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AMD caches in on fast boot times with downloadable RAMDisks
Subject: Storage | December 12, 2012 - 02:50 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: radeon, cache, radeon ramdisk
We've heard mentions of AMD's downloadable RAMDisk software which will portion off a part of your system RAM to act as a cache drive to give you all the benefits of an SSD cache drive without the costs. There are three levels, two free levels which will give you 4GB if you do not have Radeon branded memory and 6GB if you do. For $18.99 you can get the Xtreme version which will allow you up to 64GB on any type of RAM and will get rid of the upgrade now pop up which you will see on the free versions. This software should work with any modern CPU from AMD or Intel which is a great move on AMDs part to help make this software popular. Hardware Canucks checked the boot time with a Super Anti-Spyware scan that is launched during boot which slowed the RAMDisk down a bit however the launch time of CS5 was significantly faster than even an SSD. Check it out here, or just download it from here.
"With memory prices on the decline and Intel's RST caching offering a great solution for budget conscious buyers, AMD is reviving the idea of memory-based application acceleration. Called Radeon RAMDisk, it promises to reduce load times to mere seconds on even the most basic of systems."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- Samsung 840 Pro @ [H]ard|OCP
- Samsung 840 Pro SSD @ Guru3D
- OCZ Vector 128GB SSD @ Tweaktown
- OCZ Agility 4 - 256GB SSD @ Funky Kit
- Intel DC S3700 Data Center SSD @ SSD Review
- Crucial M4 256GB SATA III SSD Review @ PCSTATS
- Mushkin Atlas 480GB mSATA SSD @ Tweaktown
- Exploring the Relationship Between Spare Area and Performance Consistency in Modern SSDs @ AnandTech
- Kingston SSDNow V300 SSD @ SSD Review
- Plextor Updates The Firmware on M5 Pro @ AnandTech
- Sandisk Extreme SSD 120GB/240GB review: too little too late? @ Hardware.info
- WD Red 3TB NAS Hard Drive Review @ Legit Reviews
- Western Digital RE (WD4000FYYZ) 4 TB Hard Disk @ TechARP
- 25 3.5-inch hard disk round-up: battle of the terabytes @ Hardware.info
- Western Digital Black 4TB Hard Drive Review @ Hardware Canucks
- Silverstone FP37 SDXC USB 3.0 Card Reader @ Benchmark Reviews
- Synology DS713+ NAS and DX213 Expansion Unit @ Kitguru
- ioSafe Solo G3 Fireproof and Waterproof External Hard Drive @ Tweaktown
- Silicon Power Diamond Series D03 USB 3.0 Portable HDD Review @ Madshrimps
- Silicon Power Armor A80 1TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive Review @ NikKTech
- Hitachi Touro Desk Pro 4TB USB 3.0 External HDD Review @ Madshrimps
- ADATA DashDrive Elite HE720 2.5" 500GB External Hard Drive @ eTeknix
- Synology DS-413 review: versatile 4-bay NAS @ Hardware.info
- Patriot Gauntlet Node Portable Wireless 2.5″ HDD Enclosure @ Kitguru
Kickstarter begins for Transporter: Internet Connected Private Storage
Subject: Storage | December 6, 2012 - 10:12 AM | Allyn Malventano
Tagged: transporter, storage, NAS, cloud
I was recently briefed on an interesting new product called the Transporter, a file sharing device engineered by the same folks that took part in the creation of the Drobo. Connected Data has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund its production, so I am now free to talk about it. Here's what it looks like:
Transporter is basically a local area network share. It connects to your router via Gigabit Ethernet (and reportedly runs at close to HDD throughput). With the software installed to your local PCs or Macs, it enables folder sharing and real-time syncing to any other Transporter-equipped location (i.e. a family member). There will also be versions of Transporter with 1TB or 2TB internal hard drives, which shift the file storage burden off of the local computers, if desired.
This may sound a lot like other cloud-based sharing solutions out there, but there are some very significant differences:
- User data is only stored on local systems or shared with other user-invited locations (via their Transporter).
- The capacity shared is only limited by your local storage capacity (plus whatever internal storage is installed into the Transporter via its internal 2.5" drive bay).
To put it simply, Transporter is similar to Dropbox in functionality and convenience, but your data is *only* stored privately, and there are no subscription fees or storage limits (beyond that of your local storage capacity). The Kickstarter has only been going for a few hours, and the 'early adopter' pre-orders are more than half gone. Once the 'early' orders are used up, price for a bare Transporter goes from $149 to $179. 1TB models go for $269 and 2TB for $359. We're definitely keeping our eye on this one.
SSDs Might Just Get a Little More Solid: Write Wearing Fixed?
Subject: General Tech, Storage | December 5, 2012 - 10:01 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Macronix, ssd, enterprise ssd
I have not been too worried about my SSD failing due to excessive write-erase wear and tear. Typical flash cells fail somewhere between a few thousand write cycles with high endurance drives creeping over the ten-thousand cycle border. It is quite rare for me, like many home users, to write to my SSD outside of application updates or profile changes on my web browser.
Enterprise customers tend to hammer on drives quite a bit more ferociously, however. It will primarily be those customers who are most interested in news recently published with the IEEE: modifications to the integrated circuit holding the flash cells can be made to recondition dead NAND cells.
SSDs have been able to be restored from write-erase degradation through excessive heating, think several hours at two-and-a-half times the sea-level boiling point of water. Clearly tossing SSDs in a range with your fries and chicken strips is not an ideal solution and would not be wise to recommend.
Macronix, the company who claims to have invented the technology based on research into competing Phase Change RAM (PCRAM), assert that their flash will survive at least ten-thousand times longer than enterprise NAND. Their integrated circuit has been designed to deliver extreme heat, 8-times the boiling point of water, local to the flash cell for a very brief time. The article boasts at least 100-million cycles because that was their point where their patience in testing the flash ended: the flash was still ready for more.
That said I do not claim to have too much knowledge about solid state flash so tune in for the December 5th PC Perspective Podcast for more discussion from smarter people. If you found this quick enough you could also tune in live just after this publishes!
Hitachi does external USB 3.0 drives well
Subject: Storage | December 3, 2012 - 05:14 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: usb 3.0, Touro Mobile Pro, hitachi, external drive
If you spot the Hitachi GST Touro Mobile Pro USB 3.0 external HDD for a reasonable price you really should consider picking it up. Just looking at the speed charts on NikkTech shows you that this USB 3.0 drive can keep up with eSATA drives and other USB 3.0 drives. At 80 x 126 x 15mm and weighing 155g it is extremely portable, though the cable only being 1' long is a pity. If you are in the market for large portable storage that is quick enough your copying doesn't take all night this is worth checking out.
"Only 25 or so days before we go dark for our much anticipated Christmas vacations (which shouldn't last more than 10 days in total) and so we decided to mainly focus on reviews requested by some of you during the last 2 months. Needless to say we are already testing quite a few gaming peripherals for the past 2 weeks so there isn't really much time for anything else that requires time and effort to test, however since the primary concern of most of you have been 2.5" portable hard disk drives (much easier/faster to test) we gathered quite a few of the latest USB 3.0 models here to see which delivers the most bang for your buck. The first of those portable USB 3.0 HDDs is no other than the latest Touro Mobile Pro 500GB by HGST."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- Promise Pegasus J2: superfast external mini-storage @ Hardware.info
- Western Digital My Passport Edge 500GB review: external USB 3.0 hard disk @ Hardware.info
- Synology DS213+ and DS213air @ Legion Hardware
- Thecus N5550 5-Bay Home NAS @ Tweaktown
- GIGABYTE GR-EZI04H 4-Bay NAS @ Tweaktown
- Plextor PlexEasy PX-650US Versatile DVD/CD Burner Review @ NikKTech
- KingFast F3 Series 120GB KF2509MCF MLC Async SATA3 SSD Review @ ModSynergy
- Kingston SSDNow V+200 480GB SSD @ Kitguru
- Samsung 840 250GB SSD @ Tweaktown
- Intel 335 Series 240GB SSD @ Tweaktown
- Samsung SSD 840 / 840 Pro @ Tweaktown
- ADATA XPG SX900 128GB SATA III SSD @ Hi Tech Legion
- Verbatim 2.5" SATA-II SSD 128GB @ Rbmods
- Samsung 840 512GB SSD @ Tweaktown
- TRIM & RAID-0 SSD Arrays Work With Intel 6-Series Motherboards Too @ AnandTech
Intel Pushes New SSD Toolbox, Updates 335 Series Firmware MWI Bug
Subject: Storage | November 28, 2012 - 10:32 PM | Allyn Malventano
Tagged: ssd toolbox, Intel, firmware, 335
A quick note to users of Intel SSDs - specifically for owners of the 335 Series. Intel has updated their SSD Toolbox app to v3.1.2. This app is used for various tasks on Intel SSDs, such as secure erasure, performance optimization under Windows, and TRIM through RAID-0 under Intel RST / ICH / PCH motherboard SATA controllers. This update is significant in that it can in turn update the firmware of the Intel 335 Series SSDs to correct a bug in how those drives report wear. This bug was initially discovered by Kristian Vättö, over at Anandtech.
If you have a newer version of the SSD Toolbox, F9 will be listed as "Total NAND Writes", and list that value in MB. The issue with the original 335 firmware was that it incorrectly calculated the wear (the Wearout Indicator - E9 above) such that it would list the drive as worn out after ~1,000 total flash cell erase cycles (i.e. 1,000 x the capacity of the SSD). The firmware update corrects this value to ~3,000 cycles, which is more appropriate for the rating of IMFT 20nm flash. Updating should be non-destructive, but you should backup just in case. The update is not urgent, in that it only corrects how the drive does the math to calculate E9. The Wearout Indicator will change to the correct value after the update, regardless of when it is applied. Additionally, if the MWI reaches 0 prematurely, it should have no impact on operation of the SSD.
Grab the update here.
OCZ interrupts your viewing of the legal battle to introduce a new product; the Vector
Subject: Storage | November 27, 2012 - 04:47 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: vector, ssd, sata, ocz, mlc, barefoot 3
There are three members of the OCZ Vector SSD, the 128GB and 256GB models will have 512MB cache and the 512GB model 1GB of cache, each costing a bit over $1/GB. Inside is the brand new Barefoot 3 controller which features 8 channels and both an ARM cortex processor and OCZ's secret sauce, the Aragon co-processor. On paper, the 256GB and 512GB models have the same performance specs with the 128GB model having slightly slower sequential writes and 4k reads, though still the speeds are impressive enough that you won't suffer unduly. [H]ard|OCP takes you through their torture test here and of course if you haven't seen what Allyn did to them, get reading!
"OCZ soft launches the 256GB Vector SSD with its first OCZ-proprietary controller, the Barefoot 3. Geared for steady state performance, the OCZ Vector SSD is designed with the end user in mind. Today we take a look at the Vector and the new controller architecture and see how these fare in our steady state testing."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- OCZ's Vector SSD @ The Tech Report
- OCZ Vector SSD Review - Indilinx Barefoot 3 Becomes Reality @ SSD Review
- OCZ Vector 256GB @ TechSpot
- OCZ Vector 256GB @ Kitguru
- OCZ Vector SSD Launch @ Hardwareheaven
- OCZ Vector 256GB @ Tweaktown
- OCZ Vector 256GB SSD @ Hardware.info
- OCZ Vector SSD @ Guru of 3D
- OCZ Vector 256GB SSD Review @ Hardware Canucks
- OCZ Vector 256GB Indilinx Barefoot 3 SSD Review @ Legit Reviews
- Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD @ DVHardware
OCZ Launches Vector SSD Series and Proprietary Barefoot 3 Controller
Subject: Storage | November 27, 2012 - 03:48 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: vector, ssd, sata, ocz, mlc, barefoot 3
SAN JOSE, CA – November 27, 2012 - OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announced the availability of its new SATA III-based Vector SSD Series featuring the company's next-generation Indilinx Barefoot 3 controller. OCZ's worldwide technology hardware and firmware teams developed the new controller silicon and firmware completely in-house to enable full design control over the Vector SSD Series roadmap, while delivering exceptional I/O performance, enhanced reliability and endurance, and a host of differentiated features to empower high performance laptops, desktops, and workstations with superior storage capabilities.
OCZ Vector SSDs provide exceptional input/output operations per second (IOPS) performance and the cutting-edge Barefoot 3 controller consistently delivers superior sustained performance over time regardless of whether the data streams are in compressed or uncompressed formats. As a result, this groundbreaking SSD series provides faster file transfers and boot-ups, and a quicker, more responsive storage experience.
"The development of the Indilinx Barefoot 3 controller architecture is a crowning achievement in our company's history, being our first controller silicon and firmware completely designed in-house from start to finish using all of the OCZ technology development teams," said Ralph Schmitt, CEO for OCZ Technology. "These are the first SSD products delivered under the new OCZ and leverages cutting-edge controller technology to deliver a groundbreaking level of sustained performance and reliability for customers seeking a superior SSD for their high performance computing applications."
The Vector SSD Series is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities, and delivers read bandwidth of up to 550 MB/s, write bandwidth of up to 530 MB/s, random read performance of up to 100,000 IOPS. The Vector's ultra-slim, 7mm sleek alloy housing supports a wide spectrum of computers including the latest thin form factor notebooks, and each Vector SSD is also bundled with a 3.5-inch desktop adapter bracket and Acronis® True Image™ cloning software to enable quick and easy data transfer from legacy hard disk drive (HDD) storage to high performance Vector SSD storage.\
Endurance was a major priority in the design of the Vector Series, and the highly intelligent Barefoot 3 controller includes an advanced suite of flash management tools that can analyze and dynamically adapt to increasing NAND vulnerabilities as flash cells wear or process geometries get smaller. In this way, the Barefoot 3 controller overcomes the shortcomings associated with MLC NAND flash memory and is specified to deliver 20GB host writes per day for 5 years. This 5-year warranty ensures that Vector SSDs can be reliably used in a wide range of high performance computing environments over an extended lifetime.
Plextor's Marvell powered 256GB M5 Pro SSD
Subject: Storage | November 26, 2012 - 05:59 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: plextor, m5 pro, ssd, marvell 88SS9187, toggle NAND
Hopefully at some point NewEgg will refresh their stock of Plextor's 256GB and 512GB M5 Pro SSDs, as both offer the same rated speed and a price just under $1/GB. The Marvell controller they are using is one we have seen before, the Indilinx Everest 2 controller found in the OCZ Vertex 4. The Guru of 3D pitted the 256GB model against numerous MLC SSDs and it trended towards the top of the results, not the fastest but consistent in being among the best performers in all tests. Another benefit to the drive is the 5 year warranty, something which is becoming all too rare in storage devices.
"In this article we test, benchmark and review the Plextor M5 Pro series SSD. Plextor has developed this product alongside a marvel controller tied to 256GB of NAND flash memory it is amongst the fastest drives we have ever tested. We sure have lots to talk about alright. The 256GB models have sutained read/write levels of 540 MB/sec and 450 MB/sec respectively.
And with 4K random write performance estimated at 86,000 IOPS (input/output operations per second) it's dressed to impress alright. Have a peek, after which we'll dive into the technology behind it and obviously we'll present you a nice phat performance overview."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- Samsung 840 Series 250GB SSD Review @ Legit Reviews
- SandForce TRIM Issue & Corsair Force Series GS (240GB) @ AnandTech
- Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 7mm 240 GB @ LanOC Reviews
- Crucial v4 (256GB) @ AnandTech
- Intel SSD 335 240GB @ Hardware.info
- ADATA SP300 24GB mSATA @ eTeknix
- Western Digital RE 4TB Enterprise Hard Drive Review @ Hardware Canucks
- Icy Dock MB153SP-B "FatCage" 3-in-2 SATA Backplane Module @ Hi Tech Legion
- Icy Dock MB996SP-6SB 6-Bay 2.5" Drive Cage @ Tweaktown
- RaidSonic ICY BOX IB-3640SU3 USB 3.0 Quad Bay Enclosure Review @ NikKTech
- Lexar JumpDrive Triton 32 GB USB 3.0 @ techPowerUp
- Lexar Media 32GB Triton USB 3.0 Jump Drive Review @ Pro-Clockers
- Thecus N5550 NAS with Western Digital Red Drives @ LanOC Reviews
- Thecus N2800 NAS @ X-bit Labs
Samsung's new 21nm Toggle TLC Flash based Series 840 SSDs
Subject: Storage | November 20, 2012 - 03:48 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Samsung, 840, tlc
As part of their review of the Samsung 840 250GB SSD, The Tech Report covers the specifics of the TLC flash memory which is used in the 840 series as opposed to the MLC we saw in the 830 series. As well they show off some of the capabilities of the control software, which Samsung has dubbed the SSD Magician utility. Of course from there the benchmarking begins which showed performance continually below the similarly priced 830 series which hurts the new SSDs on the price to performance chart. Overall they are hard pressed to recommend the drive over the previous models, not only because of the performance but also the shortened lifespan of TLC flash. As that flash technology matures we may see those concerns fade, as Allyn pointed out in his review.
"Samsung's 840 Series SSD combines a next-gen fabrication process with an extra bit per cell to lower the cost per gigabyte. We take a closer look at the implications and see how the drive stacks up against the competition."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- OCZ Agility 4 256GB SSD Review @ Neoseeker
- Intel 330 Series 120 GB Solid State Drive Review @ Hardware Secrets
- SanDisk Extreme 480GB SSD @ Tweaktown
- OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SSD VTX3-25SAT3-240G Review @ PCSTATS
- Silicon Power Slim S70 240GB SSD @ Tweaktown
- Lexar JumpDrive S73 32 GB USB 3.0 @ techPowerUp
- Lexar JumpDrive 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review @ PCSTATS
- Silicon Power Firma F80 32GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Review @ NikKTech
- Vantec NST-400MX-S3R NexStar MX Enclosure Review @ Pro-Clockers
- Super Talent USB3 Express RC8 100GB Flash Drive @ SSD Review
- ADATA DashDrive Elite 500GB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive @ Kitguru
- Patriot Memory Gauntlet 320 Wireless 2.5 Hard disk Enclosure @ Funky Kit
- WD My Passport Edge 500GB Portable Hard Drive Review @ Legit Reviews
Western Digital releases 4TB Black series HDD
Subject: Storage | November 20, 2012 - 10:35 AM | Allyn Malventano
Tagged: WD, western digital, Black, 4TB, hdd
Today Western Digital announced their new 4TB Black Series HDD. This new drive boasts some features normally reserved for their RE (enterprise) series drives, such as dual processors and dual stage actuator tech. This 7200 RPM unit comes with the now standard 64MB cache and SATA 6Gb/sec interface. We will be reviewing a sample upon its arrival, but I suspect performance will be close to the RE series, albeit without the additional enterprise-specific features.
The 4TB Black kicks off at an MSRP of $339. Hopefully we see some 4TB Greens and Reds out of Western Digital shortly - as those should be at a lower cost and be more suited to the typical mass-storage applications of such a high capacity drive.
Press blast after the break:
Double up your Neutron for more fun; Corsair's new 480GB SSD
Subject: Storage | November 14, 2012 - 06:39 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: corsair, Neutron GTX 480GB, LAMD Amber
Apart from the extra storage space, the best thing about larger SSDs is their improved performance over smaller sized SSDs as more channels allows for faster data transfer. Corsair's new $460 Neutron GTX 480GB is no exception with [H]ard|OCP's benchmarks demonstrating speeds surpassing other similar sized SSDs. The LAMD Amber LM87800 controller inside this SSD does not depend on compression to increase speed which is why the performance of the drive stays at the top of the pack even when faced with uncompressible data. Speed is not everything with SSDs, as many have found out to their regret which is why thanks to two features onboard this drive, ECC and a new feature called eBoost which acts to clean up the signals received by the drive, [H] would almost class this as an enterprise drive. A five year warranty doesn't hurt either!
"The Corsair Neutron GTX 480GB and its LAMD Amber controller represent the next generation of high capacity SSDs. Typically large SSDs suffer performance degradation compared to smaller counterparts, and today we test the Neutron GTX with its Toshiba Toggle NAND to see if this holds true with Corsairs next generation controllers."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- CoreRise Comay Venus Pro 3 120GB [F/W 5.0.4] SATA3 MLC Sync SSD Review @ ModSynerg
- Budget SSD Roundup: The Best SSD for Less Than $100 @ Techspot
- Plextor M5 Pro and M5S vs. Plextor M3 Pro and M3 @ X-bit Labs
- Corsair Accelerator 30GB and 60GB SSD @ Kitguru
- KingFast 120GB F3 Series KF1310MCF mSATA3.0 Fixed TRIM [5.0.4] SSD Review @ ModSynergy
- Windows 8 SSD Performance Roundup November 2012 @ HardwareHeaven
- Corsair Neutron 240GB & Neutron GTX 240GB SSDs Review @ Hardware Canucks
- OCZ Agility 4 256GB SSD @ Bjorn3D
- OCZ Agility 4 256GB SSD Review @ Hardware Canucks
- Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB Review @ HCW
- OWC Mercury Electra MAX 3G 960GB SSD @ SSD Review
- PNY XLR8 PRO Solid State Drive @ Benchmark Reviews
- LSI Nytro WarpDrive 800GB BLP4-800 PCIe Enterprise SSD @ Tweaktown
- Best Network Drive Storage Solutions for Your Business @ TechwareLabs
- Thecus Top Tower N6850 6-Bay NAS @ Tweaktown
- Rocstor ROCPRO 900e Desktop Portable External Hard Drive @ TechwareLabs
- Toshiba DT01ABA100 & DT01ACA100 1TB SATA III HDDs Review @ NikKTech
- Kingston DataTraveler Vault Privacy 8GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Review @ NikKTech
- Mach Xtreme MX-ES 16GB USB3.0 Flash Drive Review @ eTeknix
- Mach Xtreme MX-ES 32 GB USB 3.0 @ techPowerUp
Samsung teams up with Ubisoft to include Assassin's Creed III with 840 Pro purchases
Subject: Storage | November 7, 2012 - 02:32 PM | Allyn Malventano
Tagged: ubisoft, Samsung, 840 pro
We're used to seeing various video card vendors tossing in some game titles to sweeten the deal. Now Samsung has jumped in the ring by including bonus copies of Assassin's Creed III with the purchase of 128, 256, or 512GB 840 Pro Series SSDs.
For a limited time, those who purchase a new 840 Pro will receive a download code for the new game. Note: this deal *does not* apply to the TLC-flash-equipped 840 Series (non-pro).
Press blast after the break:
Sandisk's Extreme 240GB, not the fastest but certainly the lowest in power consumption
Subject: Storage | November 6, 2012 - 12:15 AM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: sandisk, 240gb, toggle NAND, SF-2181, sandforce, Extreme 240GB
SanDisk has been taking advantage of their long experience in the flash memory market to develop a line of SSDs which, apart from the controller, are all made in house. That way they only have to license a controller, in this case SandForce's 2181, avoiding the costs of developing and improving their own controller. The cost might be a bit high at $215 when you compare it to some of the deals currently available on the previous generation of SSDs. [H]ard|OCP saw better performance than they expected from the older SF-2181 but still not to the level of the current generation of controllers. What helped make this particular drive more attractive was the Toolkit which makes updating your firmware quite easy and remarkably low power consumption.
"The SanDisk Extreme 240GB is SanDisk's SandForce-powered SSD. Featuring Toggle Mode NAND and the SF-2181 with the latest firmware we give the SanDisk Extreme a spin. How does it stand up to its enthusiast competitors in terms of steady state and out of the box performance?"
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- SMART Storage Systems CloudSpeed 500 6Gbps Server Grade SSD @ SSD Review
- ADATA SX900 128GB Review @ Bjorn3D
- Intel 335 Review - 240 GB SSD @ HCW
- Intel 335 Series SSD @ SSD Review
- ntel 335 Series 240GB SSD Review @ Legit Reviews
- Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB SSD Review @ Legit Reviews
- The Intel SSD DC S3700: Intel's 3rd Generation Controller Analyzed @ AnandTech
- Intel SSD 335 Series Solid State Drive @ Benchmark Reviews
- Intel's 335 Series SSD @ The Tech Report
- OCZ Technology: From SSDs to Layoffs @ Benchmark Reviews
- Corsair Neutron Series GTX 480GB @ Tweaktown
- Western Digital VelociRaptor 3 x 1TB RAID 0 Review @ eTeknix
- How to Secure Erase an SSD Easily Within Windows @ Hardcoreware
- Patriot Memory Supersonic RageXT 32 GB USB 3.0 @ techPowerUp
- ADATA DashDrive Elite HE720 @ Guru of 3D
- ineo SSD/HDD Docking Station – I-NA321U+ @ Computingondemand
- Vantec MRK-425ST-BK EZ Swap F4 Quad Bay 2.5" SATA SSD/HDD Rack @ Pro-Clockers
- Vantec NST-D400SU3 NexStar SuperSpeed Dual Bay Hard Drive Dock Review @ Pro-Clockers
- Scythe Kama Dock, Rack 3.5 and Rack 5 review: docks, hot-swap bays and card readers @ Hardware.Info
- antec MRK-425ST-BK EZ Swap F4 Quad Bay 2.5" SATA SSD/HDD Rack @ Pro-Clockers
- Vantec NST-D400SU3 NexStar SuperSpeed Dual Bay Hard Drive Dock Review @ Pro-Clockers
- Synology Diskstation DS213 Air NAS @ Kitguru
- Icy Dock MB981U3S-1S HDD Docking Station @ Hi Tech Legion
- QNAP TS-869 Pro 8-Bay NAS @ Tweaktown
- Synology DS413 and DS413j @ Legion Hardware
- ICY Dock Blizzard MB080U3S-1SB 3.5" USB 3.0/eSATA External Enclosure @ Kitguru
Intel announces new DC S3700 Series of datacenter SSDs
Subject: Storage | November 5, 2012 - 12:39 PM | Allyn Malventano
Tagged: ssd, s3700, enterprise, datacenter
Today Intel officially launched a new line of enterprise-oriented SSDs. Dubbed the DC S3700 ('DC for Data Center', 'S' for SATA), this new line fills the large interface speed void left by the older 710 Series, which was limited to SATA 3Gb/sec speeds.
The S3700 makes some big promises and we are expecting samples shortly. Here's the tally of what's to come:
- Intel designed 8-channel controller ASIC and firmware
- SATA 6Gb/sec interface
- 7mm x 2.5" form factor
- Random 4k writes 15x faster and reads 2x faster than SSD 710
- 75,000 4k random read IOPS (all models)
- 19/32/36/36k 4k random write IOPS (for 100/200/400/800GB capacity)
- 500MB/sec sequential reads (all models)
- 200/365/460/460 MB/sec sequential writes (for 100/200/400/800GB capacity)
- 25nm MLC-HET IMFT flash
- Rated for 10 Drive Writes per Day (DWPD) over a 5-year lifetime
- Solid-State-Capacitor backed power-loss protection
- Shipping in volume ~Q1 2013
- 1k qty pricing: $235/$470/$940/$1880 ea. for 100/200/400/800GB capacities
The cost of just over $2/GB should be very enticing for an enterprise-grade SSD, but the most interesting tidbit I got from the briefing was that Intel claims this drive will achieve a <500us response time for 4k random writes, 99.9% of the time. Most SSDs will begin to show intermittent peaks in latency when hit with sustained 4k random access. The S3700 Series should mostly eliminate that issue. More to follow on that front once we can log some hours on a sample.
Plextor's M5 Pro features new flash and a new controller
Subject: Storage | October 26, 2012 - 02:52 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: plextor, m5 pro, ssd, toggle NAND, Marvell, Monet 88SS9187-BLD2
The Plextor M5 Pro introduces both Toshiba's new 19nm toggle NAND and Marvell's new 8-channel dual core Monet controller. [H]ard|OCP tried out the 256GB model, availble for $250, and were impressed not only by the performance but also the error correction abilities and the system utilities which were included. They were disappointed that the familiar Plextool software is not supported by this drive but they feel it is only a matter of time before Plextor remedies that issue. Check out the results of the benchmarks in their full review.
"Plextor brings the M5 Pro with the new Marvell Monet controller powering its banks of high performance Toshiba Toggle NAND. This is the debut of the first SSD with 19nm Toshiba Toggle NAND, the debutof the new Marvell Monet 88SS9187-BLD2 controller. We take a look and see what these new components bring to the table."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- Mushkin 7mm Chronos Deluxe 120GB SSD Review @HiTech Legion
- Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB SSD @ SPCR
- Mach Xtreme MX-DS Turbo 120 GB SLC @ techPowerUp
- The Truth About SSD Performance Numbers @ TechwareLabs
- PNY XLR8 Pro 480GB SSD @ SSD Review
- Comay Venus Pro 3 240GB SSD @ Tweaktown
- Silicon Power Velox V60 120 GB and Transcend SSD720 128 GB SSD @ X-bit Labs
- Runcore Rocket Air SSD Review - A 256GB Blade SSD Upgrade For Mid 2012 Macbooks and Ultras @ SSD Review
- ADATA Premier Pro SP300 24GB mSATA Cache Solid State Drive @ Kitguru
- Western Digital VelociRaptor 1TB 2.5" Hard Drive Review @ eTeknix
- OCZ Vertex 4 256GB Solid State Drive Review @ circuitREMIX
- Thecus N4100EVO NAS Server Review @ NikKTech
- OWC Mercury Electra 3G MAX 960GB Review: 1TB of NAND in 2.5" Form Factor @ AnandTech
- OWC DIY Kit (Data Doubler + SSD) and SuperSlim USB 2.0 External Enclosure Review @ Madshrimps
- QNAP TS-869L @ techPowerUp
- QNAP TS-469 Pro All-in-One NAS @ X-bit Labs
- Lexar JumpDrive S73 16GB USB3 @ Funky Kit
- Synology DS213+ @ techPowerUp
- Seagate 1TB Back Up Plus USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive Review @ Legit Reviews
A quick look at the data on Apple's Fusion Drive
Subject: Editorial, Storage | October 24, 2012 - 08:26 PM | Allyn Malventano
Tagged: hybrid, fusion drive, fusion, apple
Yesterday, amongst a bunch of other announcements, Apple mentioned a 'new' technology that was built into OSX (10.8.2 and up).
Dubbed 'Fusion Drive', this tech enables the late 2012 Mac Mini and iMac models to have a pseudo-hybrid drive. There's been a lot of speculation today on just how this technology will work, but I've cut through the chaff to try and shed some proper light on just how this new thing works, and how it is so different than any other 'hybrid' solution out there.
First, it's not a hybrid drive. The iMac or Mac Mini comes with an SSD and a HDD. Two individual SATA devices. Both devices appear as individual drives, even in Disk Utility. Where the magic happens is that OSX can be configured (and is pre-configured in these new systems) to combine the two drives into one drive that presents itself to the user as a single logical volume. The important point is that the drives are 'fused' together, not merged or mirrored. The SSD and HDD each have their own partition, and OSX can reach beneath the Fusion layer and shift files back and forth between the two as it sees fit. Frequently used apps and files can be shifted back and forth between the SSD and HDD, as seen in the below pic:
The biggest differences are in that since it's not a mirrored hybrid solution, where the SSD space is not available, and a failure of the HDD causes loss of all data. Fusion Drive combines the two volumes and *adds* the space together, and the apps or files will sit on either device (but not both). All files written go to the SSD first and are later shifted to the HDD in the background. This is actually a very smart way to handle things. The entire OSX install always stays on the SSD, so there is no concern of OS files 'rolling off' of the SSD cache, causing intermittent slowdowns. More (perhaps most) importantly, if the HDD fails on a Fusion Drive setup, OSX should theoretically just keep on chugging, albeit without access to the files or apps that were stored on the HDD. On the flip side, if the SSD were to fail, the HDD could simply be mounted in Target Mode under another Mac, and all files stored to that drive could then be recovered. Sure you won't get everything back in these scenarios, but it provides *much* more flexibility for data recovery, and it's worth repeating the fact that an HDD failure in any other hybrid solution results in the loss of ALL data.
A couple of other quick gotchas: You can still dual boot with boot camp under a Fusion Drive setup, but the boot camp partition will only be at the end of the HDD, not on the SSD. Windows will not only run slower because it's on the spinning disk, it will run slower because the latter portions of a HDD typically see about half of the throughput as compared to the start of that disk. Also, you are only allowed *one* additional (non-Fusion) partition on the HDD, which can be used for another OSX install *or* for the Boot Camp Windows install. Users who prefer to boot greater than two operating systems on their newer Mac will have to do so with Fusion Drive disabled.
More to follow as more data comes in. For now I'm only working off of the other speculation and the Apple Support Page on the matter.
$50 cache SSD anyone?
Subject: Storage | October 17, 2012 - 07:39 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: cache, ssd, sandisk, ReadyCache 32GB
SanDisk has been making flash based storage product for quite a long time and while they may not come to your mind when you are thinking of buying an SSD, they do have a variety of product lines available. [H]ard|OCP recently reviewed their 32GB ReadyCache SSD, which is powered by their own software and is a full sized SSD, so you won't need an mSATA slot in order to use the device. SanDisk also ensures your data's integrity by copying any data it is going to cache, so that a copy remains on your HDD in case the SSD dies on you. [H] were impressed by the ability of this drive to cache multiple HDDs and RAID volumes, a trick many other solutions can not manage. If you are looking for an inexpensive and easy way to increase your PCs performance you could do a lot worse than SanDisk's ReadyCache.
"SanDisk enters the caching solution market with the SanDisk ReadyCache 32GB SSD. This SSD provides instant acceleration to users' computers through intelligent software provided by Condusiv Technologies and hardware from SanDisk. By adding two tiers of data storage, both SSD and RAM, this solution looks promising."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- Corsair's Neutron and Neutron GTX solid-state drives @ The Tech Report
- Corsair Neutron and Corsair Neutron GTX Solid State Drives @ X-bit Labs
- SanDisk Extreme 240GB SSD Review @ Hardware Canucks
- ADATA SX300 128GB mSATA SSD Review @ OCC
- Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB Solid State Drive Review @ eTeknix
- Micron P320h PCIe SSD (700GB) @ AnandTech
- Transcend SSD320 256GB SSD @ Tweaktown
- Micron P320h HHHL 700GB PCIe Enterprise SSD Review - Unbelievable IOPS and Absurd Endurance @ SSD Review
- OCZ Vertex 4 128GB SATA III 2.5" SSD Review @ Madshrimps
- 240GB SanDisk Extreme Sold State Drive Review @ PCSTATS
- Corsair Neutron 240GB Solid State Drive Review @ eTeknix
- SMART Storage Systems Optimus 400GB SAS SSD @ SSD News
- Verbatim 2.5" SATA-II SSD 128GB @ Rbmods
- Crucial m4 mSATA 256GB SSD Review @ TechwareLabs
- Transcend SSD720 256GB SSD @ Tweaktown
- PNY Prevail Elite SATA 3 SSD @ SSD Review
- Patriot Gauntlet 320 Wireless HDD PCGTW320S @ Benchmark Reviews
- Silicon Power Diamond D05 Limited Edition 500GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive @ NikKtech/A>
- Kingston DT R3.0 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review @ NikKTech
- ADATA 16GB UV100 and ADATA 32GB S107 Flash Drives @ Funky Kit
- TonidoPlug 2 Small Home Server Review @ Kitguru
- Shuttle OMNINAS K20 NAS Server Review @ Madshrimps
- QNAP TS869U-RP 8-Bay Rackmount NAS Review @ eTeknix
- Icy Dock Hard Drive Bays (2-bay, 4-bay and 2-bay + Optical) Review @ HardwareHeaven
- Synology DiskStation DS413 4-bay NAS Server for Workgroups and Offices Review @ Madshrimps
- Synology DS412+ NAS @ Tweaktown
- Dane-Elec My Ditto 1TB NAS Review @ eTeknix
- Vantec NexStar HX 3.5" Hard Drive Enclosure Review @ Hi Tech Legion
- Shuttle OmniNAS KD20 review: first time's the charm? @ Hardware.info
- QNAP TS-869L and TS-269L Turbo NAS @ Legion Hardware
- StarTech mSATA to 2.5 SATA Enclosure Review @ TechwareLabs
- Review of Adata HV610, HD710 and HE720 external hard drives: Something for everyone @ Hardware.info
- Thecus TopTower N6850 6-Bay NAS Review @ eTeknix
AMD Launches Radeon RAMDisk, Free 6GB Disks With AMD Memory
Subject: Storage | October 10, 2012 - 09:30 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: ram disk, radeon ramdisk, radeon memory, amd memory, amd
AMD launched a new Radeon branded memory product today called the Radeon RAMDisk. Despite the rather unoriginal name, it is a piece of software that will allow you to use a portion of your system RAM as a hard drive-like storage device where you can install programs. AMD has partnered with Dataram to develop the software.
The AMD Radeon RAMDisk will create drives up to 64GB in size, and is designed to be used with AMD's own Radeon-branded DDR3 modules (though other manufacturer's RAM will work as well). The RAM disk offers up almost-instantaeous access times and impressive read and write speeds for your applications and virtual machines.
According to AMD, the Radeon RAMDisk can reach read speeds as high as 25,600 MB/s with DDR3 1600 RAM and up to 1700% faster game loading times than a traditional mechanical hard drive. It further supports the Windows operating system (Vista and above), and has a minimum system requirement of 4GB of system RAM.
The software costs $18.99 at time of writing for the full version.
The best part about this announcement though is the release of a freeware version of the Radeon RAMDisk that can create disks up to 6GB with AMD-branded RAM or 4GB with RAM from any other manufacturer! While that is fairly limiting in that you are not really going to be able to put much ont there (and installing games is almost out of the question entirely) you can still do a lot with a 4GB RAM disk by installing Office, photo editors, virtual machines (like Peppermint Linux), and other heavily used programs to speed up the important stuff.
You can acess the full press release on the Radeon RAMDisk website.
Download links:
- Free version - Limited to 4GB or 6GB RAMDisks depending on memory brand.
- Paid version - Create disks up to 64GB
If you have been with the site for at least the year that I've been writing here, you will know that I'm a huge fan of RAM disks. So, naturally, when I was passed the press release I just had to try it out.
While the extent of the performance increase is going to vary from program to program, the drive itself is extremely fast. When copying a .iso file to the Radeon RAMDisk, it was limited by my SSD's read speed, for example.
The RAM Disk was set up om my main desktop which has basic specifications as follows:
- Intel Core i7 -860 CPU
- 8GB (4 x 2GB) G.Skill DDR3 at 1333 MHz and 9-9-9-24 CAS timings
- Gigabyte P55-UD3R Motherboard
- 4096 MB Radeon RAMDisk
- 80GB Intel X25-M G2 SSD
- 2TB Samsung Spinpoint hard drive
- Windows 8 RTM
In addition to the file copy tests, I also used the HDTune benchmark to measure transfer speeds. Needless to say, RAM blows solid state NAND out of the water in speed (though it does cost more and is volatile storage).
In fact, it pulled such impressive numbers from HDTune that it skewed the chart a lot. Those little blips underneath it are from my Intel X25-M G2 80GB SSD and my 2TB Samsung Spinpoint mechanical hard drive.
HDTune also reports access times and burst speeds. The RAM disk had a 0.0 ms access time, the SSD has a 0.1 ms access time, and the mechanical hard drive brought up the rear with a 13.9 ms access time. Interestingly, the Samsung hard drive actually beat the SSD in burst speed. The RAM disk crush both of the other drives by a significant margin, however with a burst speed of 5,155 MB/s.
Over the years, I have used a RAMDisk for hosting photo editors as as using the drive for media I was currently working on. It worked well at the time, but the free software was not exactly what I would call stable. However, the AMD software is a mere 6.2 MB download that installs quickly and is easy to configure. The UI is spartan (and resembles Windows Classic), but it gets the job done and has yet to crash on me after trying to break it today (heh). It does not feel "janky" at all, and I have to give AMD and Dataram props for that.
Below are screenshots of the Radeon RAMDisk interface. You can create new disks as well as loading saved ones.
Yes, RAM being faster than hard drive storage is not new information, but I did find it surprising just how much faster it was, even compared to my SSD. Heck, even compared to a DDR2 based RAM disk, it was fast. It really puts into perspective why the hard drive is the slowest aspect of modern computers, and why things can slow to a crawl when the CPU has to reach out past the internal cache and system RAM to the hard drive to fetch data. If you are running a system with a lot of 'extra' RAM, I encourage you to take AMD's new Radeon RAMDisk software for a test drive. It's time to give those DDR3 DIMMs a workout!
Do you use RAM disks to speed up your favorite applications?
It's expensive but impressive, Acer's new Aspire S5 Ultrabook
Subject: Storage | October 7, 2012 - 03:33 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: ultrabook, Aspire S5, Aspire S Series, acer
The Acer Aspire S5 is a 13.3", 1366x768 ultrabook with a Intel Core i7-3317U, 4GB of DDR3 and two 128GB SSDs in RAID 0. At its thickest point it measures 0.59" and overall is a blazing fast ultraportable system, in fact TechSpot saw some results where the S5 outperformed a system with OCZ's RevoDrive X3 PCIe SSD inside. Connectivity options are very impressive as well with not only the usual suspects,USB 3.0 and HDMI, there is also a Thunderbolt port on the back. The news is not all good however, as this ultrabook is likely to cost around $1400 which is much higher than the supposed sub-$1000 ultrabook price requirement.
"'Easier said than done' is the best phrase I can think of to describe Intel's ultrabook initiative. On paper, the plan seemed easy enough, although manufacturing partners and knowledgeable consumers alike would testify that it's been anything but. Aspirations to compete with Apple's ultrathin MacBook Air have been met with a number of compromises as hardware makers struggle to find the perfect blend of features while keeping the overall price somewhere around Intel's $1,000 target.
Could a few hundred bucks tacked on the top end make a difference between a vanilla ultrabook and something truly special? That's something Acer is willing to gamble on with its latest flagship ultrabook. "
Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
- Alienware M18x R2 Notebook Review: NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680M in SLI @ AnandTech
- AVADirect Clevo P170EM: Has AMD's HD 7970M Got Game @ AnandTech
- Dell U2713HM - Unbeatable performance out of the box @ AnandTech
- GIGABYTE P2542G Gaming Laptop @ Tweaktown
- ASUS G75VW-T1086V @ Hardware.info
- Lenovo ThinkPad Edge S430 @ Kitguru
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon @ Kitguru
- Samsung Series 5 535 Review @ TechReviewSource
- Dell Latitude 6430u hands-on @ The Inquirer
- NZXT Cryo E40 Notebook Cooler Review @ eTeknix
- Cooler Master NotePal I300 Review @ Pro-Clockers
- Glacialtech Igloo Pad Series R15 Laptop Cooling Pad Review @ Frostytech
- Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 3G Review @ TechReviewSource
- Acer Iconia Tab A210 @ XSReviews
- Lenovo IdeaTab A2109 Review @ TechReviewSource
- ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity (TF700T) @ TweakTown
- Apple iOS 6 Mobile OS Review (on an iPad 3) @ TweakTown
- LunaTik Watch Band for the Apple iPod Nano @ TechwareLabs
- Apple AirPort Express review: new generation @ Hardware.info
- Nokia Lumia 900 Cell Phone Review @ Hardware Secrets
- Apple iPhone 5 Review: Thinner, Lighter, Faster @ TechSpot
- Apple iPhone 5 @ Tweaktown
- Apple Iphone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 head to head @ The Inquirer
- Samsung Galaxy Note II vs Apple iPhone 5 @ Hardware.info
- Hands-on with BlackBerry 10 @ Hardware.info
The Vertex series returns to it's roots with the Indilinx infused Everest 2 controller
Subject: Storage | October 7, 2012 - 03:05 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: ocz, Vertex 4, indilinx everest 2, ssd, 240gb, Marvell 9145
The Vertex 4 series from OCZ will end up being an intermediary controller between the old Marvell 9145 based Indilinx design which OCZ now owns and a new controller that is being designed in house by OCZ and the Indilinx team which came as part of the acquisition. That doesn't mean this drive should be avoided, the prices are quite good with the 512GB model being one of the most affordable new drives on the market. [H]ard|OCP's testing had it performing at the top of the pack in many benchmarks and the drive comes with a 5 year warranty so you are getting quite a lot for a relatively low price.
"The Vertex 4 is a departure from OCZ's tried and true model of using third party controllers and firmware for its SSDs. Taking control of the firmware with the Vertex 4 gives OCZ the ability to tune the SSDs for speed and performance at lower queue depths and optimize for low latency. We test to see if the Everest 2 Platform delivers."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- SSD prices continue tumbling in Q3 @ The Tech Report
- OCZ Vertex 4 256GB @ LanOC Reviews
- ADATA Premier Pro SP900 256GB SSD Review @ TechwareLabs
- Corsair Accelerator 30GB SSD Cache Drive Review @ Hardware Canucks
- Samsung 830 256GB Solid State Drive Review @ circuitREMIX
- KingFast F3 Plus 240GB 7mm SSD @ Tweaktown
- Samsung 840 Series 250GB SSD @ The SSD Review
- Corsair Neutron 240GB SSD Review @ eTeknix
- Samsung SSD 840 250GB @ Hardware.info
- OWC Mercury Helios PCIe Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis Review - Imagine 800GB/s and 150,000 IOPS @ The SSD Reveiw
- TeleCommunication Systems Proteus Plus Military SSD Preview @ Tweaktown
- MDSSD TweakTown Chris Ramseyer Signature Edition by SuperSSpeed 128GB SLC @ Tweaktown
- Toshiba MK01GRRB/R 2.5-inch 6Gb/s SAS 15,000 RPM Enterprise HDD @ Tweaktown
- Synology DS212 Network Attached Storage @ X-bit Labs
- Synology NAS DSM Software Deep Dive @ Tweaktown
- Thecus N5550 – The Perfect NAS? @ COD
- MCE OptiBay for Unibody Kit Review @ Madshrimps
- QNAP TurboNAS TS-269L NAS Server Review @ NikKTech
- Thecus N5550 5-bay SMB/SOHO NAS Server Review @ Techgage
- LaCie 2big NAS @ X-bit Labs
- Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ G2 16GB USB Drive Review @ Neoseeker
- Pretec SDHC 32GB 433x Media Card Review @ eTeknix
- Patriot Memory 32GB Supersonic Rage XT USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review @ Madshrimps
- Patriot Supersonic Boost XT and Rage 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive @ Hi Tech Legion
- Silicon Power Marvel M60 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review @ NikKTech
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Right Here (Departed) (Single)
by Brandy
Released: Sep 2008
Label: Epic
Leaving behind the turmoil of the past year, the R&B singer-actress' comeback single (co-written by Rodney Jerkins) is an emotional stunner.
Listen to the songs you love. Anytime, anywhere.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Novel Stent Platform Designed for Radial Strength, Flexibility
HOUSTON, March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- IDEV Technologies Incorporated, (IDEV) an emerging leader in the development and marketing of minimally invasive technologies, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an investigational device exemption (IDE) for a multi-center clinical trial of its SUPERA stent, a novel stent platform designed for the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the superficial femoral artery (SFA). PAD affects more than 8 million people in the U.S. alone and, by the age of 65, 12-20 percent of the population will develop PAD, according to the American Heart Association.
The SUPERB trial (Comparison of the SUPERA PERipheral System to a Performance Goal Derived from Balloon Angioplasty Clinical Trials in the Superficial Femoral Artery), a prospective, single-arm trial of 258 subjects at up to 40 U.S. sites, will be led by national co-principal investigators Kenneth Rosenfield, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA and Lawrence Garcia, M.D., of Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston, MA.
"The approval of this IDE marks a significant step forward toward understanding the potential benefits of the unique properties of the SUPERA stent," Dr. Rosenfeld said. "Members of the physician community have already shown a high level of interest in this novel stent platform and IDEV's commitment to generating prospective clinical data will help us demonstrate the promise of this device."
The objective of the trial is to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the SUPERA Interwoven Self-Expanding Nitinol Stent in treating subjects with obstructive SFA disease. SUPERA has demonstrated superior properties in engineering tests compared to nitinol laser cut slotted tube stents resulting in greater than four times the radial s
|SOURCE IDEV Technologies, Incorporated
Copyright©2009 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved


text:
The original Overlord was a flawed game with a subversively chewy center. The only thing Overlord II needs to deliver to outdo the original is some polish, which is something we can't really tell is present from messing around with a demo for 10 minutes. That doesn't mean we didn't like what we saw, it's simply noting that Overlord's flaws didn't become strikingly clear until later in the game. The latest title has the same whimsical art style as the original, but this time magic is starting to disappear from the world. The Overlord will not only battle a comical version of the Roman empire (Asterix and Obelix fans will notice immediately), but will be an antihero to the loss of magic in the world.
A demo for the game is available now on Xbox Live and PSN, but it picks up where the E3 demo leaves off.
Overlord II starts with players taking control over the Overlad. An adorable pint-sized evil living in a tiny mountain town about to be attacked by the Glorious Empire. The young future despot is betrayed by his people and fends off the attacking army using minions and taking control of a catapult.
The minions and their control have received an upgrade since we last met. The little gremlins will enhance themselves with whatever items they scavenge along the way, but now the player doesn't have to worry about losing their "cool looking" minion, as players can now resurrect them at the Minion Graveyard and keep them through the campaign. Also, minions now have mounts to ride, but the only ones we saw were wolves.
Particular note should be made of the right analog stick, which not only controls the sweeping of minions (like it did in the original), but also controls the camera. The game "just knows" when you're trying to sweep minions or move the camera position. It's not a perfect system, but it works surprisingly well from the small amount of time we had with it.
We didn't have any time with multiple minions, which is where the true frustration for many players showed up with the original title. However, we were told that the attention to detail we saw with the camera/sweeping mechanic was also applied to the point later in the game where players have to control multiple minion types.
Although we remain cautiously optimistic about minion management, it appears that the concepts of the original Overlord have been refined in the sequel (which is all we ever wanted). We're definitely looking forward to playing the game later this month and hoping that this time around the master of darkness can show us some evil gameplay that's polished and refined.


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Cast of Characters
A Bit of History:My boyfriend, Jerry, had a mandatory week of vacation during the month of June.
We initially toyed with the idea of a quick trip to WDW, then thought better to go to Vegas (more bang for the buck) and the last idea was to go fishing at the coast. We had even thought of doing absolutely nothing, and putting the money towards the cost of our impending wedding. But two weeks prior to his vacation, Jerry surprised me by asking me to get a quote on a quick trip to WDW – with only one park day (the Magic Kingdom). We woke up one Saturday morning and booked everything – 3 nights at All Star Movies, airfare on Southwest Airlines and one PS for Cinderella's Royal Table for dinner. I dug up some old park hopper passes that had one Plus option remaining so we could go to one of the water parks and we were set.
Unlike my previous trips, where I spent months and months planning, jockeying for coveted Priority Seatings and scrounging for the lowest room rates possible, I had all of two weeks to wait before we departed. And those two weeks seemed to take FOREVER! lol. I couldn't even pack anything because I had a business trip to take the week before and planned to use the same suitcase. But as soon as I returned from that trip, I grabbed my list and started "the pile." For just a 4-day trip, "the pile" seemed to develop a life of its own.
The Saturday before we left, I took my time packing everything carefully into place. My goal was to not check my luggage and I'm happy to report that I succeeded. We were flying out of San Antonio Sunday and had a graduation party to attend in San Antonio Saturday, so it only made sense that we stay in town (at my parents' house) that night. Party done. Pleasantries exchanged. A quick late evening visit with long-time friends (who live down the street from my parents). And we called it a night. Or … at least we tried. You see … there wasn't an alarm in the room at my parents', my parents were out of town, and their alarm clock is somewhat possessed (going off at all hours of the night). So we asked Jerry's mom for a 6:00 a.m. wake-up call and my long-time friends for a back-up call at 7:00. It wasn't exactly Mickey, but it would have to do.
Day 1 – Sunday, June 8, 2003Jerry's Introduction to The World
After a very restless night – both out of excitement and out of fear that Jerry's mom wouldn't make the 6:00 wake-up call, she in fact, did call – a little before 6:00 even. My first words for the day were "We're Going to Disney World" and with that, we were "up and at 'em" in no time. I actually qualified for a world record because I managed to be ready inside of 40 minutes. Hmm … I wonder why. The two of us together were ready within an hour. 30 minutes ahead of schedule and we headed out for breakfast. Somehow or another, we lost our 30 minutes and were now only 10 minutes ahead. Oh well. We had budgeted plenty of time. We arrived at Jerry's mom's house, where his sister was ready to take us to the airport. After visiting a bit, we took off for the airport and arrived at 9:00. After making our way through security (sans shoes, I might add), we waited. And we waited. And we waited.
The flight, which was completely booked, was uneventful. We even survived the cattle call that is SWA's boarding process. The most exciting aspect of the flight was actually seeing Epcot down below – this was the first time I had flown over a WDW park. However, we quickly learned this was probably not the path normally taken when flying into MCO as we had detoured to St. Petersburg in order to avoid some "weather" to the west of Orlando. We got our first view of the "weather" upon arrival at MCO – there was rain - and lots of it. No bother – we were 10 minutes early and we had ponchos! Our Tiffany Town Car driver, Arshad (aka Max) was waiting for us in baggage claim. A quick stop at Publix for water and adult beverages and we were on our way to ASMo. Woo hoo!
We arrived at ASMo, having left the "weather" in the vicinity of MCO. We quickly deduce that we will be in line for quite some time. Oh boy. This is the longest line I've experienced when checking into this resort (I've stayed here on two different trips). We entertain ourselves with the trivia they have posted in the queue – I actually knew all the answers except for one (How many Dalmations are located in the Dalmations section of ASMo? Keep reading to find out the answer.) After a 30+ minute wait, we arrange for our one-day park tickets, credit card charges, and receive our room assignment. Alas, two of our 3 requests have been met – a king sized bed (we feared a double would've been a bit "too" cozy) and a non-smoking room. We had requested a room facing Andy's Room (the Toy Story courtyard), but instead had a view of the Duck Pond (Mighty Ducks buildings). Oh well.
We found our room and it was spacious enough. We had a refrigerator free of charge; I had heard all king-sized rooms had refrigerators because they were also the handicap rooms (complete with handicap showers – more on this later). Got unpacked and requested an iron and ironing board from mousekeeping. And we left to explore Downtown Disney. We walked out to the bus stop and a DtD bus immediately pulled up. Woo hoo! Our first order of business was to find some grub. After all, we had not had a sufficient meal since breakfast (unless you consider beer and peanuts on the plane a sufficient meal). We contemplated Rainforest Café or Cap'n Jacks and after looking at both menus, decided on Rainforest Café. Dinner began with two lemonades, an appetizer of quesadillas, soup for Jerry and salad for me. We split an order of the mogambo shrimp for dinner and had our eyes on the Bananas Foster for dessert. However, we were so full (we certainly could've done without the soup and salad), we bypassed dessert.
We explored Days of Christmas and the Memories store (the store that claims to be a scrapbook store) where we made our first purchase for our wedding. For the past two weeks, I had been telling Jerry I did not see the need for one of those big frilly, feather-laden pens to sit by the guest book. He spotted the Minnie bride pen and suggested this would be perfect for the guest book. Sold! We spent a good deal of time exploring Once Upon a Toy (which was new since my last visit in 2001). I loved the Mr. Potato Head with all of the Disney accessories and am still kicking myself (yes, it really can be done!) for not picking one up. We wandered through Team Mickey (?? The store with all of the sporting wear) where we looked over the golf wear – we are contemplating taking that up together since Jerry has been forced to retire from softball following a recent injury (forced by whom, we won't say, but I personally think I'm already shaping up to be a good wife! lol.)
With much forewarning, we enter World of Disney and begin a shopping frenzy that has other shoppers running for the exits as we enter each room. I think it is the frothing at the mouth that has them worried. We managed to purchase almost all souvenirs in one fell-swoop (what exactly is a "fell-swoop" anyway?) and are done within the 5-hour time limit. I came away with a new key ring, some antenna toppers, a cap and a Mickey charm for my charm bracelet. Jerry picked up some t-shirts and bracelets for his girls.
We stop at McDonald's for a drink – shopping really dehydrates one, doesn't it? Or perhaps it was the amount of running we did through the store. And we were off to the Westside to poke around there. We walked through the Planet Hollywood store, Magnetron (I was personally disappointed – that place is too small to have that many people inside – where was the fire marshall when you need them?) and the Candy Cauldron where caramel apples lured us inside for a treat. We sat, we rested and we were off again to the Marketplace. We stopped into Basin, where they had some lovely and not-so-lovely-smelling bathroom items.
We didn't wait long for our bus to ASMo. Made a stop in the resort gift shop (this is a tradition with me – my son and I, on previous trips, usually made the gift shop our last stop each evening). Jerry stopped for some pizza and we used our refillable mugs. The iron and ironing board had been delivered, but the iron didn't work. So we had to wait up for mousekeeping to bring another. I ironed clothes while we watched the resort channel. Lights were out by 12:30.
By the way, there are 101 Dalmations on the Dalmations buildings at ASMo.
Day 2 – Monday, June 9, 2003Someday My Prince Will Come … and Today is That Day
I requested a 6:58 a.m. wake up call (remembering to ask for a time other than on the hour or half-past the hour – to increase the chance of having Mickey wake us.) I also recently read that the phones in the resorts have speakers, so everyone in the room could hear the call. When Mickey called, I hit the speaker button so Jerry could hear him too. We both loved hearing Mickey – reminding us of "big doins'" and urging us to get "up and at 'em".
I was first up to shower, while Jerry ran to get coffee and hot chocolate. The flood which encompassed the handicap bathroom was nothing short of the swells we would see the next day at Typhoon Lagoon. The engineer-minded Jerry determined there was a serious flaw with the design of the floor, based on the drainage issues. We were ready and off to the food court shortly, where I had oatmeal and sausage and Jerry had the breakfast platter. Mine could've been better and Jerry's was just okay – the saving grace of the whole meal was the breakfast potatoes. In the words of Paula Abdul (of American Idol fame), "I'll give them two words: Yum-my!"
We left for the MK at approximately 9:30. We stopped for pictures on Main Street (of course!). Then it was off to Adventureland where we obtained Fast Passes for Jungle Cruise and made our way to Pirates of the Caribbean, Jerry's first Disney ride. He really liked this one and was surprised at the detail. Oh – and the wait was very short. Next up was the Tikki Room – Under New Management. I had only seen this once before with the old management in place – back in 1978. So I guess you could say I really had not seen this at all. I wouldn't say we were overly excited about this attraction, but both agree Jerry's daughters would enjoy it. Upon exiting, we see it is pouring rain. Not to worry, as I whip out the ponchos in a flash and we make our way towards Liberty Square – however even this is a bit much for ponchos, so we seek refuge (along with about a gazillion other people) in one of the breezeways between Adventureland and Frontierland. As the rain lightens up, we make a dash for the Haunted Mansion. I love this ride and I think Jerry likes it too. We make the mistake of heading to Fantasyland. If there were 30,000 people in the park that day, 29,000 of them were in Fantasyland at that very moment. We make an about-face and decide to return to Jungle Cruise, but it is down due to lightning; we are told our Fast Passes will be good at any time during the day. Being an optimist, I lead us to Splash and Big Thunder Mountain, which are also down due to the weather. We grab FP's for Splash anyway – hoping our return time will be convenient or we will have an open return due to the weather.
We somehow make our way towards Tomorrowland and realize we could stand to take a break and grab some lunch. The Plaza Pavillion is nearby and so we stop there. We each have an Italian Stack Sandwich, share some fries, a soda for Jerry and water for me. We are both sold on the tomato-based condiment-like stuff that tops the sandwich as this is really the only thing close to seasoning. We watch many Mickey ponchos bopping around and realize what a beautiful view we have of the castle. Yes – this is why I love this place!
Our stomachs sufficiently filled, we make our way to Tomorrowland because Jerry has been told not to miss the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. I rather like it because it gives you a good overview of what can be found in Tomorrowland. The rain has finally stopped. In watching the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin line, I hedge my bets and think we will have just enough time to ride it before needing to meet our CM friend at 2:00. Jerry has an absolute blast aboard Buzz (pun intended) – especially since he somehow manages to find a target that causes his score to jump significantly higher than mine. Even though the ride stopped in one of the rooms and we had limitless target opportunities, I allow him to win anyway (told you I was going to make a good wife). lol.
We make our way down Main Street to meet our CM friend, Jim. His wife Lisa has just come on shift on the Walt Disney World Railroad (this is his day off) and we make our way up to the platform. She is due to conduct the next train through to Toontown, where she is scheduled to work that day, and we are allowed to ride in back with her. Jerry and I make the "all aboard" announcement and then Jerry hits the buttons for the train announcements. We also announce our arrival in Frontierland. Cool. We exit at Frontierland, where we see Splash is back up. Jim, who has been working at Splash for 3 weeks now, manages to secure a FP for himself and we make our way to the front of the line – or as close to the front of the line as we can get – even the FP line is long as the ride has just re-opened. Jerry was very nervous about riding this, as he doesn't do well on roller coasters. Specifically, the big drops make him a bit queasy and just looking at the drop on Splash made him … well … no … his face is not always that shade of green. Jerry survived, with help from Jim, who pointed out some hidden Mickeys and entertained us with tales of guests who leap out of their logs and run rampant within the attraction. In the end, I am the only one who is soaked, which is fitting, since I am the one who hates to walk around in wet clothes.
In no particular order, we did the following, traversing the park many times over: Country Bear Jamboree (had not seen this since I was a kid) – we were the last guests seated before they closed the doors – nice timing. Took our pictures in the stocks in Liberty Square, followed by some Mickey bars and a ride on the Liberty Belle. We got on line for Alien Encounter, only warning Jerry that it was intense. Jerry absolutely LOVED it! This was, without a doubt, his favorite ride. We visited Lisa at the Toontown train station and then hopped a ride over to Frontierland. Went to ride BtMR, where Jim finagled a baby swap pass for us that allowed 3 persons to use the FP line. Nice! I was not about to let Jerry leave without riding a true Disney classic – It's a Small World. And then we waited for over an hour for a ride that I could not leave without riding – Peter Pan's Flight – my all-time favorite Fantasyland ride. Afterwards, we had a few minutes before our Cinderella's Royal Table PS to take some pictures in front of the Partners statue.
And then, the moment I had waited for for 38 years – okay – so maybe I hadn't been waiting since the minute I was born, but certainly the moment I had waited for since becoming an adult and realizing my love for WDW. (and my love of Jerry too!) Jerry led me to the castle courtyard, which is, for the most part, deserted. I see him reaching into his pocket and I know what is about to happen. Jim is at the ready with camera in hand. Jerry faces me, declares his undying love, gets down on one knee and places the most sparkling diamond ring ….on my right hand. All the while, I am giggling and reminding him it should go on my left hand. He says it was the hand opposite HIS left. lol. With a resounding "YES", it's official. We are engaged. We seal it with a kiss and Jim marks the entire occasion with photos. I can barely walk because my knees are shaking so.
With just a few minutes to spare before our PS, Jim says he has to do something special for us. We zip into one of the nearby stores where he purchases the bride and groom Mickey ears for us. We insist these are for honeymooners and Jim will have nothing of it – placing them on our heads and declaring that being engaged entitles us to wear these. He checks us in at CRT, making sure the hostess notes our recent engagement. He then carries the camera into the waiting area, where I visibly (or is it audibly?) gasp when he turns me around to show me that Cinderella is here. We have our picture taken with Cinderella and I am very excited – like a kid in a candy store. Jim leaves us to secure front-row seats for SpectroMagic.
Soon, we are called upstairs and sit down to a wonderful meal. Our server makes little notice of our recent engagement, but one of the other wait staff do. We begin dinner with the seafood spring roll (or is it the egg roll?), which is absolutely delicious. Jerry has the Bruno's Chop with herb-roasted potatoes and I have Jaq's Seafood Risotto with calamari, scallops and creamy risotto. Both meals are wonderful. I find mine a bit rich though and am only able to finish about half of it. My still-shaking knees could be contributing to it as well.
As we come off of the Fantasyland Bridge (where Jim has told us to look for him), we spot him and try to make our way to our 'reserved seats' on the curb of the hub. This proves to be somewhat of a challenge as another guest apparently did not get her afternoon nap and is a bit cranky - basically throwing a fit about the number of people who are trying to get by. After making our way around her (she actually sat down in the middle of the walkway before Jerry could make his way through), we find Jim again. He has told the gathering crowd of our recent engagement and we arrive to cheers and applause.
We both enjoy Spectromagic and tears gather in my eyes at the sight. This is the first time I have seen this parade in its entirety. The Main Street Electrical Parade will forever be my favorite night-time parade, but there is just something about a Disney parade – any Disney parade – that puts a lump in my throat. Afterwards, like salmon running upstream, we fight the crowd who are headed to the hub and make our way to the Fantasyland bridge. We watch Tinkerbell fly (Jerry is in awe) and Fantasy in the Sky too. Jim points out to us that the castle actually changes colors to match the music that is played during the fireworks show (blue for music from the little Mermaid, etc.) Very cool.
We're off to Toontown to find Lisa, but she has already closed up the train station for the day. We take the path to Tomorrowland and realize that Space Mountain is still open. Jim and I make a made dash for the entrance and get in just before they close. I sit in the front for a very different, but awesome, ride.
We make our way to Main St., where we pick up our picture from Exposition Hall. Bid our good-byes to Jim and thank him for contributing to our magical day, with a promise to send him a copy of our pictures. We duck into the confectionary to pick up a gift for the neighbors, who have been taking care of the dog while we are away, and some Mickey rice krispie treats. And no trip to the Magic Kingdom would be complete without a stop at the Emporium (proof yet again, that I am a female!) as I have found a shirt for my son.
We return to ASMo and pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. We are both very excited and decide to go for a midnight swim. We have the pool to ourselves for about 2 minutes before 3 other people jump in – but they stay at their end of the pool and we stay at ours. When a large group of teenagers decide to join us as well, we call it an evening, finish the champagne and lights are out at approximately 1:00.
Day 3 – Tuesday, June 10, 2003Waterlogged in The World
Today, Mickey wakes us at 7:58. My first full day of being an engaged woman and I don't get to wear my ring – because this is our water park day. Jerry is off to get coffee and hot chocolate, while I hop in the shower (I know what you're thinking – why take a shower when I'm only going to a water park? If you must know, I simply didn't want to be mistaken for Chewbacca and my legs needed shaving.)
After getting over the shock of damp and cold bathing suits following our late night swim, we make our way to the food court for breakfast. I have the breakfast potatoes and bacon and Jerry has the breakfast croissant sandwich and breakfast potatoes (remember what Paula says about those potatoes! lol.) We each have our choice of caffeine. Because neither of us have a watch, I have no idea what time we finally make it to the bus stop for Typhoon Lagoon.
We rent a locker, apply the sunscreen and make our way to the wave pool. We stay for a couple of iterations of the wave – I swim out to the 5 and a half-foot mark and catch some of the larger ones – lots of fun. We then wait for a tube in Castaway Creek and enjoy a leisurely ride around the park. We both have a chuckle over the shrill screams of delight that emanate from the wave pool each time a wave is coming. We exit near shark reef as this has intrigued Jerry since I first showed him the planning videos and pictures from a previous trip. Unfortunately, Jerry doesn't consider himself a strong swimmer, panics and can't make it across. I realize this as I am exiting the tank and see him getting out at the other side. I try to make one more swim across and this time my snorkel keeps filling with salt water and I panic. I make my way across as quickly as I can and we are done with shark reef.
We find the storm slides and ride all 3. Not the most thrilling of rides, but they were wet and I suppose that's all that matters. I decide to try Humunga Kowabunga and really like it. It's dark and it's fast. I was not up to a second trip down and if Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach provides you with more of a wedgie than this one, than I might have to re-think going on it on a later trip. After I've gotten my bathing suit all straightened out, we make our way across the park to do the tube slides. Both fun. Both wet.
The rumbling in our tummies tells us it's time to eat. Leaning Palms offers a variety that we like. I have the chicken wrap and chips, while Jerry tries the BBQ pork sandwich and fries. I'm surprised the chicken wrap is cold. But both are good.
We take another turn on Castaway Creek while lunch settles. Then it's off to the wave pool again. By this time, it is a bit crowded and after two waves, it is time to leave. It is now 3:00. We get a Finding Nemo mug instead of our $2 deposit for the locker rental – cute mug. A bus for the All Stars is waiting when we walk out, but it fills before we can get on and are forced to wait for another. An eternity passes before another one arrives.
Back at ASMo, we enjoy a couple of adult beverages before getting ready for the evening. I finally put my ring on for the first time today. The plan is to tour the monorail resorts – specifically the Polynesian, where we are considering staying on our trip next year. We take the bus to the Magic Kingdom and the resort monorail over to the TTC. We switch to the Epcot monorail and ride up front with the pilot. At Epcot, there is another family waiting to ride with the pilot, so we step into the next car. We ride back to TTC and hop on the resort monorail again. The next stop is the Poly and we get out to explore and decide to have dinner at O'hana's. We are able to walk right in and we both really enjoy this dinner. The one thing I notice is the restaurant is very noisy – something I don't remember from my first visit here. Jerry orders a Lupa Lupa and it was very strong. I had an under whelming pina colada. Jerry loved the wontons. And the shrimp was much less fishier (fishy tasting?) than last time. The pork was a bit dry. We both loved the pineapple with caramel sauce. Overall, a very enjoyable experience.
At the front desk, we asked about seeing a room so we could determine if it would meet the needs of what we affectionately call "our brood" (the two of us, my teenage son and his two daughters, age 6 and 7). There is no one available to show us the room, but we view a picture instead and can only say the day bed looks as big as a twin and would probably fit the teenager just fine. I wanted to check out the new volcano pool – it's a pool, it has a volcano in it – that's about all I can say. We walked on the beach and waited for a boat back to the Magic Kingdom. Jerry had little interest in touring the Grand Floridian (which was fine with me) and our resort monorail tour had come to an end. Instead, we hopped on the next boat to the Wilderness Lodge. I love the look of this place and it will forever be one of my dream resorts (with Animal Kingdom Lodge being the other). Jerry loved the look of this place and his gasp was audible when we entered the lobby. We spent a lot of time in the gift shop (what is it with women and shopping?) where Jerry found one of my favorite souvenirs of this trip – a dog tag for our Pug.
We took the boat back to the MK, where we saw part of the Electrical Water Pageant at the WL. I'm sorry now that we left before it started. I really think Jerry would like to have seen the whole thing. We grabbed a bus back to ASMu (because we were in the Mighty Ducks building, we have alternately used their busses and bus stops when it was convenient for us). After searching both the ASMu and ASMo gift shops (in vain) for a picture frame we had seen earlier during our stay, we returned to the room without it. We finished off a couple of more adult beverages and drifted off to sleep with the resort channel playing.
Day 4 – Wednesday, June 11, 2003Homeward Bound
I arranged for a 7:58 a.m. wake up call from the Mouse and he called right on time. I showered, while Jerry made his daily run for caffeine (in the same form as the previous two days). When he returned, he hopped in the shower while I began the task of packing. It became clear that we would need to find a bigger WDW bag to place goodies in. We headed to the food court for breakfast: biscuits and gravy with a side of breakfast potatoes for me and a Mickey waffle with strawberries and potatoes and bacon for Jerry. We pick up a large shopping bag in the gift shop, took a stroll through Andy's Room and snapped some pictures. Headed back to our room to grab the bags and met our Tiffany Town Car driver at 11:40. (you just gotta love Express check-out!) I managed to hold back the tears, as difficult as it was. This small adventure was over and a new chapter in my life has just begun.
We had a flight delay out of MCO (left at 2:00 instead of 1:40). Grabbed some McDonald's to have on the plane for lunch. Had a layover in New Orleans and then changed planes in Houston. We arrived in San Antonio right on time 6:05 – it has certainly been a long day.
Jerry's sister picks us up at the airport and we head to the house to pick up my car and his mom. We enjoy dinner with my parents and son and Jerry's mom, sister and nephew. This is our parents' first meeting and we thought the timing couldn't have been better. A 45-minute drive home and we are out by 11:00 p.m.
Summary:This was a special trip in so many ways.
First and foremost was the proposal. Yes, I knew that Jerry was going to propose – he needed my help in planning the trip. But it didn't take away from the magic of that very moment. Definitely a dream come true.
Jerry's first trip. He really enjoyed himself and admitted that our time at The World was not enough to even scratch the surface. He really enjoyed Alien Encounter – his absolute favorite ride. And I loved showing him around and watching his reaction to all the things I love about the place.
Some alone time (just adults – no kids) spent with my fiancé at one of my favorite places on earth.
And as always … we can look forward to another trip. We plan to return next year at this same time (taking the whole brood along) and will be meeting up with our friends from England, the Stringers. With a party of 11 traveling together, you can bet we are in for one heck of a good time.
Sharon Lozano
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Alpha Course
What Is Alpha?
According to the Alpha Course website:
The Alpha Course is a ten-week introduction to the Christian faith. It centers on fifteen talks, weekly small group discussions and a weekend or day away to focus on the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Alpha had its origins at Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican congregation in the heart of London. The course has been run in its present form since 1992. God has blessed Alpha in a powerful way. Today 31,260 courses are running in 154 countries throughout the world. The material for the course has been translated into 61 languages plus braille.
The Alpha Course for college and university students is run exactly in same way as a traditional Alpha course. However the circumstances facing college students today require some creativity and flexibility in adapting the course to the university context.
Who Can Participate?anyone wanting to know more about the Christian faith
What Are the Course Topics?
- Is there more to life than this?
- Who is Jesus?
- Why did Jesus die?
- How can we have faith?
- Why and how do I pray?
- Why and how should I read the Bible?
- How does God guide us?
- How can I resist evil?
- Why and how should we tell others?
- Does God heal today?
- What about the Church?
- Who is the Holy Spirit?
- What does the Holy Spirit do?
- How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?
- How can I make the most of the rest of my life?
What Is the Format?
Dinner is provided, followed by a video viewing and a time of discussion.
The course curriculum is the book Questions of Life by Nicky Gumbel.
When and Where?
The Alpha Course is currently being presented weekly at the home of Dwight and Maria Schwartz, 46 E. 26th St., Baltimore, MD, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.
For more information please visit the Alpha Course website or contact Andrea Allgood (allgood @ jhu.edu).
Updated: 2009.09.02:10:21


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By J.S Bach
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Air on a G String for String Trio composed by J.S Bach. Arranged by D.Burndrett. For Violin, Viola, Cello. Baroque Period. Easy/Beginner. Set of Parts, Score. Published by David Burndrett (S0.11911).
This works well as a concert piece or just for fun. Download includes the score and all of the parts.
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NYX Butter Gloss
329 reviews
88% would repurchase
Package Quality: 4.4
Price: $$$
Package Quality: 4.4
Price: $$$
INGREDIENTSMineral Oil, Polybutene, Diisostearyl Malate, Beeswax, Ceresin, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Polyethylene, Sorbitan, Sesquioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragran May contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxide Black (CI 77499), Iron Oxide Red (CI 77491), Iron Oxide Yellow (CI 77492), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), D&C Red 6 Na Salt (CI 15850), D&C Red 7 Ca Lake (CI 15850), D&C Red 28 Al Lake (CI 45410), FD&C Yellow 6 Al Lake (CI 15985:1), FD&C Yellow 5 Al Lake (CI 19140:1).
on 8/19/2014 4:24:00 PM
Age: 25-29
Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool
Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse
Eyes: Brown
I'm on my third tube of creme brulee, I love it so hard. I broke one attempting to open it with my teeth (my hands were wet!) and I have a sneaking suspicion my BFF stole the other one (she borrowed it incessantly.) I typically only wear clear gloss or balm...I'm more of an eye makeup fiend, and I don't like the upkeep of colored lippies.
Creme brulee is perfect because not only does it feel like a balm, it can be applied without a mirror yet gives a bit of color and polish to the lip. Typically dudes hate lip products but I was on a date the other night and the guy said he loved this gloss.
I also have strawberry parfait, which I find a bit too cool and pale for my tastes despite the fact that I have cool, pale undertones myself (NW20 for ref.) I do reach for it when I can't find creme brulee, but it's not nearly as flattering IMO.
on 8/16/2014 7:55:00 PM
Age: 36-43
Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium
Eyes: Brown
These are very nice drugstore glosses. They have a vanilla scent (like Mac) which I like. The colors I like the best are creme brulee and angel food cake. They are very natural and just give a hint of color without being sticky. The negatives would be the color of the the tubes don't match the color very well. Angel food cake has a very brown tube and yet on the lips looks like a mauve-pink color. The other thing to note is the color only last an hour on my lips. I will still have gloss but the color is gone and looks like I have clear lipgloss on. I'd still buy more for more natural makeup days.
on 8/15/2014 12:33:00 PM
Age: 36-43
Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm
Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium
Eyes: Green
This was my first NYX purchase. This brand is pretty hit or miss with me, but the butter glosses are divine! I have them in tiramisu (brownish) and creme brûlée (pinkish) and both are gorgeous, neutral colors. I don't find them sticky like other glosses. The vanilla scent is very close to MAC's lipsticks and glosses. I always carry one of these in my purse for quick touch ups.
on 8/14/2014 3:46:00 PM
Age: 19-24
Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Red, Wavy, Coarse
Eyes: Blue
I have the shade Crème Brulee, it's a light peachy nude, and I'm in love with it. It smells amazing and it's not gloppy or sticky. It gives a slight pigment and it feels just like butter on my lips. I'm not a big lip gloss fan but I always keep my butter gloss handy.
on 8/14/2014 5:49:00 AM
Age: 25-29
Skin: Combination, Tan, Not Sure
Hair: Brown, Other, Other
Eyes: Brown
Best lipglosses I have ever tried, of any high end or drugstore brand! Definitely can see why they're called butter glosses-- they're soo smooth and feel great on my lips
the color in these glosses are sheer-- alot sheerer than the tube looks like
on 8/14/2014 12:32:00 AM
Age: 30-35
Skin: Very Dry, Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Black, Other, Other
Eyes: Black
I can see why this gloss is so popular. It has the best texture-- smooth, buttery and rich feeling with just a little bit of stickiness to keep it from running all over your face. It's very comfortable feeling. I have Eclair and Apple Strudel. These are moderately pigmented without a trace of sparkle. You do have to apply it with a mirror because it can look uneven due to the opaque pigment (that is also what makes the color pop). I like the Mega Shine formula better but they don't have many shades that have zero shimmer. The formula is way better than the old round lipglosses, which had great color payoff, no shimmer, but were too thin and a bit slimy feeling. If you're having trouble with the application or you want a no brainer lipgloss to apply on the go, wear a lipliner or lipstick underneath.
on 8/11/2014 4:11:00 AM
Age: 18 & Under
Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool
Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium
Eyes: Green
I bought this in Crème Brûlée after seeing them in Ulta every time I went looking through the NYX makeup. I had never tried any NYX products, so I figured a nice gloss would be a simple thing to start with. I was so pleased with it! The color is nice and sheer but definitely true to shade. The texture is soft and moisturizing, never sticky or harsh, and the smell is wonderful! I ran back and bought Cherry Cheesecake and a gorgeous pink shade. And at 5$, they are a great dupe for Mary Kay Nourishine Plus gloss! I will definitely be picking up many more of these in the future!
on 8/10/2014 3:33:00 AM
Age: 30-35
Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral
Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium
Eyes: Green
I have 2 shades of this, Tiramisu and Apple Streusel. I really love it! It really makes your lips so soft and the colors are pretty! It's sheer, not thick like some glosses, and I have to reapply it a lot, so it isn't long lasting. I don't mind that. I haven't ever found a long lasting gloss. I definitely love this line of glosses.
on 8/9/2014 9:49:00 PM
Age: 18 & Under
Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Brunette, Other, Other
Eyes: Hazel
wowow these lip glosses are fast become my holy grail lip product, even though I bought mine a few days ago! I was a little hesitant in grabbing one as they're $10 were I live, but after reading amazing reviews I picked up èclair. oh my goodness I'm so glad I did, I can see why these are so ranted about on blogs and youtube! The shade is a perfect nude colour and it feels so creamy on my lips- the butter glosses by nyx are by far the most creamiest lipglosses I've ever worked with. It's also so non sticky and it lasts a long time and keeps it's colour. It also doesn't look smeary or cakes around dead skin if you have chapped lips- that's a big one for me because most of my lip glosses do that. I also find I don't have to put on a lip balm to moisturise my lips before I put it on, this lip gloss does it for me! It's a great 3in1 lip product to have- a lipgloss, a lip conditioner and a lip colour/lipstick. Nyx also have a great range of colours to choose from, so it's not hard to choose the right one for you, and the packaging is also really great and perfect for purses and travelling. Plus, these are pretty cheap compared to other lip glosses, so they won't break the bank. Definitely picking up more! So if your starting a make up collection or you already have a well established one, then you really need to invest in these because they're fab for the price and have amazing qualities that other lip glosses don't have.
on 8/5/2014 1:39:00 AM
Age: 30-35
Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Brunette, Other, Other
Eyes: Brown
I bought this in the color Fortune Cookie, and I love how it nudes and pale-ifies my pigmented lips, and makes them look luscious and plush. I'm just starting my 4th month of accutane, and I haven't worn any lip products except lip balm b/c my lips are ridiculously chapped, dry, and flaky, and even bleed sometimes. But I heard such amazing things about this gloss, including how moisturizing it is, so I thought I would give it a try. Oh my goodness, this gloss is seriously moisturizing and beautifully hydrating. I love the sponge tip applicator (b/c brushes tend to splay.. I'm giving you the evil eye Shiseido Luminizing Lip Gloss =/). I also love how inexpensive they are ($4.99). And the smell... oh my goodness, the smell - like sugar cookies, but very subtle, not strong and sickly. I may try other colors, but once I find a nude I love, I tend to stick with it. All in all, I'm glad I tried it and will continue to purchase!! :)
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January 7, 2015 by Bill Zimmerman
No one can seem to agree how to handle those associated with PEDs when it comes to election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Here's a solution -- keep out everyone from the era, clean or dirty. Read More
January 6, 2015 by Seth Lassen
Baseball officially announced its 2015 Hall Of Fame class on Tuesday. Let's take a look at the inductees. Read More
January 3, 2015 by Seth Lassen
With so many players changing teams, it's never too early to predict how they will perform with their new teams in 2015. Read More
December 18, 2014 by Drew Jenkins
Jake Peavy does not sound like anything special for a team looking to fill a rotation spot, but he will be a surprisingly nice value, and here's why. Read More
December 17, 2014 by Jacob Kornhauser
A flurry of moves have gone on over the last week and they've changed the complexion of the major leagues. All of the latest signings are reflected in the newest MLB free agent tracker. Read More
December 15, 2014 by Thom Tsang
After a whirlwind week in the baseball world thanks to the 2014 Winter Meetings, which teams came out on top? Read More
December 11, 2014 by RantSports Staff
The Winter Meetings are always expected to be a crazy part of the year for MLB, but who expected this many huge deals to go down? Read More
December 10, 2014 by Jacob Kornhauser
Jon Lester has signed with the Cubs and shaken up the baseball world. How will all the dominoes fall? Read More
December 8, 2014 by Thom Tsang
Outfielders are all the rage in MLB rumors these days. Have the Seattle Mariners already nabbed the biggest impact FA guy? Who is the next outfielder on the move? Read More
December 1, 2014 by Thom Tsang
Four teams in the AL recently made significant news at third base. Which team came out on top with the most savvy move? Read More
December 1, 2014 by Drew Jenkins
David Robertson is the best reliever on this year's open market, but he is not worth Jonathan Papelbon money, and here's why. Read More
November 29, 2014 by Drew Jenkins
There have already been plenty of huge moves in the early goings of the 2014-15 MLB offseason, but these five stand out as the best. Read More
January 19, 2015 by Brad Berreman
The Washington Nationals may trade a starting pitcher after signing Max Scherzer. Here's why that pitcher should not be Stephen Strasburg. Read More
November 18, 2014 by Jacob Kornhauser
Keep up to date with everything happening in MLB free agency with this constantly updated slideshow breaking down the top 50 free agents and where they sign. Read More
December 10, 2012 by Danny Shirey
December 3, 2012 by brianpalmer
December 3, 2012 by Ryan Gaydos
November 13, 2012 by Michael Terrill
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November 8, 2012 by Evan Crum
November 2, 2012 by Matthew Speck
November 2, 2012 by Marc Jenkins
October 25, 2012 by Marc Jenkins
October 17, 2012 by Marc Jenkins