Sansa Nation

Last September, SanDisk announced that they were developing a new microSD and Memory Stick Micro flash memory cards with storage capacity reaching up to 16GB. Well that day has finally arrived. It has been reported that SanDisk has finally released the 16GB MicroSD and M2 flash memory cards in Canada at participating Best Buy retail and Best Buy Mobile stores. Although they are mostly used for mobile phones, a number of other electronic devices have begun using the microSD card. And with technology progressing, the need for higher capacity microSD cards increases.

“Handsets have become far more than just phones; they’ve become mobile jukeboxes, mobile offices, even mobile movie theatres,” says Avi Greengart, Research Director for Mobile Devices at Current Analysis. “There is an acute need for more mobile storage capacity.”

Now it is important to remember that not all phones will be able to utilize the 16GB MicroSD card. The mobile phone must compatible with high-capacity memory card media (SDHC format) as well as have support for 16G memory cards. Newer Sony Ericsson mobile phones are compatible with the 16GB M2 flash memory cards. Just be sure to check your phone’s manual if it is compatible with these high capacity flash memory cards. The 16 GB microSDHC card has a price tag of $119.99, while the M2 will sell for an MSRP of $169.99. Both types come with five-year limited warranties.

- Geoff

[Source: MarketNews]

Popularity: 39% [?]

Buy.com is currently selling a refurbished SanDisk Sansa e260 MP3 plyaer for only $37.99. If you are thinking of buying your loved one a MP3 player, but are not looking to put a down payment, the SanDisk Sansas are perfect for you. For a cheap price, you can get a MP3 player that offers an FM Tuner, FM on-the-fly recording, a built-in microphone, plays videos, and has the option for expandable memory. It is very easy to use as well. When navigating through the files, one can navigate by title, album, genre, and playlist. The Sansa e260 supports MP3s, WMA, Audio formats, and have up to 20 hours of battery life. But the one feature that catches every consumer’s eye is the ability to drag and drop files onto the Sansa player. So if you are in the market for a cheap MP3 player, this player is the one for you. Get your refurbished SanDisk Sansa e260 while supplies last.

- Geoff

[Source: DealScan]

Popularity: 100% [?]

Today, the SanDisk corporation has announced that their founder, chairman, and CEO Dr. Eli Harari will be receiving the Global Semiconductor Alliance’s Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award. He will be receiving the award at the GSA Awards Dinner Celebration tonight at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California. The prestigious award recognizes individuals whose contributions to the semiconductor industry exemplify a transformative vision and global leadership. Dr. Harari founded SanDisk back in 1988, and since then has transformed the company into the world’s largest supplier of flash memory cards. Through Harari’s leadership, SanDisk invented flash mass storage cards and helped pioneer USB flash drives. In addition, SanDisk developed CompactFlash, SD and microSD, and co-developed Memory Stick PRO and Memory Stick PRO Duo card formats. SanDisk also invented Multi-Level Cell technology, which  greatly increasing the capacity of NAND flash memory. Congratulations to Dr. Eli Harari for his well deserved award.

- Geoff

[Source: MarketWatch]

Popularity: 32% [?]

SanDisk has just introduced their new Cruzer Enterprise USB flash drive that SanDisk claims is “the first secure USB flash drive to fully support Apple Mac OS X computers”. With the Cruzer Enterprise, SanDisk implemented “a hardware-based 256-bit AES USB encryption solution that puts mandatory access control on all files as protection against theft or loss of the drive”. With the new implementation, the Cruzer Enterprise USB flash drive will allow users to log in/shut down access to the encrypted storage area, change/manage passwords, edit contact information (among other preferences), launch online support and view current firmware and drive information. The Cruzer Enterprise comes in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB storage sizes and will run you anywhere from $60 to $300. It is fully compatible with bot Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and 10.5 (Leopard), as well as work with the Microsoft Windows platform.

- Geoff

[Source: Engadget]

Popularity: 14% [?]

SanDisk shares rose 25% today due to speculation that Toshiba Corp. will be buying out SanDisk.  SanDisk shares ended the day at $9.02. Prior to today, there were already rumors circulating around that Toshiba, which is Japan’s largest chip maker. Those initial rumors slowly diminished, but now they have resurfaced. Over a month ago, Sandisk stocks fell when Samsung decided to forego their bid to buy SanDisk. Many people questioned the stability of the SanDisk company due to the declining economy and the market glut in NAND Flash memory products. Although the speculation has raise the share of SanDisk, many analysts still believe that Toshiba does not have the financial backing to make such a bid for SanDisk. SanDisk Corp. has yet to give a comment on the situation.

- Geoff

[Source: MarketWatch]

Popularity: 8% [?]

Ever have trouble holding on to your Sansa player when you go out running? Well Griffin has come up with a solution for those who own the SanDisk Sansa e200 MP3 player. Griffin’s new tempo Sports Armband for the Sansa e200 MP3 player is a typical sports armband that attaches to your arm and can withstand jogging, cycling, sky-diving, and even canoeing. The Griffin tempo Sports Armband is perfect to protect your Sansa e200 from scratches while you engage in sporting activities. The armband is available at Buy.com and has a retail price tag of $4.99. Product #: 8099SNSTMPO

- Geoff

[Source: ProductReviews]

Popularity: 24% [?]