of storage capacity, 64MB cache, spindle speed of 7200RPM and its most notable feature of SATA 3.0 - or put another way - up to 6Gb/s transfer rate. Of course, in order to benefit from the SATA interface in the drive, you will need a compatible motherboard, such as an Intel P55-equipped motherboard.
The drive is, of course, backward compatible with older revisions of the SATA interface, meaning you can buy one and avoid paying for the latest motherboards, like those shown off recently at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, until you are ready. The 2GB capacity is also an attractive feature, but Seagate was beaten to that goal by Western Digital.
Nevertheless, it is the second Seagate 2TB drive, with the Barracuda LP announced in April (with spindle speed of just 5900RPM for low power consumption). Seagate expects the new drives to be used in high performance servers or high end gaming rigs for the near future. However, it’s $299 price tag might ruin its appeal for the moment.
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Ocean Blue Software, based in the UK and Hong Kong, has developed “talking” digital TV technology in conjunction with The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The technology is developed for set top boxes and televisions, and the developers say millions of people worldwide could gain from an improved experience of TV.
On-screen text such as TV programme guides, digital displays and menus will be brought to life with the power of speech because of the new technology. It is hoped it will be adapted across the consumer technology market, offering real benefits to millions of people with sight problems and different forms of impairment around the world.
The technology is now an IABM Design Awards Candidate for 2009. “We are absolutely thrilled to have been shortlisted for the prestigious award,” commented Ocean Blue Software CEO Ken Helps. “Ocean Blue constantly strives to develop innovative solutions for the digital TV industry, so we are very pleased with the nomination and look forward to the awards ceremony next month at IBC Amsterdam.”
It is compatible with consumer products, such as televisions, that have screen-based menu systems and converts on-screen text into speech output. “We are really excited by this development as it has the potential to significantly improve the lives of nearly 8 million people in the UK alone. These include the blind, visually impaired, deaf, severely dyslexic and the elderly, who can all benefit from this advance in technology,” said Steve Tyler, the RNIB’s Head of Innovation and Disability Access Services.
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Universal Music Group has announced a new deal with TuneCore, the digital music distribution company.
The agreement, says Jeff Price, founder and CEO of TuneCore, will allow the distribution company to host music for UMG’s labels and artists.
The press release adds that “as an artist’s career grows, they may benefit from having a number of artist-discovery, marketing and upstreaming opportunities within the UMG system.
“Our agreement with TuneCore highlights UMGD’s commitment to a strong sales philosophy and long-term artist development,” notes a UMG spokesperson. “UMGD is uniquely positioned to provide the most flexible and comprehensive digital and physical distribution, sales and marketing services in the industry, all of which results in more profitable opportunities for both our labels and our artists.”
“Honestly, Universal is one of the most forward thinking record labels on the planet,” added Price. “With this deal UMGD has truly changed the rules and the major label model by providing true choice for a musician. If an artist is doing well, there is a direct line through which UMGD can extend its hand or, via the existing TuneCore model, the artist can choose to continue to succeed on their own. It is the continuation of the shift to serve the musician.”
