Samsung Electronics (http://www.samsung.com) has announced the fastest external hard drive yet in its Story Station product portfolio — the Story Station 3.0 with the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface.

The 3.5-inch external hard drive purportedly offers 10 times faster speed compared to the previous USB 2.0 interface.The USB 3.0 interface offers a maximum transfer rate of 5 gigabits per second (Gbps) compared to 480 megabits per second (Mbps) in USB 2.0. Users can now transfer 4 MB of music (equivalent of a 3-minute song) or image files (6megapixel camera in hi-resolution photos) in approximately 0.02 seconds and an HD movie in 2.3 minutes, says H.S. Lee, vice president, storage marketing, Samsung Electronics. The new interface is backward-compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1 interfaces.

The minimalist design was inspired by retro electronics and combines a grey, brushed aluminum casing with the logo stenciled in red. The casing materials are RoHS-compliant, and the ventilation slits facilitate even heat dissipation. The Story Station 3.0 features three energy-saving modes including idle, sleep and suspend. The standby power level meets requirements for the European Union EuP (Energy Using Products) Directive for Standby Regulation.

The Story Station 3.0 drive is available in densities ranging from 1TB to 2TB. You’ll have to contact Samsung for pricing, as we couldn’t find any on the company’s web site.