SanDisk Introduces Lots Of Novelties At CES 2007

SanDisk Corporation is introducing a number of new products at CES 2007.

Firstly, the Cruzer Contour, a USB flash drive with the elegant look and feel of a fine fountain pen or wristwatch. The device supports Windows ReadyBoost and has a gallery of pre-installed U3 software applications: the PC phone service Skype, the anti-virus program Avast, SanDisk’s own CruzerSync for synchronizing files between a PC and the drive, the password manager SignupShield, and HP PhotoSmart Essentials photo editor. For casual gaming, there are free copies of a Sudoku and a Mahjong game.

The Cruzer Contour will be available in the United States in March in three models with suggested retail pricing of $89.99 for 2GB, $149.99 for 4GB and $239.99 for 8GB. The drive will be available in Europe, Asia Pacific and Australia in the second quarter of 2007. The Cruzer Contour delivers a write speed of 18 MB/sec and read speed of 25 MB/sec.

Cruzer Contour includes a voucher for 30 minutes of free outgoing calls to regular phones on Skype; and a voucher for 50 free songs from eMusic, the online music service. Buyers must activate an eMusic account for their 50 free selections, and can continue with an ongoing subscription – with a choice of monthly downloads – or cancel without further obligation.

Cruzer Contour supports Microsoft’s Windows ReadyBoost feature, part of the upcoming Windows Vista operating system. ReadyBoost taps unused storage space on USB flash drives to speed up system performance, especially when several applications are running simultaneously. Contour is compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP and the upcoming Windows Vista, all versions of Macintosh OS X, and with Linux as a mass storage class device. The drive is designed for computers with USB 2.0 ports, but is backwards compatible with USB 1.1 systems.

Secondly, SanDisk Corporation introduces the Memory Stick Micro (M2) product line for use with Sony Ericsson’s multimedia mobile phones like the Cyber-shot and the Walkman series phones. The SanDisk M2 cards are available in 2GB, 1GB and 512MB capacities.

The SanDisk M2 cards also include adapters for use with Memory Sick PRO Duo devices such as cameras and game modules. The SanDisk M2 will plug into the Sony Ericsson K610, K800, K790, M600/608, V630, W300, W710, W712, Z530, Z550, Z710, and Z712 mobile phones. When coupled with its PRO Duo adapter, the M2 is also compatible with the D750, K750, P910, P990, V800, W700, W800/810, W850, W900, and Z800.

M2 operates at dual voltage – 1.8V for Sony Ericsson’s new line of mobile phones and 3.3V for Memory Stick PRO Duo compatible products. M2 measures 0.59” (L) x 0.49” (W) x 0.05” (H), making it the second smallest flash memory media in the world, behind the microSD.

Thirdly, the company unveiled the Sansa Connect, a Wi-Fi enabled MP3 player designed to work with MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) in both unprotected and protected files. The player utilizes an open (non-proprietary) digital rights management system that will allow users to purchase songs or access subscription download services from specific premium internet sites. It will support Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription music and is designed to work with Microsoft Vista when it ships.

The new Sansa Connect boasts Internet capabilities designed to keep music aficionados connected to a wide range of new music via subscription services and streaming Internet radio. The new flash-based MP3 player will also contain community features for recommending music and photos with the simple click of a button and a “live” Wi-Fi connection.

The Sansa Connect comes equipped with a microSD card slot; an internal speaker; sleek, thin design with large 2.2" TFT color screen; simple to use, backlit controls; Lithium-Ion battery; multi-pin universal connector for “Made for Sansa” accessory upgrades, battery charging and USB 2.0 connectivity. The Sansa Connect is 2.05 in. wide x 3.58 in. long x 0.63 in. high.

The 4GB Sansa Connect will be distributed to store shelves in the United States in late March with a suggested retail price of $249.99. The device will be available in Canada in the latter part of 2007.

And two more MP3 players from SanDisk.

An affordable 1GB Sansa Express with a microSD expansion slot; FM tuner; four-line OLED Screen (1.1”); voice and FM recording capabilities; cable-less direct connection to a consumer’s computer; up to 15-hour Lithium Polymer battery life; blue backliting; and simple controls. The dimensions of the Sansa Express MP3 player are 0.99 inches wide x 3.09 inches long x 0.64 inches high.

For instant access to millions of digital songs, the Sansa Express supports several music download and subscription services, including Rhapsody, MTV Urge, eMusic, Napster and Yahoo Music. The player is designed to work with MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) in both unprotected and protected files. The Sansa Express is also designed to work with Microsoft Vista.

Available in March 2007 in the U.S. and Europe, the Sansa Express will be priced at $59.99 (MSRP).

Finally, there's company's first widescreen portable media player dubbed the Sansa View. It features a 4" widescreen display and, besides movies, can display photos (up to 16 megapixels), play music, or combine the two in a slideshow format. The durable player also comes equipped with an integrated speaker for watching and listening to any content on the player with a friend. It is also able to output audio and video content to a TV screen through a 30-pin connector (up to 1080i with docking station) or 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Sansa View has 8GB of internal flash memory. Its flash memory expansion slot allows for additional memory capacity and playback of content found on SD and SDHC cards, such as Disney Max Clips. The Sansa View video player works with Windows Media Player 10 or 11 for syncing of content, and is designed to work with Windows Vista.

Player dimensions are 78.5mm x 123mm x 16.9mm (0.66" thick). The novelty contains a removable Li-Polymer battery that provides up to 4 hours of continuous video playback and 10 hours of continuous audio playback.

Retailing for $299 MSRP, the 8GB Sansa View is expected to be available from retailers in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2007, with Canada and Europe to follow in the second quarter.

Source: SanDisk Corporation

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