A research analyst and a former executive who revealed insider information about Apple’s sales have both been charged, reports Reuters. Analyst John Kinnucan on Friday was charged with two counts of securities fraud, two counts of conspiracy and one count of insider trading from a civil case filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Between 2008 and 2010, Kinnucan allegedly paid insiders with cash, trips and other incentives for inside information regarding Apple. Kinnnucan then sold the information to hedge funds for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Separately, former SanDisk executive Don Barnetson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud. “I conspired with a consultant to provide confidential information with respect to my employer at the time, SanDisk Corp,” Barnetson said. Barnetson could faces up to five years in prison but could get leniency for his “substantial cooperation.” Kinnucan could faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the securities fraud counts and one of the conspiracy counts, and up to five years on the other conspiracy count.

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Who says the big boys can't be friends? While Samsung, SanDisk, Sony, Toshiba and Panasonic would probably disagree with each other on just about everything, there are still three magical letters that can bring even the biggest rivals together: DRM. While the consortium is doing everything it can to avoid the term, there's no hiding the truth -- the temporarily-named 'Next Generation Secure Memory Initiative' is designed to protect HD content by using "unique ID (identification) technology for flash memory and robust copy protection based on public key infrastructure." Just when we thought Louis C.K. had proven that slapping DRM around something wasn't the best approach, here we go taking a few monumental steps in the wrong direction.

In essence, it sounds as if they're crafting a way to distribute Blu-ray-quality material on SD cards and embedded memory (sound familiar?), and they're also hoping that this will "enable various HD content applications such as HD network download, broadcast content to-go and HD Digital Copy / Managed Copy from Blu-ray Disc." Notably, we're told that Android-based smartphones, tablets, TVs and Blu-ray products in particular can look forward to taking advantage -- in other words, Apple's going to keep doing what Apple does. If all goes well, they'll start licensing the new secure memory technology early next year, and if we had to guess, we'd say the adoption trajectory perfectly matches that of slotRadio. Good luck, folks -- you're going to need it.

Continue reading Tech mainstays finally come together on something: littering more HD content with more DRM

Tech mainstays finally come together on something: littering more HD content with more DRM originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon EOS 1000D washes ashore in BC, Canada, SD card reveals it was lost at sea for over a year originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The team at iFixit recently tore open Barnes & Noble’s brand new Nook Tablet to get a closer look at its inner workings see how they compare to Amazon’s Kindle Fire. The group found that the Nook Tablet is powered by a dual-core TI OMAP 4 processor clocked at 1GHz, and it has 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal SanDisk storage. It also has a 4,000 mAh battery under the hood that’s rated for up to 11.5 hours of reading time, 3.5 hours longer than the previous generation Nook Color device. The Nook Tablet received a repairability score of 6 out of 10 points, which is worse than the Kindle Fire’s 8/10 score. The LCD can be easily replaced because it isn’t fused to the bezel, however one would need to remove the motherboard in order to replace the battery, and there are “excessive amounts of adhesive” and even hidden screws that made the teardown a bit more tedious than usual.

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We're unlikely to ever get our grubby mitts on a final model, but that hasn't stopped a developmental flavor of this seven-inch slab getting another going over in China. Unceremoniously revealed as the TouchPad Go in FCC filings earlier this year, this seven-inch tablet packs in 32GB of Sandisk storage alongside 1GB of RAM, plus 3G bells and GPS whistles. Palm Joy notes that the tiddly TouchPad is flatter than the original, with the physical button centered on the longer side and an additional rear-facing five megapixel camera. The back of this tablet also has a Pre-esque matte finish, nixing the fingertip-magnet gloss of its bigger brother. You can grab another shot after the break, but if that doesn't quench your thirst there's plenty more at the source link.

Continue reading HP TouchPad Go gets stopped for more close-up photography

HP TouchPad Go gets stopped for more close-up photography originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Ecosystems take years to build and depend on other companies. Really, who has the time these days? Plus, they kick in only if a product reaches critical mass. Microsoft and SanDisk demonstrated the risk a few years back with their digital media players in seeding the market with third-party cases and docks using their own proprietary and now abandoned connectors. Over the past year, though, we've seen a number of tech companies take a new approach to mobile product development -- the corporate showcase -- where they convincingly shun any notion of silos by throwing just about everything they've got into a product.

Continue reading Switched On: Assets in gear

Switched On: Assets in gear originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First things first: we really need to sit down with the tech industry and have a conversation about effectively naming things. Which brings us to our next order of business: SATA DEVSLP. SanDisk is working with other companies, like Intel, Microsoft and Samsung, to develop this new standard which will drive SSD power consumption much lower than current levels. Some drives already support the cornerstone of the standard -- a new super low-power mode that draws only 50mW of juice. SATA DEVSLP would keep the storage in that energy-sipping state the majority of the time, extending battery life for Ultabooks, tablets, or whatever other gadgets may come along. Guess we know one trick Intel plans to use to reach that promised 10-days of connected standby time. Check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading SanDisk working to push SSD power consumption lower, squeeze more juice out of your battery

SanDisk working to push SSD power consumption lower, squeeze more juice out of your battery originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who hasn't needed to upgrade their personal workstation when running short on funds? We've definitely been there. As luck would have it, SanDisk offers all of us who are a bit strapped for cash an option for improving our aging PCs. The company announced today that its latest offerings, the Ultra SSDs, are heading out to retailers as we speak. Promising 280MB / sec reads coupled with 270MB / sec write speeds, the drives provide a welcome tune-up for, ahem, experienced machines. Random speeds on these disks clock in at up to 3Gb / sec with three sizes available: 60GB, 120GB, and 240GB, ranging from $130 to $450. So save up your extra lunch money, as this is certainly a nice way to breathe new life into your current set-up without going completely broke. Who knows, maybe you can use those dollars you'll save on some of this. As for the full rundown, scope out the PR after the break.

Continue reading SanDisk Ultra SSD heading to retailers, brings youthful exuberance to aging PCs

SanDisk Ultra SSD heading to retailers, brings youthful exuberance to aging PCs originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SanDisk has been pumping out press releases all day thanks to Computex-mania, so we shuffled past its stall to see what all the fuss is about. The biggest news is the U100 range of tiny SSDs for ultraportables, which crank data in and out at twice the speed of SanDisk's previous generation P4 drives. We're talking 450MB/s reads and 340MB/s writes thanks to the latest SATA III interface, plus a max capacity of 256GB -- specs which have already enticed ASUS to use the U100 in its lightweight UX-series notebooks. Mass production is expected in Q3 of this year. Specs table and triple-shot of PR coming up after the break, plus a gallery showing size comparisons of the U100 SSD in its glorious mSATA and Mini mSATA varieties, stacked up against some common objects like a 2.5-inch SSD drive, an HP Veer, and a vaguely goth bracelet.

Meanwhile, SanDisk hasn't forgotten about our desperate need for faster tablets. The company has doubled the speed of its existing iNAND embedded flash modules, and is also releasing a brand new SATA III drive, the i100, specifically for this form factor. The i100 maxes out at 128GB and achieves a significantly slower write speed (160MB/s) than the U100, but it has same impressive read speed (450MB/s) -- which should mean nippier tablets in the not-too-distant future.

Continue reading SanDisk outs faster U100 and i100 SSDs for ultra-portables and tablets, we go hands-on

SanDisk outs faster U100 and i100 SSDs for ultra-portables and tablets, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 May 2011 09:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Things no one says anymore: I miss the floppy disk. But damn do I miss the floppy disk! I'm not even sure why, really. Maybe because they were so retrotastic, I just felt more important when I popped one in my computer. I was taking care of business, baby! But it's probably because I just had so many of them. Seriously, I had this huge case that only existed to carry those floppies and it held like a billion of 'em. Probably more like a hundred but it felt like a billion back then. I could store anything I wanted for the rest of my life! But then floppies died and I don't even remember what the heck I ever stored in those 3 1/2 inch plastic squares. I didn't have a digital camera or any mp3's or any movies or anything like that. And now we have these tiny, almost microscopic MicroSD cards. Have you seen one lately? They're like the size of your fingernail. And you can get them cheap! Like this SanDisk 8GB MicroSDHC with SD Adapter for only 3 bucks (plus $5 shipping). 3 bucks for storage space equivalent to 5832 floppy disks. Amazing. More »

Well, at least you've got options now. Just days after SanDisk's once-rare 32GB microSDHC card fell to $87, along comes Kingston with a nearly identical unit of its own. The difference? It's Class 4 instead of Class 2, which means that you can look forward to a 4MB/s minimum data transfer rate. Of course, you'll be paying dearly for the speed boost when it starts shipping on Monday with the card alone priced at $153. Slow and cheap, or pricey and snappy? Decisions, decisions...

Kingston introduces Class 4 32GB microSDHC card, charges dearly for the speed originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First the good news, for those who've waited months to get their paws on that 11.6-inch multitouch capacitive screen: there's no longer anything stopping you from dropping a stack of change on the Windows 7-wielding ExoPC. Originally restricted to the first 1,200 dedicated fans, preorders are now open to all, with the 32GB tablet setting you back CAD $649 (about $624) and the 64GB version CAD $749 (about $720), with both models featuring up-to-160MB/s fast SanDisk P4 mini-SSDs and up to four hours of battery life. The bad news is that you'll no longer find GPS on that 64GB model, as the prototype didn't pan out, and we're afraid that September 30th ship date has already slid back to October 15th. Take a gander at our hands-on preview (or better yet, wait for our review) if you've yet to make your mind up.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

ExoPC preorders open to all from CAD $649, tablet loses GPS but gains SanDisk SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Think your mobile device couldn't eat another byte, that it's stuffed full of storage? Surely it has room for a tiny little thin SSD? This is Sandisk's solution for storage in portable devices, the creation of a new class of storage: integrated SSD, or iSSD. Designed to be soldered right onto a motherboard, this drive is the size of a postage stamp, weighs the same as a paperclip, and will be available in sizes ranging from 4 to 64GB. Read and writes clock in at 160MB/sec and 100MB/sec, respectively, plenty fast enough to run a full OS, with an SATA interface ensuring broad compatibility. Early units are available now, with bulk orders shipping soon. Now, how many would you like? Just the one, monsieur?

Continue reading Sandisk's 64GB integrated SSD is no bigger than a wafer-thin mint

Sandisk's 64GB integrated SSD is no bigger than a wafer-thin mint originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don't look now, but things may be getting real on the pay-with-your-cell-phone front, as Cupertino's hired a man with years of experience in enabling just that to finally get 'er done. According to his LinkedIn profile, Benjamin Vigier is Apple's new Product Manager of Mobile Commerce, immediately following his handiwork on PayPal Mobile, Sprint MyMoneyManager and the iPhone-based Starbucks Card. Before that, he spent two years heading SanDisk's mobile commerce and near-field communication efforts and over a year doing NFC for Bouygues Telecom, so it's not much of a stretch to imagine the futuristic concert tickets depicted in Apple's recent patent applications might become reality before long. Either that, or he'll wind up on a completely unrelated project, only to leave under mysterious circumstances later on.

Apple hires NFC expert to manage mobile commerce, prepare to pay with your iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, sure -- SanDisk's 32GB microSDHC card has been "shipping" since late March, but have you actually tried to find one? It's been a lesson in frustration for many, and while a few e-tailers have shown stock off and on, the card has generally evaded archivists who simply need an insane amount of available storage on their handset. Starting tomorrow, however, that should change. Verizon Wireless -- of all companies -- has somehow managed to become the "only retailer that offers customers the 32GB SanDisk microSDHC card." We're assuming it's referring to brick and mortar retailers, but at any rate, the gem will be on sale tomorrow at VZW outlets for $149.99, or just $99.99 if you purchase one alongside Motorola's Droid X. The only trouble with that? You're stuck figuring out what to do with the 16GB microSDHC card that ships inside of the phone. Thank heavens for the Bay, right?

Continue reading SanDisk's elusive 32GB microSDHC card on sale tomorrow at Verizon: $100 with a Droid X, $150 without

SanDisk's elusive 32GB microSDHC card on sale tomorrow at Verizon: $100 with a Droid X, $150 without originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man, Microsoft is not even trying to be coy with its Pink launch tomorrow -- these happy and attractive young people pictured on the livestream page are clearly being delighted by the "Turtle" portrait slider that keeps leaking all over the place. Or maybe they're just stoked they can use SanDisk microSD cards with it -- that's how the kids react to removable storage nowadays, right?

In other news, Reuters says the phones won't actually be called Pink, and that they're likely scheduled to ship this summer, so that's something, we suppose. Honestly, we just don't know what Microsoft is going to offer here that'll be more attractive to teens than Windows Phone 7 -- we're still hoping to be wowed tomorrow, but we've got a suspicion we'll just be confused and sad. Which isn't a bad way to market something to teens, we suppose. Microsoft Pink: it's like having bad feelings.

P.S.- If you squint just right, that dude totally looks like a young Bill Gates. He also loves cuddles.

Continue reading Microsoft Pink livestream page offers glimpse of Turtle, Pink name changing at launch

Microsoft Pink livestream page offers glimpse of Turtle, Pink name changing at launch originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Apr 2010 18:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop listings are about as accurate as a 14th century musket -- especially when it comes to release dates -- but that didn't keep news site GameSpot from capping the above screenshot. As you can no doubt read, the picture suggests that SanDisk will indeed release a specially-branded 8GB USB flash drive alongside the Xbox 360's USB storage update -- but at twice the normal price for a drive of that capacity. Our red hot rage at this injustice is tempered somewhat knowing there's no concrete proof the $40 figure is correct, but knowing SanDisk (and, frankly, Microsoft's own propensity for overpriced storage) we wouldn't be surprised to see several green thumbdrives pulling a premium at retail next week. Once more for the record: as long as it's larger than 1GB, smaller than 16GB and you format it using the Xbox 360 menus, any USB flash drive will do.

GameStop listing shows SanDisk's Xbox 360-branded USB drives at outrageous prices originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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