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Flash Memory

Kingston Technology Introduces K-PEX Line of Portable Media Players

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 2, 2006 - 1:20pm.
Fountain Valley, Calif. - Kingston Technology, a manufacturer of Flash memory products, on Wednesday introduced its first line of portable media players. The Kingston K-PEX devices feature a 2-inch color LCD screen and come in capacities of 1GB ($129) and 2GB ($179). The players can store and play videos, music, photos and video games.
tags: Video | Tech | Audio | Music | CE | PMP | Flash Memory | Kinston Technology | K-PEX |

Sony Introduces New Flash-based Walkman Music Players

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 1, 2006 - 3:21pm.
San Diego - Sony on Tuesday introduced a new line of flash-based Walkman digital music players, the NW-E Series, which will ship to retailers in August. The players each feature a built-in FM tuner, and support for AAC, MP3, WMA and ATRAC music file formats. NW-E Series players will be offered in 512MB ($70; blue), 1GB ($100; silver, pink) and 2GB ($130; black, violet, lime green) capacities.
tags: Radio | Audio | Music | Sony | CE | Walkman | CE Pricing | PMP | Flash Memory |

AMD-Fujitsu Flash Memory Joint Venture Raises $506.4 Million in IPO

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 16, 2005 - 8:30am.
Sunnyvale, Calif. - Shares of Spansion rose more than 12% in their debut Friday after the Flash memory joint venture of Sunnyvale-based AMD and Fujitsuraised $506.4 million in its initial public offering (IPO). It was the second largest IPO for a U.S. technology company this year. That in spite of the fact that the company priced its 42.2 million shares at $12 each, below its expected range of $13-$14, which itself had been lowered from $16-$18. Spansion's technology is used in consumer electronics products such as cell phones, PCs, set-top boxes and DVD players. The company's shares, trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol "SPSN," closed at $13.44.
tags: Deals | VC | Joint Venture | Flash Memory | AMD-Fujitsu |

Rolling Stones Album to be Released on New SanDisk Secure Memory Card

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 28, 2005 - 5:04am.
San Francisco - SanDisk, a maker of flash memory-based storage media, announced that it has developed a new TrustedFlash card that incorporates anti-piracy technology developed by NDS, a unit of News Corp. The mobile digital rights management technology will be used to secure movies, music and games embedded on the cards, which will be used in cell phones, portable digital players and other devices. IDC reports over 87 million phones with memory cards were sold in 2004 and forecasts 164 million will be sold this year. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based SanDisk said the first title released using the new technology will be the Rolling Stones' album "A Bigger Bang." The album will be sold on 256MB Gruvi Music cards featuring TrustedFlash for $39.95 starting in November; the card will also contain locked versions of other Rolling Stones albums that may be unlocked through a PC or mobile phone.
tags: Launches | Tech | Music | DRM | Storage | SanDisk | Memory | Flash Memory | NDS | Rolling Stones |

Sony Introduces Line of Flash Memory-Based Walkman MP3 Players

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 8, 2005 - 6:22am.
Berlin -- Sony on Tuesday introduced a new line of flash memory-based Network Walkman MP3 players, including one circular-shaped model and two disposable lighter-shaped models, all of which come in a range of colors. All three models will feature a 3-line visual display and be offered in 256MB, 512MB and 1GB capacities. They will also support Sony's Connect digital music store, and offer Sony's Stamina battery life -- which promises up to 70 hours battery life on a single AAA battery or 5 hours with a rechargeable battery. The circular NW-E100 comes in six colors, while the smaller NW-E400 and NW-E500 models each come in four colors; the NW-E500 models also sport a built-in FM digital tuner. Sony will ship the new Network Walkman players to retailers in April. Reuters reported that the devices will be priced at about $132 for the 256MB model and about $317 for the 1GB model -- in line with the pricing for Apple's comparable flash memory-based Shuffle portable players, which unlike Sony's new players lack a visual display.
tags: Sony | Flash Memory | Walkman MP3 Players |

AMD-Fujitsu Joint Venture to Take on Intel in Flash Memory

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 2, 2003 - 3:25am.
Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has announced a joint venture with Japanese memory chipmaker Fujitsu, which will supply flash memory for use in cell phones and other devices. The new company, to be named FASL and based in Sunnyvale, Calif., will begin production in the third quarter and is expected to provide heavy competition for market-leader Intel. FASL, which will also have a Japanese headquarters in Tokyo, will have about 7,000 employees and a net book value of more than $2.5 billion. AMD will own 60 percent of the company, with Fujitsu owning the other 40 percent. The two companies have had a 50-50 manufacturing joint venture since 1993. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030331/315443_1.html
tags: Intel | Flash Memory | AMD-Fujitsu |