Toshiba Set to Launch Ultra High Speed SD Memory Cards

Toshiba Corporation has announced that it will launch two new seriesof SD Cards offering high level data transfer rates and read-writeperformance. The “high-speed series” will offer a maximum data transferrate of 5-megabytes (MB) a second, while the “ultra high-speed series”will push transfer rates to as high as 20 MB per second, double therate of any other Toshiba-brand SD Cards. Both series will be rolledout this autumn; initially in Japan in October, and globally inNovember.

In May this year, the SD Card Association introduced the SD SpeedClass, defining three minimum data transfer rates for next generationSD Cards: Class 2 supports a minimum data transfer rate of 2 MB asecond; Class 4 supports 4 MB a second; and Class 6 6 MB a second.Toshiba is first in the industry to announce the launch of Class 6products.

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Both the high-speed series Speed Class 4 SD Cards and ultrahigh-speed series Speed Class 6 SD Cards will be made available in 512MB, 1 GB and 2 GB capacities. The SD Speed Class will be clearly statedon the card and its packaging, allowing users to select the card thatmakers specify for use with their digital products. Applications willinclude video recording with high performance digital cameras.

The new SD memory card series will be exhibited at the IFA 2006, theworld’s largest consumer electronics trade fair, which will be held atBerlin, Germany, from September 1 to 6, 2006.