Sony U-matic: Analog to Digital Conversion for Video Professionals

Sony’s ¾” U-matic cassette format was an industry standard for broadcast and post-production professionals through the 1970s and 1980s. Like all analog formats, U-matic had serious limitations — some U-matic decks were prone to technical issues that resulted in tape...
June 16, 2022

Dell, HP, and Lenovo Will No Longer Offer Laptops with Hard Drives

Are hard drives obsolete? Not by a long shot — but three major laptop manufacturers have taken steps to switch to SSD. Here's why.
June 15, 2022

What Is HP’s SMART Hard Disk Error 301?

SMART hard disk error 301 indicates a failing hard drive or an overheated laptop. Here’s what you need to know to address this common issue.
June 13, 2022

U.S. Senate Eyes Cryptocurrency Bill. Here’s What That Means for Investors.

The 2022 cryptocurrency market is a mixed bag — and depending on your perspective (or more likely, the size of your investments), the news hasn’t been positive through the first six months of the year. That may change soon. The...
June 10, 2022

Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording: A Brief Guide

Microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) is a new technique for increasing the areal density of hard drives, which allows for substantial improvements in data storage capacity. In this article, we’ll provide a basic overview of the technology — and the potential...
June 9, 2022

Defining Key Stakeholders in a Data Migration Project

One of the most important steps in a successful data migration project is the identification of key stakeholders.  In information technology (IT) terminology, a key stakeholder is any individual who participates in fulfilling the requirements of the project. This can...
June 6, 2022

Hard Drive Storage Capacities May Increase to 30TB in 2023

Japanese manufacturer Showa Denko has announced the shipment of 3.5-inch hard disk media with a storage capacity of 2.6 terabytes (TB) per platter — potentially allowing for hard drive capacities of 30TB or more by late 2023.  The Showa Denko...
June 2, 2022

The History of Sony Betacam SP

For nearly three decades, Beta SP was the standard for broadcasting and professional video archival work. With a low cost per cassette and outstanding quality compared to competing formats, Beta SP was one of the most successful (and profitable) analog...
June 1, 2022

What Info Do You Need to Access a Lost Bitcoin Wallet?

You’ve lost access to your bitcoin, and you’re looking for solutions. Here’s the good news: You have options as long as you have some of the information used to create your wallet.  Read on for several potential bitcoin recovery scenarios....
May 31, 2022

What Is Shingled Magnetic Recording for Hard Drives?

Shingled magnetic recording (often abbreviated as SMR) is a technique used to increase the areal density of a hard drive, allowing manufacturers to store more data on each square inch of the discs (or platters).  The word “shingled” provides a...
May 26, 2022