The 2big Thunderbolt Series features speeds up to three times faster than FireWire 800, RAID security, disks that can be hot-swapped, and the ability to daisy chain multiple units, which can even increase performance overall. With up to 8TB of storage capacity and a transfer rate of up to 311MB/s, the 2big series is perfect for videographers or other professionals having to backup frequently and stream multiple HD videos.

The eSATA Hub Thunderbolt Series allows two existing eSATA drives to connect to a new Mac via the Thunderbolt port. The hub itself also features a Thunderbolt port that allows users to connect other Thunderbolt peripherals even while two eSATA drives are hooked up. Users can also daisy chain up to 6 hubs, meaning up to 12 eSATA drives can be connected to a Mac via a single Thunderbolt port. Both series will be available in the first quarter of 2012.

The obvious omission is Intel Thunderbolt, with Western Digital missing the opportunity to get the first Thunderbolt-toting external drive on the market (and thus make some 2011 MacBook Pro owners very happy). Still, you do get Time Machine compatibility, and WD throw in some backup software in the box as well.

Interestingly, whereas opening up many external drives will instantly see your warranty evaporate, WD is happy for owners to swap out the internal storage on their own. The Western Digital My Book Studio Edition II 6TB is available now, priced at $549.99.

Press Release:

WD Introduces 6 TB External Hard Drive to Support Increased HD Content Creation by Creative Pros and Mac® Enthusiasts

New My Book® Studio Edition™ II Offers FireWire® Performance and Huge Storage Capacity for Today’s HD Content Productions

IRVINE, Calif., March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC), the world’s leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its My Book® Studio Edition™ II dual-drive storage system with a massive 6 terabytes (TB) of storage to meet the capacity needs of today’s creative pros and Mac® enthusiasts who create, store, edit and archive large HD video and photo files. The new capacity provides users 33 percent more storage than the previous capacity, while maintaining the same footprint.
Combining its extended 6 TB storage capacity and compatibility with Apple® Time Machine®, the new My Book Studio Edition II drive becomes an instant storage solution for a variety of professions including art and design, photography, legal and medical, and a host of other small businesses.
The system offers a quad interface providing maximum performance and flexibility including eSATA and FireWire® 800 when maximum performance is essential, and FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 when system flexibility is most important.
“Thanks to advancements in HD video devices including digital SLR cameras and HD video cameras, the quality and quantity of video content being produced by professionals and enthusiasts alike has grown at an astounding pace,” said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD’s branded products group. “The My Book Studio Edition II drive now available with 6 TB of storage provides creative individuals with the expanded storage and bandwidth they need to effectively shoot, edit, and safely store their video productions without the need to compress their videos or reduce the overall quality of them for the sake of available space.”
Extra-fast Performance and RAID Supported Configurations
Fast eSATA or FireWire 800 interfaces, combined with RAID-supported configurations, will yield the speed and responsiveness users need for a variety of tasks including fast, smooth video editing; rendering complex 3D objects or special effects, and saving/transferring enormous blocks of data in a fraction of the time it once took.
Formatted for Mac computers(1), these new storage systems feature:
Massive 6 TB capacity;
Extra-fast performance with four interfaces (FireWire 800/400, eSATA, USB 2.0);
Cool, eco-friendly operation with WD’s drives with WD GreenPower Technology that consume approximately one-third less power than standard dual-drive external storage systems and efficient convection cooling architecture and power-saving mode and designed without a fan to run quietly;
Automatic and continuous backup software;
User serviceability, enabling the user to open the enclosure and replace the drive inside;
Capacity gauge to see at a glance how much space is available on the system; and,
5-year limited warranty.

Pricing and Availability
My Book Studio Edition II dual-drive storage systems are available now at WD’s online store (www.wdstore.com). MSRP for the My Book Studio Edition II 6 TB drive is $549.99 USD.

The adapter is called simply enough the eSATA to USB 3.0 Adapter and it sells for $29.95. The idea is that you can adapt the eSATA drive to USB 3.0 to enjoy the data transfer speeds up to 5Gb/s. I would imagine that the USB 3.0 port would become more common on many notebooks and desktops leaving your eSATA gear with no love.

The kit includes the adapter and the USB 3.0 cable. The device will also adapt the eSATA storage devices to USB 2.0 as well. That allows you to be able to access your data even if the machine you are on lacks eSATA and USB 3.0 ports. The adapter will work with eSATA HDDs and SSDs and needs no drivers.

There’s also a second Firewire 800 port, so that you can daisy-chain units together off of a single host port, and if you plump for Firewire then the DM2-PT can be bus-powered too. The box is made from aluminum for durability, and is compatible with Apple’s Time Machine backup as well.

No word on pricing or availability at this stage.

[via PhotographyBLOG]

Press Release:

NEW SABIO DRIVE BRINGS EXEPTIONAL PREFORMANCE AND AFFORDABILITY TO DIGITAL IMAGING STORAGE

With up to 2 TB dual-drive capacity, data transfer rates of more than 115 MBps and multiple RAID options (0,1, JBOD and span), the DM2-PT is an all-in-one, professional grade, high capacity storage, editing and protection solution, ideal for any field or office application.

SAN DIEGO – January 20, 2011 – Sabio Products, a leading provider of external storage solutions for digital imaging, creative professionals, offices and ‘prosumers’ who need large capacity, high speed, professional grade content protection, announced the availability of the DM2PT – an extremely small footprint, 2 drive, RAID enabled external storage solution with exceptional data transfer rates of more than a 115MBps. This all-in-one, high capacity, portable content backup and storage solution has been specifically designed for the studio, office, home or field environment and because of its built in RAID controller with RAID 0, 1, JBOD and span configurations is ideal for any data imaging, HD 1080 video editing, DSLR photography, JPEG/RAW imaging or straight forward media protection and back up application.

“Plug and play set-up and ease of configuration make this a natural fit for Photo and Design applications” says Steve King – Business Development for Sabio. “We’ve specifically designed this product to deliver world class performance at an enticingly affordable price in the world’s smallest footprint in its class.”

The DM2-PT is compatible with any Apple, Windows or Linux based computer or workstation and features built in eSATA, Firewire 800 and USB 2.0 connectivity for utility and convenience, and with its small footprint (6” x 6” x 0.8”), rugged aluminum design and protective slip cover, is an ideal travelling companion for the most demanding photography, video or content capture field project or event. The DM2-PT is also capable of receiving bus power via a Firewire 800 port and with two Firewire 800 ports, multiple units may be daisy chained to support even higher storage capacities.

“We are exceptionally pleased to bring this opportunity to our Photo Specialty Dealers”, notes Mark Gustavson – Executive Director, Marketing and Communication for WYNIT (the exclusive US Distributor for Sabio Products). “The high-capacity, high-speed performance in an compact and elegant form-factor makes the DM2-PT a natural fit for this marketplace.”

DM2-PT ships with all cables (USB 2.0, eSATA and FW800) and supports Apple Time Machine and Windows 7 and is compatible with popular editing software including Final Cut Pro, Xpress and Premier.

The full list of supported formats is in the table below, but highlights include MPEG 4, H.264 and RM/RMVB, as well as direct ISO support and Dolby Digital AC3/DTS Digital surround sound.  There are also various image and audio codecs, while outputs include composite, component, both optical and coaxial digital audio, and HDMI 1.3.

A memory card reader and 10/100 ethernet port – that allows you to use the HD2 as an iTunes/Samba/FTP server – round out what’s looking to be one of the more interesting media players around right now.  The ASUS O!Play HD2 should be appearing in UK sales channels by the end of this week, priced at £109 ($172) with no internal drive fitted.

Press Release:

Connect to a Cosmos of Entertainment with ASUS O!Play HD2

World’s First USB 3.0 Multimedia Centre Combines Enhanced Content Sharing with Greater Storage Flexibility

With the HD2 model, the O!Play range expands its multimedia functionality to cover even more ground, including the world’s first media device with USB3.0 support to transfer high definition video and audio in ultra-fast speeds. The new device also features standard 3.5-inch hard drive compatibility, NAS support, iPhone® interconnectivity and DLNA compatibility for effortless access to online entertainment.

Better Sharing with USB 3.0, 3.5-inch Hard Drives and Network Attached Storage Support
O!Play HD2 features USB 3.0, which works up to ten times faster than USB 2.0, so even an entire HD movie only takes around 70 seconds to transfer.
O!Play HD2 expands the amount of content users can keep with support for 3.5-inch hard drives and an easy swap-and-store design so consumers can easily use O!Play HD2 as an external hard drive.
Complementing its mass storage capabilities, O!Play HD2 can be configured as a network attached storage (NAS) device for seamless network integration. It comes pre-setup with iTunes, Samba and standard FTP server functions. Users can manage their content and data quickly, all on one device. It even works as a jukebox, with on demand browsing of stored music files.

iPhone® Remote Control
Special enhancements make it possible to use an iPhone® as a remote control with O!Play HD2. This feature supports all major playback and content handling settings, extending O!Play HD2’s range in addition to promoting greater device integration.

Rich Connected Entertainment
O!Play HD2 brings more online entertainment home. It delivers access to live streaming of over 20,000 radio stations, Picasa and Flickr, plus a wealth of infotainment, including weather and stock quotes.

Easy Home Networking with DLNA
DLNA, or Digital Living Network Alliance, offers a standardized format for handling content such as movies, photos and music across different devices. O!Play HD2 comes fully compatible as a DLNA client, helping users share content through networked devices. This makes media streaming throughout the home effortless.

Multiple Format Support and Upgradable Firmware
O!Play HD2 supports the most popular formats, including MPEG2 (AVI/VOB), MPEG4 (AVO/Xvid), M2TS (Blu-ray), MKV (H.264), rmvb and DVD functional navigation of ISO and IFO formats. It also supports Dolby TrueHD decoding and pass-through, taking full advantage of Blu-ray Disc quality to produce 100 percent lossless audio. O!Play HD2 lets users experience 7.1-channel audio output for theatre-like enjoyment.

ASUS offers constant online updates to O!Play firmware and drivers. As new standards emerge and existing ones are refined, O!Play devices receive prompt operational revisions.

That means it’s capable of handling MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, XVID, H.264, H.263, WMV9 and VC1 encoded media in a vast number of different container formats (AVI, MPEG/MPG, VCD (ISO, MPG, NRG), DVD (VOB, IFO, ISO, NRG), WMV, ASF, TP, TS, TRP, M1V, M2V, M4V, M2P, M2T, M2TS, BDMV/ BD ISO, MTS, MOV, MP4, RMP4, MKV, MOD and 3GP), which is before you get to the various image and audio file types supported.  Then there’s the online media support, including Flickr and Picasa photos, Apple movie trailers, Internet radio, Mediafly and weather forecasts; you can also use the NMP-1000P as a standalone BitTorrent downloader.

Connectivity includes ethernet (wireless is optional), two USB 2.0 host (for hooking up external storage, optical drives or even keyboard/mouse peripherals), a USB 2.0 device port (for treating the QNAP as an external drive), two eSATA (one Host, one Device), HDMI v1.3a, component (Y, Pb, Pr), composite, analog stereo out and an S/PDIF optical port.  No word on pricing or availability.

Press Release:

QNAP New NMP-1000P Delivers Digital Home Experience with Premium-quality Video, Audio, and the Ease of File Sharing and Backup Capabilities

New NMP-1000P Networked Player with High Performance Wolfson Stereo DAC is Ideal for Audio and Video Enthusiasts Looking to Playback Wide Range of Multimedia Content while Enjoying the Crisp 1080p Videos and Dolby® and DTS Multi-Channel Surround Sound in Addition to the NAS Features and Internet Media Streaming Capability.

Taipei, Taiwan, September 2010 – QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world class NAS servers, NVR Video Surveillance Systems, and Network-based Media Players today announced the NMP-1000P Network Multimedia Player, a unique new product for audiophiles and AV enthusiasts. NMP-1000P features the latest Sigma Designs® video/audio decoder that is capable of displaying ultra realistic full HD movies with advanced menu navigation, crystal clear next-generation Dolby® and DTS multi-channel surround sound, high-quality lossless music, digital pictures with background music, and other multimedia content. NMP-1000P is also powered by a high performance Wolfson stereo digital to analog converter for truly outstanding audio experience.

What’s more, the intuitive user interface of NMP-1000P makes it a snap to download movie covers and related information, and to discover and catalog content from any connected storage device or network drives. NMP-1000P retains Turbo NAS functionality for backup of all networked computers, convenient cross-platform file sharing among Windows, Mac, and Linux/UNIX, multiple user accounts and access right management, and remotely access to media files with the built-in Web File Manager and FTP. NMP-1000P even streams thousands of TV shows, news, podcasts, music, photos, and other content from Mediafly™, Apple Movie Trailers, CNN, SHOUTcast, Internet radio service, Flickr, Picasa, and more.

“NMP-1000P is truly the missing piece in today’s digital homes for enjoying premium-quality picture and sound,” said Jason Hsu, Product Manager of QNAP Systems, Inc. “Today’s users demand that contents be available on the fly and they don’t want to deal with a multitude of different devices and interfaces to make it happen. NMP-1000P is the culmination of QNAP’s extensive experience in developing network appliances and software applications which can satisfy the consumers’ need to get the content they want from virtually any source, and play it with the best video and audio quality on the living room TV using a single networked device.”

NMP-1000P can be connected to a home network via wired or wireless 802.11b/g/n (a variety of compatible wireless USB adaptors are sold separately) network connection. NMP-1000P can host a user-supplied 3.5-inch SATA hard drive with up to 2TB capacity for local content storage plus hi-speed USB and eSATA external connections for storage expansion, as well as directly connected to PC via USB and eSATA for fast data transfer, all within a sleek compact set-top box with a remote control and friendly user interface for easy navigation.

They’ll also be bundled with Iomega’s QuikProtect and v.Clone apps, together with a 12-month license for Trend Micro’s Internet Security suite.  Since USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0, owners with an eye on future upgrades will still be able to use the drives with their existing machines.

We asked Iomega’s Jonathan Huberman why the company had seemingly bypassed eSATA and gone straight to USB 3.0, and he blamed industry-wide low sales of drives using the eSATA interface for the decision.  Iomega does offer dual-interface USB 2.0/eSATA models, but with the faster port generally not supplying enough power for portable external drives, consumer take-up has been poor.

Our other question regarded Apple, and the company’s apparent reluctance to step up to USB 3.0 even in their most recent desktop model refresh.  All Huberman would say was that the Cupertino company’s delay was “interesting”, and that he wouldn’t be surprised if they moved to USB 3.0 in Q1 2011; however, he also pointed out that Apple tend to keep their roadmap cards close to their chest.  Right now, Iomega offer various Mac-centric USB 2.0/FireWire combo drives, but they plan to update these to USB 3.0/FireWire so that, when Apple starts selling machines with the faster port, owners will be ready.

Currently the Iomega eGo drives have MRSPs of $114 for the 500GB model and $189 for the 1TB model (though street prices are less).

Press Release:

Iomega Sets the Market Standard for Portable Hard Drives – First to Offer New SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Models at USB 2.0 Prices!

Award-Winning Premium eGo Portable Hard Drive Line First to Feature All USB 3.0 Models with Hardware Encryption And Industry-Leading Ruggedness, Too

SAN DIEGO, August 24, 2010 – Iomega, an EMC company (NYSE: EMC) and a leading innovator in digital protection solutions for consumers and small and medium businesses, is excited to announce that it is moving to the new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface for all Iomega USB 2.0 portable hard drives, beginning with the award-winning line of Iomega® eGo™ Portable Hard Drives. The new all-USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives will feature hardware encryption and super toughness, too, thanks to a drop spec twice the industry average – all at USB 2.0 product prices. This market-leading move continues Iomega’s tradition of technology leadership.

“As a market leader in external hard drive solutions, Iomega is proud to be the first to move towards an all USB 3.0 portable hard drive lineup – and at no extra price premium to our customers,” said Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega Corporation and the Consumer and Small Business Products Division of EMC. “With a super fast USB 3.0 interface delivering speeds of up to 10 times that of USB 2.0, super tough with a 7-foot drop spec that’s twice the industry average and super secure with AES 256 hardware encryption, Iomega’s eGo Portable Hard Drives will be the premium must-have portable storage product. Factor in our bundled software Protection Suite with popular titles such as Iomega’s QuikProtect, v.Clone and Trend Micro’s Internet Security, and that makes Iomega’s USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives an exceptional premium solution at the same price as most entry level basic USB 2.0 products.”

USB 3.0 Transition Timeline for Iomega Portable Hard Drives
Iomega plans to move all eGo Portable Hard Drives in 500GB* and 1TB** capacities to the new USB 3.0 interface by early October. Totally compatible will all USB 2.0 computers, the new USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives will include Iomega’s industry-leading Drop Guard™ Xtreme, which provides added protection from drops of nearly seven feet or twice the industry average***.

In the first quarter of 2011, Iomega plans to move the Iomega® Prestige Compact Portable Hard Drive line to USB 3.0 on all models. Shortly thereafter, Iomega will move the rest of its portable external hard drive models to the USB 3.0 interface.

Perfect for slipping into a laptop bag or pocket, all of Iomega’s 2.5-inch portable hard drives are host powered, requiring no external power supply beyond the power provided through the USB bus on a personal computer, laptop or netbook. Iomega’s new USB 3.0 portable hard drives are completely backward compatible with personal computers and other devices that only have USB 2.0 ports. Iomega offers USB 3.0 adapter cards (sold separately) to insert into USB 2.0 laptop and desktop computers so users can experience native USB 3.0 transfer speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second.

More Than Just a Portable Hard Drive – A Total Solution
Iomega prides itself on providing total solutions, which is why all of the new Iomega USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives come complete out of the box with 256-bit hardware encryption built-in (PC only), as well as the cables required to enjoy your drive right away, whether your desktop or laptop has USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 ports. The Prestige family of portable hard drives will also feature 256-bit hardware encryption built-in (PC only) with the transition to USB 3.0 models in the first quarter of 2011.

Best Software Package Bundled With Portable Hard Drives Today
Included free of charge with all of Iomega’s eGo and Prestige Portable Hard Drives is the Iomega Protection Suite, a one-stop portfolio of backup and anti-virus software giving users added protection for their photos, videos, music and other files.

The Iomega Protection Suite includes:

v.Clone™ software, an Iomega exclusive, captures a complete virtual image of your PC — including the operating system, all applications, your settings, and all your files to your Iomega hard drive. Access the cloned copy and use it seamlessly on another computer, just as if you’re working from your own PC. When you reconnect, automatically sync your data to your primary PC, so that files are always up to date****.
A complementary 12 month subscription to Trend Micro™ Internet Security for the PC, or Trend Micro™ Smart Surfing software for Mac.
Iomega QuikProtect: backup software for simple scheduled file-level backup of data to hard drives and network-attached storage devices (for Windows and Mac desktops and notebooks).
Roxio® Retrospect® Express software: backup all of your data plus applications and settings (for Windows and Mac desktops and notebooks).
MozyHome™ Online Backup service: Convenient online backup service with 2GB of online capacity for free (unlimited online storage for $4.95/month). MozyHome Online service allows Windows and Mac users to restore their most important data from any computer with internet access, at any location in the world.

All of the software elements in the Iomega Protection Suite are accessible via easy download to owners of Iomega eGo and Prestige Drives.

Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drives – Beauty and the Beast
Not only are Iomega’s award-winning eGo Portable Hard Drives super fast and super rugged, they’re head-turners, too. Sporting a sleek, smaller enclosure than the previous generation of eGo portable hard drives, eGo Portable Hard Drives are among the smallest 2.5-inch HDD portable hard drives in the market today. Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drives are available in a variety of colors that include Ruby Red, Midnight Blue and Silver.

To appreciate how much data can be stored on a high capacity 2.5-inch drive, an Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive with 1TB of capacity can hold up to 400,000 photos, over 250,000 songs or 385 hours of video*****.

Pricing, Availability and Warranty
For more information on Iomega’s complete line of portable hard drives, including current pricing, please go to www.iomega.com. Also be sure to see Iomega’s new USB 3.0 product video at YouTube.

The Iomega USB 3.0 Adapter for USB 2.0 laptops is available for $39.99, and the Iomega USB 3.0 PCI Express Adaptor for PC desktops is $39.99. (Pricing is U.S. suggested retail.)

All Iomega portable hard drives include a 3-year limited warranty (with registration). Iomega-branded portable hard drives are available from online retailers, VARs, resellers and select retailers, as well as at www.iomega.com.

About EMC
EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) is the world’s leading developer and provider of information infrastructure technology and solutions that enable organizations of all sizes to transform the way they compete and create value from their information. Information about EMC’s products and services can be found at www.EMC.com.

About Iomega
Iomega Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of EMC Corporation headquartered in San Diego, is a worldwide leader in innovative storage solutions for small businesses, home offices, consumers and others. The Company has sold more than 425 million digital storage drives and disks since its inception in 1980. Today, Iomega’s product portfolio includes industry leading network attached storage products for the home and small business; one of the industry’s broadest selections of direct-attached portable and desktop external hard drives; and the ScreenPlay™ family of multimedia drives that makes it easy to move video, pictures and other files from the computer room to the livingroom. To learn about all of Iomega’s digital storage products and network storage solutions, please go to the Web at www.iomega.com. Resellers can visit Iomega at www.iomega.com/ipartner.

All three come with a copy of NovaBACKUP, and in various preconfigured sizes.  The The DriveStation Quad will arrive later this month, priced at $624.99 for the 4TB (HD-QL4TSU2R5) and $1134.99 for the 8TB (HD-QL8TSU2R5) models, while the DriveStation Duo will follow on in September priced at  $274.99 for the 2TB (HD-WL2TSU2R1) and $454.99 for the 4TB (HD-WL4TSU2R1).  Meanwhile the single-drive DriveStation Axis will also go on sale in September, at $104.99 for the 1TB (HD-LB1.0TU2), $124.99 for the 1.5TB (HD-LB1.5TU2) and $169.99 for the 4TB (HD-LB2.0TU2).

Press Release:

Buffalo Refreshes Its DriveStation Family

New External Hard Drive Solutions Offer High Capacity and High Performance
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ — Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking and network and direct attached storage solutions, today announced a refresh of the highly popular DriveStation Duo™ and DriveStation Quad™, formerly DriveStation Quattro™, representing the latest generation of high-performance direct attached storage solutions. Combining performance and reliability, these new multi-drive external hard drives, equipped with NovaBACKUP® Business Essentials, are ideal for small servers, creative professionals, offices and consumers requiring redundant and high-performance external storage. Also announced today is the new DriveStation Axis™, a single drive storage solution combining unique features and simplicity with Buffalo’s distinguished reliability for an exceptional value.
“Consumers and businesses alike have become quite savvy when it comes to protecting mission-critical or personal data such as file backups, work documents, music, photos and videos,” said Ralph Spagnola, vice president of sales at Buffalo Technology. “Buffalo has always recognized this need and has once again put forth best-in-class storage solutions providing a perfect blend of reliability, performance and flexible features at affordable prices.”
The DriveStation Quad is a 4-drive, RAID enabled storage solution for small servers, creative professionals, offices and consumers requiring large, redundant and high-performance external storage. Equipped with four hard drives, DriveStation Quad supports RAID 0, 5, 10 and Normal modes, but ships configured in RAID 5, for a prime balance between data redundancy and available storage capacity. Additionally, DriveStation Quad supports USB 2.0 for compatibility with almost any computer and eSATA 3.0 for high-performance data transfer rates of up to 235 MB/s. A heavy-duty cooling system allows the unit to efficiently run cool and quiet while the snap-off front plate allows for quick and easy drive replacements with no tools required. Available in capacities up to 8 TB, the DriveStation Quad delivers unmatched performance at a great value.
The DriveStation Duo dual-drive storage solution features USB 2.0 support for universal compatibility and enhanced performance speeds up to 225 MB/s with eSATA 3.0, providing the necessary horsepower for even the most performance critical applications. Equipped with two quick swap hard drives, the DriveStation Duo supports RAID 0 and 1 offering data redundancy or the capacity required for demanding professional and server applications, along with simple user maintenance and tool-free drive replacements.
For value-minded consumers, Buffalo’s new single drive DriveStation Axis is an easy-to-use external hard drive for the simple addition of external storage to any device via a USB port. DriveStation Axis features a sleek, attractive chassis that can be positioned vertically or horizontally, adapting to the location it is used in for efficient use of space. Equipped with the Buffalo Backup Utility, a component of Buffalo Tools, a feature-rich software suite designed to enhance computer performance and the day-to-day digital life of Windows® PC consumers, the Buffalo DriveStation Axis is the perfect solution for expanding storage or backing up any home or home office computer.
Pricing and Availability
The Buffalo DriveStation family is backed by a limited one-year warranty that includes toll-free 24/7 technical support.
The DriveStation Quad is available in late August at estimated street prices of $624.99 for the 4 TB (HD-QL4TSU2R5) and $1134.99 for the 8 TB (HD-QL8TSU2R5)
The DriveStation Duo is available in September at estimated street prices of $274.99 for the 2 TB (HD-WL2TSU2R1) and $454.99 for the 4 TB (HD-WL4TSU2R1)
The DriveStation Axis is available in September at estimated street prices of $104.99 for the 1 TB (HD-LB1.0TU2), $124.99 for the 1.5 TB (HD-LB1.5TU2) and $169.99 for the 4 TB (HD-LB2.0TU2)

Buffalo products can be purchased through distributors, online resellers and Buffalo’s web site. For more information about Buffalo Technology and its products, please visit the company’s web site at www.buffalotech.com.
About Buffalo Technology
Buffalo Technology (USA), Inc., based in Austin, Texas, is a leading provider of award-winning networking, storage, and multimedia solutions for the home and small business environments as well as for system builders and integrators. With almost three decades of networking and computer peripheral experience, Buffalo has proven its commitment to delivering innovative, best-of-breed solutions that have put the company at the forefront of infrastructure technology. For more information about Buffalo Technology and its products, please visit www.buffalotech.com.

Only available for the 27-inch iMac (not the 21.5-inch version), the eSATA fit basically involves OWC carving out a slot in the lower edge of your new all-in-one and screwing in a port.  It’s worth noting that it’s not compatible with Port-Multiplication (PM) eSATA drives, however.

Still, if you can live with the compromises the OWC eSATA upgrade is $169 assuming you’re willing to foot the bill to ship your iMac to them (or alternatively drop it off yourself).  Shipping is $30+ depending on speed, and OWC will also happily boost your hard-drive capacity or RAM while it’s with them – for a price, of course.

[via CrunchGear]

Seagate sent us a basic FreeAgent mobile drive – which comes as standard with a USB 2.0 connector – together with an optional GoFlex eSATA adapter. Both mobile and desktop drives are available (up to 1TB in the former, 2TB in the latter), while GoFlex Upgrade Cables for USB 2.0 ($19.99), USB 3.0 ($29.99), FireWire 800 ($39.99) and eSATA ($19.99) are offered. Unfortunately the Seagate docks – which include various desktop models together with media-centric versions that hook up to HDTVs and, optionally, wireless networks – weren’t available for us to try.

At first glance the FreeAgent looks relatively normal for an external drive. Silver plastic with curved edges, it won’t stand out among HDDs but neither does it offend the eyes. The plug adapter itself slots into an exposed SATA port – with a power connector – on the drive; the standard USB 2.0 adapter is in matching silver and has a removable cable, while the eSATA adapter is black and has a fixed cable. Changing the adapters is a simple case of pulling one out and clicking another into place.

Transfer speeds were as you’d expect from a USB 2.0 or eSATA interface, with no real difference between the FreeAgent GoFlex and a regular external drive. Seagate boast PC and Mac compatibility for their NTFS formatted drives, thanks to a preloaded OS X patch you need to install on first connection.

Of course, the real dilemma when you’re dealing with a non-standard cable solution is how consumers might get locked into a system that’s later discarded by the company responsible for it. The reason USB, eSATA and other connectivity standards are popular is that they’re cross-platform compatible: we can plug a USB drive into our computer today, and know there’s a 99.9-percent chance we won’t have problems also plugging it into whatever computer we’re using tomorrow.

Now, we’re sure Seagate would insist that they’re suitable committed to GoFlex, and indeed if they can encourage enough users to jump onboard then it’s a neat lock-in; the HDD equivalent of printer ink cartridges, perhaps. Should it prove less successful, however, how long are Seagate continue to produce GoFlex-compatible devices and accessories? It’s a problem you don’t generally face with a standard USB or eSATA drive.

Since Seagate will sell you the basic drive section without a bundled GoFlex adapter, it’s possible you could save a little money if you need multiple drives and don’t mind switching a single Upgrade Cable between them. You’ll save $10 on each that way. Nonetheless, on a dollar per GB basis, it’s still cheaper to buy a basic, USB 2.0 drive, and in fact with a little online searching you can find combo USB/eSATA drives for less than the price of the FreeAgent and both GoFlex adapters.

If you’re willing to buy into Seagate’s vision of a GoFlex enabled home media system then perhaps the new FreeAgent line-up makes more sense. We can certainly see the appeal of a simple snap-in HDD setup that takes plug-and-play drives from PC to HD media player and back again. Problem is, thanks to numerous HD-capable set top boxes with USB or eSATA ports you can just as easily do that with a regular drive, albeit losing some of the slick tidiness of Seagate’s setup along the way.

In the end, while the Seagate system works we’re not 100-percent sure it’s necessary. When the day comes that you’re desperate for USB 3.0 connectivity, is your original 1TB HDD really going to be sufficient, or will multi-terabyte drives be the status quo? Backward compatibility in USB 3.0 for 2.0 and earlier means that the new interface is probably as flexible as most consumers will ever demand, while market competition will likely keep prices lower than Seagate’s multi-component drives. The Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex drive makes sense, it even works well; it just feels like a solution in search of a problem.

Update: Seagate have clarified that the port used to connect the drive to the Upgrade Cables is, indeed, SATA.  Their hope is that one day various third-party accessories and devices will have a GoFlex-compliant SATA port so that it’s not just their own range of docks and media players will be compatible.  While that removes some of our concerns regarding future compliance, we’re still uncertain that consumers require flexibility beyond what USB, eSATA and other more common external drive connectivity brings.

Base drives range from 320GB to 2TB, and can be bought either as a starter pack complete with a USB 2.0 GoFlex adapter (from $99.99 for 320GB to $199.99 for 1TB), as the drive alone (from $89.99 for 320GB to $189.99 for 1TB) or as a Pro version offering a faster, 7,200rpm HDD and onboard encrypted backup functionality ($139.99 for 500GB; $189.99 for 750GB).  Meanwhile there’s a GoFlex Desk model ($129.99 for 1TB with USB 2.0; $199.99 for 2TB with USB 2.0; save $10 on each if bought adapter-free).  All the drives are Windows and OS X compatible out of the box.

As for the more advanced adapters, there’s USB 2.0 ($19.99), USB 3.0 ($29.99, or $79.99 with a bundled ExpressCard adapter for notebooks), FireWire 800 ($39.99), eSATA ($19.99) or auto-backup ($29.99).  There are two basic desktop docks, one with USB 3.0 ($39 or $79 with a bundled PCI Express USB 3.0 adapter) and one with FireWire 800/USB 2.0 ($49.99), and a GoFlex Intelligent Dock ($29.99) which has an easily visible “capacity gauge”.

Finally, there’s the GoFlex TV HD Media Player, for $129.99, which has a dock, two USB 2.0 ports, ethernet, an optional WiFi dongle and 1080p HDTV support, and can stream content from Netflix, YouTube, MediaFly and Picasa, the $99.99 GoFlex Net Media Sharing Device, which has a dock, a USB port and ethernet for streaming content locally and remotely (including to an iPhone, iPad or Android device) using the Pogoplug service.

Press Release:

SEAGATE INTRODUCES NEW ERA OF EXTERNAL STORAGE: A FLEXIBLE HARD DRIVE SOLUTION WITH MULTIPLE INTERFACE AND CONTENT SHARING OPTIONS

Protect. Store. Do More.…With the Seagate® GoFlex™ Storage System

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. — May 4, 2010 — Seagate (NASDAQ: STX), the worldwide leader in hard drives and storage solutions, today introduced the next evolution of the company’s award-winning FreeAgent® external hard drives—its new GoFlex™ storage solutions. This new family of external drives and accessories introduces a new level of flexibility to traditional USB 2.0 storage that will change the way people store, access, enjoy and share their digital content. The FreeAgent® GoFlex™ storage family includes easy, plug-and-play portable and desktop drives, with an array of cables and desktop adapters that allow each drive to adapt to the interface or device being used. The GoFlex family of hard disk drives is also specially designed to provide interoperability between operating systems in order to work with both Microsoft® Windows® and Mac® OS X computers.

“GoFlex™ interface cables are about providing the speed, performance and connectivity people need to support their interaction with their digital content. The explosive growth of video capture options and multimedia collecting is expanding personal digital libraries to terabytes worth of content within the home,” said Dave Mosley, executive vice president, Sales, Marketing and Product Line Management at Seagate. “These trends are driving demand for high-capacity, high-performance storage. The GoFlex™ family of storage products meets this need by delivering simple, USB 2.0 storage and backup devices, with the flexibility to adapt as interface technology advances by using the various GoFlex™ cables and accessories to access content stored on the same drive.”

Protect, store and access files through the interface of your choice
Recent survey results by the Yankee Group indicate that more than half of people planning to purchase a new hard drive consider the interface connection an important factor in their selection. GoFlex drives address this concern by providing a flexible, plug-and-play way to adapt to the most popular available interfaces or devices. The seamless GoFlex™ cable system enables the GoFlex™ and GoFlex™ Pro ultra-portable USB 2.0 drives to be upgraded to USB 3.0, eSATA or FireWire 800 connections simply by switching out the cable adapter. Additionally, specially-designed GoFlex upgrade cables provide even more applications of how each drive can be used. For example, the GoFlexTM Upgrade cable – Auto Backup transforms the drive into a continuous full-system backup, giving consumers the peace of mind that their files and system settings are backed up, while leaving the remaining capacity for basic drag-and-drop file transfer

“As consumer’s lives become increasingly connected, people will demand capabilities beyond the traditional hard drive,” said Carl Howe, director, Anywhere Consumer Research, Yankee Group. “Consumers are looking not only for storage, but for new ways to use their digital content. Connecting, sharing, and repurposing content is part of the purchasing decision process for today’s ‘Anywhere Consumer’®.”

Do More with the GoFlex Storage System
Within the GoFlex family, Seagate has created a special ecosystem wherein people experience easy backup and enhanced protection of all their data—the same way they would expect a traditional hard drive to perform—only now their interaction with that content is not wholly dependent on the drive. In addition to several cable options, people can pair a GoFlex or GoFlex Pro ultra-portable drive with a GoFlex™ TV HD media player or the GoFlex™ Net media sharing device to enhance their experience of the drive’s content.

Using the GoFlex™ TV HD media player consumers can easily enjoy their personal digital media library on their television screen by inserting a GoFlex ultra-portable drive or GoFlex Pro ultra-portable drive directly into the media dock, or connecting a another storage device, digital or Flip camera to the two additional USB ports on the back of the device. Using the intuitive remote, owners of GoFlex TV HD media players can view movies, photos, and music from the comfort of their couch in 1080p high-definition and surround sound. Connect your GoFlex TV HD media player to the internet using the Ethernet or optional Wi-Fi adapter and stream digital content from a home network or popular online service providers such as Netflix, YouTube, MediaFly, Picasa and more

The GoFlex™ Net media sharing device transforms a GoFlex ultra-portable drive, GoFlex Pro ultra-portable drive, or any USB mass storage, into a media sharing device, allowing consumers to enjoy their digital content outside their home using a PC, iPad, iPod Touch, Android or phone or any other internet-connected computer. The GoFlex Net media sharing device also integrates with social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and publishes RSS feeds allowing people to keep friends and family updatedGoFlex media sharing device owners can also stream content to other devices on a home network, including the GoFlex TV HD media player, to enjoy movies, photos and music on their TV.

Bridging the Gap between PC and Mac
For the first time, Seagate will include an NTFS driver for Mac® OS X on all GoFlex portable and desktop offerings, enabling storage and access of files from both Windows® and Mac computers. The NTFS driver is simply installed once on your Mac computer, and allows access and storage of files on a Windows formatted[1] drive.

With capacities ranging from 320GB to 2TB, FreeAgent GoFlex ultra-portable and desktop drives group high-capacity, adaptability and ease-of-use with all the backup and protection people have come to expect from Seagate. Available immediately through Seagate.com and select online retailers, the GoFlex storage family includes:

GoFlex Drives:
o GoFlexTM ultra portable drive—The core of the GoFlexTM Storage System. Available in 14.5mm and 22mm versions and includes a USB 2.0 cable. MSRP $99.99 for 320GB [silver, black]; $129.99 for 500GB (silver, black, red, blue); $169.99 for 750GB [silver and black]; $199.99 for 1TB [silver, black].
o GoFlexTM ultra portable drive, drive-only version. MSRP $89.99 for 320GB [silver, black]; $119.99 for 500GB [silver, black, red, blue]; $159.99 for 750GB [silver and black]; $189.99 for 1TB [silver, black].
o GoFlexTM Pro ultra portable drive kit—A 7200RPM, 2.5” drive that delivers premium backup with encryption and includes a USB 2.0 cable. MSRP $139.99 for 500GB; $189.99 for 750GB [black].
o GoFlexTM Pro ultra portable drive, drive-only version—MSRP $129.99 for 500GB; $179.99 for 750GB [black].
o GoFlexTM Desk external drive kit—Delivers high-capacity storage and automatic, continuous backup with encryption for all your files and includes a USB 2.0 cable. MSRP $129.99 for 1TB [black]; $199.99 for 2TB [black].
o GoFlexTM Desk external drive, drive-only version—MSRP $119.99 for 1TB [black]; $189.99 for 2TB [black].
GoFlex Cables and Adapters:
o GoFlexTM Cable – USB 2.0—The baseline interface for your GoFlexTM and GoFlexTM Pro ultra-portable drives. MSRP $19.99.
o GoFlexTM Upgrade cable – USB 3.0—Equips your GoFlexTM and GoFlexTM Pro ultra-portable drives to deliver up to 10x faster transfer of files vs USB 2.0, while being backwards compatible. MSRP $29.99.
o GoFlexTM Upgrade cable kit – USB 3.0—Includes ExpressCard adapter to update a laptop and GoFlexTM ultra-portable drives from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0 and deliver up to 10x faster transfer of files than USB 2.0, MSRP $79.99.
o GoFlexTM Upgrade cable – FireWire® 800—Upgrades your GoFlexTM and GoFlexTM Pro ultra-portable drives to deliver 2x faster transfer speed over USB 2.0. MSRP $39.99.
o GoFlexTM Upgrade cable kit – eSATA—Empowers your GoFlexTM and GoFlexTM Pro ultra-portable drives to deliver up to 6x faster performance over USB 2.0. MSRP $19.99.
o GoFlexTM Upgrade cable – Auto Backup—Delivers continuous backup and protection of data giving consumers the peace of mind that their data is backed up, while leaving capacity for basic drag-and-drop file transfer. MSRP $29.99.

o GoFlexTM Desk Desktop adapter—USB 3.0—Allows the GoFlexTM Desk to deliver up to 10x faster transfer speed over USB 2.0 for your desktop PC. MSRP $39.00.
o GoFlexTM Desk Desktop adapter kit—USB 3.0—Includes PCI Express adapter to upgrade a desktop PC and GoFlexTM Desk external drive for USB 3.0 performance, MSRP $79.00.
o GoFlexTM Desk Desktop adapter—FireWire® 800/USB 2.0—Upgrades your GoFlex™ Desk external drive to deliver 2x faster performance over USB 2.0 with FireWire® 800/USB 2.0 for your desktop PC. MSRP $49.99.

GoFlex Storage System Devices:
o GoFlexTM TV HD media player—Allows for enjoyment of digital content on a TV. MSRP $129.99 for media player only.
o GoFlexTM Net media sharing device—Enables instant, easy access and sharing of content over a network. MSRP $99.99.
o GoFlexTM Intelligent dock—Transforms the GoFlex ultra portable drive into the perfect desktop solution that delivers convenient file access and backup with an easy-to-view capacity gauge. MSRP $29.99.

Overview and Features

The original Drobo had four 3.5-inch drive bays and a single USB 2.0 port, and was subsequently updated to add a FireWire 800 port. In comparison, the Drobo S gets five 3.5-inch SATA I/II drive bays – which still don’t require any sort of drive caddy or rails – and throws in an eSATA port as well. Data Robotics have also changed the underlying ARM-based processor, to one reportedly 50-percent faster than in the first-gen Drobo.

In the box you get the Drobo S itself – a shiny black plastic box measuring 5.9 x 7.3 x 10.3 inches – together with an external PSU, all three connection cables (USB 2.0, FireWire 800 and eSATA), printed user guide and quick-start card, and a CD with the Drobo Dashboard application together with electronic versions of the documentation. In its standard form, Data Robotics supply the Drobo S drive-free, which means you’ll also need to factor in the cost of adding storage. Up to 10TB can be accommodated, made up of five 2TB drives.

The Drobo S enters a market filled with significantly more aware consumers than its predecessor did. The Network Attached Storage (NAS) segment has flourished, particularly with one- and two-drive devices that promise plug-and-play shared storage without the headaches of system maintenance a server might demand. While consumers may know them better as media servers, the end result is the same: the ability to share documents, iTunes and other music libraries, video and photo galleries from a central point to multiple PCs, netbooks, consoles and phones, locally or – with a little setup – remotely.

In comparison, the Drobo S lacks any sort of networking functionality out of the box. There’s no gigabit ethernet port for setting it up as a media server or checking on documents you left at the office while you’re at home. Instead, it’s intended to provide data security for a single connected machine (you can’t hook up all three of the ports to different computers simultaneously, only one at a time). Rather than RAID, the various levels of which provide different degrees of duplication across a number of identically-sized drives, Data Robotics use their own “BeyondRAID” technology which has a number of advantages.

The headline feature – and one which makes the Drobo range perhaps so appealing to overworked system admins or out-of-depth prosumer users – is the self-management. Slot in two or more drives of any capacity, speed or brand (you can run the Drobo S with a single drive, but of course you won’t see any data security) and BeyondRAID automatically formats them, works out the maximum amount of storage that can be protected (e.g. if a drive fails, you won’t lose any data) and does everything necessary so that you can merely plug in via USB, eSATA or FireWire and begin copying over files. Start with two 1TB drives, for instance, and the Drobo S will end up offering you around 2TB of potential storage (e.g. the data on one drive is mirrored on the second, so if one should fail you’ll still have a safe copy); add a third 1TB drive – which you could do six months down the line, with the Drobo S already part-full of files – and the available storage leaps to just over 1.8TB. BeyondRAID automatically works out the maximum potential safe capacity, can do so without entirely rebuilding the array, and does so faster than a regular RAID setup since the Drobo S only copies actual data rather than every drive block.

So far, so Drobo, but the Drobo S adds in protection from two potential drive failures. That means, even if two discs in your array decide to break down, the Drobo S has still secured copies of your files. It’s worth noting that there’s a capacity trade-off for this extra protection – you have to manually activate it, with single-drive protection being standard – but unlike traditional RAID if you later decide to go prioritise space over double disc security, you can flip between the two without having to completely rebuild the array. Drives, meanwhile, are hot-swappable, you can continue to access data while a new or replacement disc is being prepared and, even while it’s sitting idle, the Drobo S is checking disc blocks and sectors to pre-emptively spot potential bad areas.

Performance

Data Robotics sent our test Drobo S unit with five hard-drives: three 320GB Western Digital Green, a 1TB Western Digital RE3 and a 2TB Western Digital Caviar Black. Our test machine was a Windows 7 64-bit workstation with an eSATA port, and we used three sample files, sized at 10MB, 100MB and 1GB. The Drobo S managed a 67MB/s read rate and a 71MB/s write rate, while burst speeds came in at around 146MB/s.

In contrast, the first-generation Drobo – using a USB 2.0 port – managed 11MB/s read, 9MB/s write and 17MB/s burst. There’s obviously a significant difference there, primarily because of the connectivity type (our first-gen Drobo is USB 2.0 only, and lacks the FireWire 800 port of the second-gen update); FireWire will be around 25-percent faster than USB 2.0, while eSATA is around 50-percent faster than FireWire. In short, if you’re looking for pure speed – important if you’re hoping to back up large quantities of data, or use the array for regularly-accessed high-resolution media files – the Drobo S’ eSATA connection offers a tangible benefit over its predecessor. We wouldn’t recommend it for I/O intensive applications like writing SQL data, however.

Verdict

The question, then, is for whom the Drobo S is intended. Without ethernet connectivity – while the DroboShare NAS adapter will apparently work with the Drobo S, it’s not officially supported and user feedback since its launch has been patchy at best – this is storage predominantly for a single person or project, unless you’re willing to leave a computer permanently switched on which can share the array over your network. Alternatively there are devices like the Pogoplug and Iomega’s iConnect which can bridge a USB 2.0 drive to a network connection (and throw in simple remote internet access too), but then you’re limiting yourself to the slowest of the three ports on offer.

It’s also considerably more expensive than the standard Drobo, which remains on sale alongside the new S-variant. The 4-bay Drobo is $399 from Data Robotics’ own online store, while the 5-bay Drobo S is $799 (the company will also sell you various pre-configured systems, with drives already installed). While the Drobo Dashboard app allows for status monitoring, there’s no actual backup app provided with either model, which means you’ll need to either use whatever functionality is present in your OS of choice (Drobo is compatible with Apple’s OS X Time Machine, for instance) or factor in the added cost of dedicated backup software. [Update: Data Robotics have highlighted their DroboCopy app, which is part of the DroboDashboard app for Windows and OS X machines. It allows you to set up scheduled backups of particular folders.] Expect a louder, slightly more expensive box to run, too: where Data Robotics say the Drobo draws between 12W and 40W depending on system activity, with up to 24.4dB in normal operation, while the Drobo S pulls up to 56W and 31.8dB. Obviously those figures will depend on which drives (and how many of them) you’re using; an original Drobo stuffed full of performance drives will probably end up louder than a Drobo S with just two eco-friendly drives.

If, however, you’re responsible for backing up a local machine – your precious mail server, perhaps, or a workstation that handles important media – then the Drobo S comes into its own. Unlike a regular RAID array, the Drobo S has the ease of use of a preconfigured system; unlike most preconfigured arrays, however, there’s also the flexibility to upgrade in the future without the cost of overhauling every drive you’re currently using, or a significant time impact in doing so. Double drive redundancy, plus the ability to temporarily switch from it to single redundancy in a pinch (handy, say, if you desperately need the storage space while you wait for new, bigger drives to be delivered) both make for one of the most secure ways to protect your data. The original Drobo found favor with photographers and other digital media professionals, and the Drobo S certainly fits well into that sort of niche.

Compared to an enterprise-class RAID storage system, meanwhile, the Drobo S’ price starts to look all the more competitive. By keeping the Drobo on sale alongside, Data Robotics are sending out a clear message that the new ‘bot isn’t particularly intended for entry-level home users (though the eSATA port has certainly caught their eye). On an enterprise level, then, even factoring in drive costs this is an affordable option, and that’s before you add up the value of BeyondRAID’s extra usability.

Not for everyone, then, and if you’re mainly wanting to share media around the home then there are cheaper, out-of-the-box functional ways of doing so. If reliable local backup is your priority, however, and you’d rather spend your time working with files than wrangling the system that backs them up, then the Data Robotics Drobo S certainly should be high in your shortlist.

Gallery

There’s also Dolby Home Theater surround support, with 5.1 output, and in fact the Ethos 5943G manages to fit in a full five speakers on its own.  Storage is up to 1.28TB (combining two 640GB HDDs) and there’s a choice of DVD or Blu-ray optical drives.

Connectivity includes WiFi, gigabit ethernet and Bluetooth 2.1, along with eSATA, USB, FireWire, HDMI and VGA, and there’s a fingerprint reader and webcam too.  No word on prices or availability from the Italian launch today, but we’re guessing these will be premium machines.

Bannco Unveils the XScorch 360: The debate between which method to play video games has been going on for a very long time, as both sides bicker on what’s better: PC mouse-and-keyboard, or the console’s standard controller. Well, for a lot of PC gamers out there (and vice versa), there’s just one of those titles out there that you want to play on the console, but can’t shy away from that mouse of yours. Bannco has the answer for you: the XScorch 360. [via TG Daily]

Active Media Launches 16 and 32GB eSATA USB SSD Drive: The standard flash drive is still used quite a bit nowadays, and it’s primarily dealt with USB drives. They’re easy to use, and most PCs come with a multitude of ports to choose from. But it looks like Active Media wants to go a different route. While it may seem different to most, the truth is the methodology results in faster data transfers, which we can never shy away from. (What can we say? We transfer a lot of data.) The company has created two variants, a 16GB and 32GB model, both with USB capabilities. So, the same good ol’ USB connector, but with faster eSATA transfer rates. Win-win, if you ask us. [via Hot Hardware]

Chrysler Announces the Fiat 500 is Coming to America: No doubt, electric cars are still all the rage. People want to save money on gas, and getting a nice tax credit definitely doesn’t hurt. So, Chrysler wants to make sure that everyone knows their latest all-electric vehicle, which made a previous, limited edition run in Europe, is coming to the States in 2012. Yeah, there will be plenty of other models from different companies that release between now and then, but hey, this one is definitely easy on the eyes. [via Autoblog]

AGENT Creates Soccer Ball of the Future: We’ve been hearing a lot of talk about 3D, and how it relates to events like the Barclays Premiere League, and the FIFA World Cup ready to kick off in just a few months. But, there’s one area that seems to be neglected all the time, and we don’t mean the pitch (which is known as the field here in the States). The soccer ball. And, sure, you may look at the ball and think that there’s not much room for improvement, but, AGENT begs to differ. They’ve created a translucent ball, that lights up depending on actions occurring on the field. Yeah, we know. It’s awesome. [via Design Boom]

Old Time Computer Wants to Make You Look Rich, With Wood: Think your computer looks boring? Why not spruce it up with some wooden casing? Old Time Computer can do that for you, and it’s not as expensive as you might think, considering the workmanship and detail that goes into the project. It’s a pretty simple snap-on case though, so even if it gets heavy on the eyes at some point, you should be able to just take it right off. Getting a case for your iMac will cost you about $265, and you can change your keyboard in the same fashion as well, but that will cost you an additional $345. [via DVICE]

The new flash drive offers an eSATA connector on one end and a mini USB 2.0 port on the other. The flash drive looks virtually identical to the OCZ Throttle that we talked about way back in 2008. The drive can be connected to a computer with only the USB port.

If the machine has an eSATA port, data transfer is much faster. When used as an eSATA drive the device has to be connected to a USB port for power. The mini USB port means when you use the drive with a USB port you need the included cable to use it. The drive will be offered in 16GB or 32GB with prices of $69.95 and $109.95 respectively.

Video demo after the cut

As well as the USB 3.0 – which should be handy for hooking up high-speed external drives and playing back high-resolution content from them – there’s HDMI 1.3, composite and component video, together with both optical and coaxial digital audio outputs.  There’s also eSATA and various memory card reader slots, together with a network port.  More details in the video below.

Update: The O!Play HD2 is confirmed to have not only USB 2.0 but USB 3.0 connectivity.

We’re presuming the O!Play HD2 is another networked media player, similar to the two models that have gone before it.  That would suggest 1080p HD video output via HDMI (or composite audio/video and digital audio outputs) together with some degree of networking support, either ethernet or maybe 802.11n like the O!Play Air HDP-R3.

Still, we’re waiting to hear back from ASUS themselves as to what the mediaplayer actually delivers, and hopefully some pricing and availability news too.  We’ll update when that comes in.

Two versions of the T1000 will be offered, the T1000X with a 4-cell, 4,500mAh battery and the T1000P with a 6-cell, 7,650mAh battery.  Both netbooks will have 1GB of RAM, a 250GB HDD and Intel GMA 3150 graphics, along with WiFi b/g/n, 10/100 ethernet and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR.

Ports include two USB 2.0, an eSATA/USB combo, audio in/out, VGA, ExpressCard and a multiformat memory card reader; there’s also a 1.3-megapixel webcam, microphone and 1.5W stereo speakers.  No word on pricing, but we’re guessing this won’t be an especially cheap netbook – Gigabyte will probably tell us more at CeBIT 2010 this coming week.

[via Xataka]

Of course, if you don’t have a Power eSATA port on your laptop you can still use the LaCie drive.  In the box there’s a Y-cable which connects to a USB and a regular eSATA socket, pulling in power from the former and using the latter for data.

LaCie have a list of compatible machines here so you can check to see if your notebook is suitable.  The LaCie Rugged eSATA hard-drive is available now, priced at $159.99 for 500GB.

Press Release:

LaCie Rugged eSATA: Mobile Storage for Fast Data Transfer

• Power eSATA interface allows you to work faster
• Rugged casing is ideal for protecting valuable data on the go
• Up to 90MB/s through Power eSATA
• Compatible with standard eSATA ports

LaCie today announced the Rugged eSATA, the first mobile external hard drive on the market that features a Power eSATA interface. The Rugged eSATA offers major storage capacity and a cost advantage over eSATA SSD solutions, and is one of the only portable, bus-powered eSATA solutions on the market.

Bus-powered when connected to a USB-eSATA combo port, the LaCie Rugged eSATA combines superior transfer speeds of up to 90MB/s in a truly mobile form. The USB-eSATA combo interface, also known as Power eSATA, features a slightly different connector than eSATA and is frequently found on late-model laptops. The drive is also compatible with standard eSATA ports when the included USB power-sharing cable is connected.

“We are thrilled to integrate power eSATA technology into our best-selling Rugged mobile hard drive,” said Anne-Sophie Marchand, Consumer Product Manager. “This solution brings dazzling transfer speeds to customers on the go, while still ensuring compatibility with standard eSATA and USB 2.0 connectors.”

Housed in the award-winning Rugged casing designed by Neil Poulton, the LaCie Rugged eSATA features a unique scratch-resistant aluminum shell, internal anti-shock absorbers, and a shock-resistant rubber bumper to better protect files against everyday blunders.

Availability
The LaCie Rugged eSATA will be available in 500GB capacity through the LaCie Online Store, LaCie Reseller+ and LaCie Storage Partner starting at the suggested retail price of $159.99 (VAT included). For more information, visit www.lacie.com.

It’s the more comprehensive sibling to the standard GuruPlug Server, which gets two USB 2.0 ports and a single ethernet connection, as well as no memory card slot.  Both have a 1.2GHz processor with 512MB of RAM and various tinker-friendly ports.

The Globalscale GuruPlug Server Plus is available for preorder now, at $129, with deliveries expected to take place from April 2010.  As for the basic GuruPlug Server, that’s $99 and will also begin shipping in April.

[via Hack a Day]

Connectivity includes HDMI v1.3, composite audio/video and digital audio outputs, along with a USB 2.0 port and a combo USB 2.0/eSATA port for hooking up external storage.  The new O!Play also has a multiformat memory card reader and wired ethernet port.

Video support is pretty comprehensive, with MPEG1/2/4, H.264, VC-1 and RM/RMVB content supported in a variety of containers (mp4, .mov, .xvid., .avi., .asf, .wmv, .mkv, .rm, .rmvb, .flv, .ts, .m2ts, .dat, .mpg, .vob, .mts, .tp, .trp, .iso); there’s also broad audio (MP3, WAV, AAC, OGG, FLAC, AIFF, LPCM, WMA, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS) and image (JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TIFF) compatibility.  There’s also a dedicated button on the new remote that instantly kicks the mediaplayer into shuffled music playback.  The ASUS O!Play Air HDP-R3 is on sale in Italy now, priced at €129.90 ($178); no word on an international release as yet.

The DiskStation DS1010+ is based on Intel’s latest Atom dual-core D510 1.66GHz processor (in effect the nettop version of the N450), complete with up to 3GB of RAM (1GB standard), and Synology reckon it has 250-percent faster performance than its DS509+ predecessor.  As well as the five onboard bays – each happy with a 3.5-inch 2TB HDD – you can pair it with the DX510 five-bay external enclosure; RAID 1, 5 or 6 setups are supported, and there are dual gigabit ethernet ports, four USB 2.0 ports and an eSATA port.

As for the DiskStation DS110j, that’s a little more homely with just a single ethernet port and three USB 2.0 ports, an 800MHz processor and 128MB of RAM.  However it has similar media sharing and backup functionality to the DS1010+ (albeit with no RAID support, obviously).

Both are available in the US and Canada now, in both diskless and HDD-pre-installed forms.  No word on how much the Synology DiskStation DS1010+ comes in at, but the DiskStation DS110j is $150 with no included storage.

[via Linux for Devices]

Connectivity is via USB 2.0 and eSATA, and it can also be set to show up as a regular external drive for copying over those ISOs (and other data) in the first place.  It looks to be reasonably compact, too, only a little longer than the 2.5-inch drive it contains.

In the negative column right now are a frustrating limitation to XP, Vista and Windows 7 and the fact that it costs 9,980 yen ($112) without a drive inside.  Still, if you admin plenty of Windows machines and you’re sick and tired of carrying around a bag full of installation discs, the UMA-ISO is still likely to appeal.

[via Akihabara]

Video demos after the cut

Each machine has a 250GB hard-drive and 2GB of RAM, together with multiple USB 2.0 ports, eSATA and HDMI.  There’s also onboard WiFi b/g/n, with an external antenna for improved reception.

Both nettops are up for preorder on Amazon Germany’s site, priced at €410.98 ($614) for the Eee Box EB1501 and at €338.98 ($507) for the Eee Box EB1012; however the MRSP of the EB1501 is now known to be €399 ($596), so expect the Amazon price to slip downwards.  Each is available in black or white, and they’re set to begin shipping on October 22nd (when Windows 7 officially launches).

ASUS Eee Box EB1012 overview:

ASUS Eee Box EB1501 overview:

There’s also a 1.3-megapixel webcam, microphone array and eSATA port, together with a spill-proof keyboard.  Each uses an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with up to 8GB of RAM and a choice of 320GB or 500GB hard-drives.  Connectivity includes an S/PDIF port and 5-in-1 memory card reader.

There’s a particular Fujitsu “style” at the moment for its notebook range, and you either love it or you hate it.  We’re not sure how much the two AMILO Pi notebooks retail for as yet; we’ll update once we hear back from Fujitsu.

Press Release:

Boundless Widescreen Entertainment with Fujitsu AMILO Pi 3560/3660

Elegant high performance notebook provides maximum multimedia experience on the move

Munich, October 07, 2009 —

Fujitsu today announces the AMILO Pi 3560 and 3660 notebooks, enabling clients to experience their films, photos, social networking, and games in stunning quality on a brilliant widescreen display, whenever and wherever they want. The entertainment action can also be enjoyed and shared with friends and family on a big Plasma-TV screen, with an optional Blu-ray Disc™ drive that easily integrates with other home entertainment devices via HDMI. Integrated Bluetooth provides connectivity and convenience for work and travel.

Whether for work, communication, or to enjoy a favorite game or movie in High Definition quality with friends, the AMILO Pi 3560/3660’s high performance NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 240M graphics card with 1 GB DDR3 dedicated video memory provide pin-sharp pictures and a brilliant color display. The BrilliantView display with 16:9 widescreen format delivers true-to-life DVD movies in all their widescreen glory. The expanded screen width allows more display space for multiple applications, tool bars, vista gadgets or instant messaging. An integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam and built-in digital array microphone are perfect for video conferencing and Internet telephony (VoIP), making communication clear and easy.

The AMILO Pi 3560/3660’s outstanding viewing quality is matched by its convenience and superb visual design, including a premium high-gloss material finish and patterned palm-rest. A spill-proof keyboard protects the notebook against accidentally spilled liquids, providing time to shut down and save data if necessary. Integrated pre-n WLAN with the fastest transfer rates and an extended range, along with integrated Bluetooth, provide mobile computing independence to go online or synchronize your notebook calendar and your mobile phone, no matter where you are. External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) provides superfast data transfer. Silent mode function creates a comfortable work environment.

Both AMILO Pi models have 16:9 widescreen format, HD quality display and high performance graphics, but offer two choices for size. The AMILO 3660 has a 46.7 cm (18.4-inch) HD display, while the AMILO Pi 3560 has a 39.6 or 40.6 cm (15.6 or 16-inch) HD display. The AMILO Pi 3560 also offers an energy-saving LED backlight display technology, providing high contrast, crisper images and increased color depth, even when working outdoors.

Rajat Kakar, Vice-President Clients Group at Fujitsu Technology Solutions says: “Fujitsu offers a broad portfolio covering the needs of every type of user. The AMILO Pi 3560/3660 is perfect for work or play, particularly for multimedia and entertainment use, either on its own or as a key element of a home entertainment network.”

There’s also a full remote control and nifty GUI, while AV connections include HDMI, composite audio/video and optical digital audio.  File type support includes DivX, Xvid, MKV and MPG, among others, together with MP3, AAC and FLAC audio.

Audio support includes the ability to bitstream or decode Dolby Digital and DTS Surround audio.  What you don’t get for your hundred bucks is WiFi, but you could add a wireless ethernet bridge should the mood take you.  Still, it’ll likely handle high-definition content better over a wired link.

Otherwise, all Dell will say is that there are “desktop parts” inside, which we’re hoping means something other than Intel Atom processors and rather something more suited to the “HD” moniker.  There are certainly plenty of ports, with four USB 2.0, two eSATA, HDMI, audio in/out, serial and what looks to be a card reader up front.

Size is “a little bit taller than the Mac mini, but not by much” which has us hoping for a compact HTPC to oust our usual DVR.  Fingers crossed Dell spill the beans on specs, pricing and availability soon.

Supported codecs include MPEG 1/2/4, H.264, VC-1 and RM/RMVB, with a list of file formats as long as your arm; check out the spec sheet below for full details.  The O!Play HDP-R1 will also play back music and images, including FLAC and OGG files.

The absence of WiFi draft-n support will likely be a deal-breaker for many, though those who have eSATA hard-drives and would like to play content from them might find something to appeal here.  No word on pricing or availability as yet.

Windows Home Server is kept chugging along on an Intel Atom 230 1.6GHz processor, paired with 2GB of DDR2 RAM.  Network connectivity is via a gigabit ethernet connection, and the whole thing measures 8.3 x 7.8 x 7.08 inches. 

Acer have slapped on various neat usability touches, including a top-mounted power button (since the easyStore will likely be living under a desk) and a one-touch copy button that backs-up a USB device to designated folders, including sorting files by type.  Windows Home Server does its usual backup chores, creating drive images of any PC on the network.

The Acer Aspire easyStore AH340-UA230N Home Server is available now, priced at $399.99.

Press Release:

New Acer® Aspire easyStore Home Server
Provides Access to Family’s Digital Data From Anywhere in the World

Networks PCs, centralizes data and provides daily data back-ups for just $399

SAN JOSE, CALIF., May 21, 2009 – Acer, the third largest vendor in the PC market, today announced the new Acer® Aspire easyStore Home Server for customers in the United States. Designed for households and home-based businesses with multiple PCs, Aspire easyStore offers a simple way to network home computers, centralize, share and protect digital data as well as access it remotely from anywhere in the world.

Outfitted with Microsoft® Windows® Home Server, the Aspire easyStore offers many benefits. For example, parents can access their children’s homework while traveling for business. They can also upload videos and photos from sports events or summer vacations to the server, even while away from home. At any time, from anywhere, every family member with a PC in the home network can access photos, videos, music and other documents from the home server. This centralization of digital data saves significant time by eliminating the need to transfer data from one PC to another, every time someone wants a photo, video or other document that’s stored on another PC. It’s also a safeguard. If a netbook or notebook is damaged, lost or stolen, users don’t lose their data along with it, since it’s backed up at home. In addition, when a new system is added to the network, it’s quick and easy to upload data from the computer to the server.

“The trend of multiple computer devices per household continues to grow, particularly with regard to mobility. A significant pain point for consumers is how to consolidate and protect their digital data that’s spread among multiple devices,” said Sumit Agnihotry, Vice President of Product Marketing for Acer America. “Aspire easyStore is the ideal solution for networking home PCs and providing round the clock data protection. Offering remote access to digital data at home from anywhere in the world and automatic daily back-ups, it’s the perfect companion to netbooks and notebooks. It’s an extremely practical and affordable way to simplify and manage one’s personal digital life.”

“It’s great to have Acer as a valued partner for Microsoft’s Windows Home Server in North America. Acer’s solution gives consumers new options for purchasing Microsoft Windows Home Server. And Acer’s reputation as a key contributor in the PC and consumer electronics field further demonstrates the industry’s commitment to this growing product category,” said Kevin Kean, General Manager, Windows Home and Small Business Server Group at Microsoft.

Small and Stylish Design, Significant Storage Capacity
Smaller than standard servers, the handsome black tower measures just 8.3-inches (H) x 7.8-inches (W) x 7.08-inches (L). HDD status LEDs emanate a soft blue light and complement the handsome black bezel. The power button is located on top for easy access and reach. One-touch USB copy enables quick file uploading. Users just plug in the USB device and push the button. The data is automatically sorted and stored by file type into designated folders.

Outfitted with an Intel® Atom™ processor 230 and 2GB DDR2 memory, the Aspire easyStore AH340-UA230N Home Server has the guts to organize and back-up files quickly. The 1TB hard drive and three hot-swappable hard drive bays available for storage expansion provide enough room for filing, storing and backing-up a vast library of songs, videos, photos, games and documents.

The hot swappable HDD cage enables users to increase their data storage, by adding up to three 3.5-inch internal hard drives, which means it offers up to about 7 TB of total data storage. The cage is outfitted with release levers for each drive to keep them secure. In addition, a recovery/reset pinhole provides additional data protection by enabling system restores and data recoveries with just one-touch.

The server works with DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) 1.5 Certified Home Server (DMS) and digital media player (DMP) to enable music playback as well as photo and video viewing on a TV. For internet security, Aspire easyStore comes with a six-month free trial of McAfee Total Protection Service.

Windows® Home Server Simplifies Home Computing, Enables Remote Access

Microsoft® Windows® Home Server centralizes digital media in one location, making it easy to access files, photos, videos and music from any PC on the network. It also protects critical data by creating an image-based backup of every home computer every day, so users can restore a single file or an entire PC. With Windows Home Server, users can access the home network from the office or the road, for full access to their files and applications, just as if they were sitting in front of their home PC.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability
The Acer® Aspire easyStore AH340-UA230N Home Server is available in the U.S. via leading online technology retailers and authorized resellers.

Acer® Aspire easyStore AH340-UA230N Home Server: Available now for a MSRP of $399.99

* Intel® Atom™ Processor 230 (1.6GHz)
* Microsoft® Windows® Home Server
* 2GB DDR2 Memory
* 1TB Hard Drive
* Three Empty Hot Swappable Hard Drive Bays
* Five USB 2.0 Ports
* One eSATA Port
* 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
* 200 Watt Power Supply
* RJ-45 LAN Port

Equipped with a 7,200RPM SATA drive, it has an eSATA interface and can transfer information at speeds of up to 300MB/sec. It also has a USB 2.0 port making for 480mbps transfer speeds in that fashion.

The Aegis Desktop comes in in an aluminum housing and works with Windows 2000 and up and Mac OS 9.2 and up. There are several variations available including a 500GB model, a 1TB model and the 1.5TB model. These cost $119, $144 and $229, respectively.

Both drives also have a USB port, which can be used to add hard-drives either to expand overall capacity or make a backup of your backup for storing elsewhere.  It’s not all good news for dry network admins, either: the Big Disk and d2 Network each support UPnP and DLNA media streaming.

There’s also an integrated BitTorrent client for standalone downloads, and a comprehensive admin panel that lets you assign users and groups.  Both drives are available now, with the LaCie Big Disk Network priced at $379.99 and the LaCie d2 Network priced at $189.99. 

Press Release:

LaCie Introduces Two Network Storage Servers for Workgroups

• Compatible with Time Machine TM
• Stream multimedia content to your UPnP devices
• Advanced aluminum heat-sink design
• Extremely quiet and energy-efficient

LaCie announced today the availability of two new high capacity Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions – Big Disk Network and d2 Network. These professional file servers are optimized for users to instantly store, share, and back up files, from any PC or Mac on a wired or wireless network. LaCie’s new NAS solutions deliver high-performance and professional-class reliability, in an easy-to-use network solution for the home or small office.

The d2 Network supports up to 1.5TB capacity, while the Big Disk Network combines two drives in a RAID 0 setting, for up to 4TBs of storage. Both NAS solutions are perfect for advanced users or small to medium sized offices that want to develop workgroup environments for up to 50 users (15 at one time). Network administrators can choose from various security levels for user profiles, groups, and public or guest access. Users can connect an external USB drive to increase security through scheduled backups, or even expand capacity. The d2 Network also includes an eSATA connection for storage expansion.

In addition to high-performance hardware, LaCie’s NAS solutions offer a comprehensive software bundle for easy set up, back up and administration. The LaCie Network Assistant enables quick access and configuration of your NAS solution. Both solutions also ship with Genie Backup Manager Pro for Windows and Intego Backup Manager Pro for Mac users, which allow customers to reliably and efficiently backup documents, emails, and other digital assets directly to their NAS device. They also support computer disaster recovery for extra security.

“Data storage needs are becoming increasingly significant in homes and small offices,” said Edin Del Mar, LaCie product manager for office network solutions. “The Big Disk and d2 Network provide professional server functionality and large storage capacities that satisfy the needs of any workgroup environment, with superior design and better performance than comparable products on the market today.”

The Big Disk and d2 Network integrate easily and efficiently into most small office networks thanks to Active Directory support, which allow the product to seamlessly join Windows domains. It also supports most of the network protocols for Windows and Mac users, including SMB and AFP. Network administrators can take advantage of the Wake-on-LAN (WOL) for turning on the drive remotely, and be sent email alerts for backups, downloads, and risk indicators.

For optimal use in the home, the d2 and Big Disk Network allow users to leverage two convenient usage scenarios without being connected to a computer. The first is the ability to download large files using the BitTorrentTM protocol. The second use lets users play media from the NAS solutions through a UPnP-AV compatible device such as a PS3 or Xbox, directly to a television. Both NAS drives are compatible with any DLNA multimedia device.

Designed exclusively for LaCie by the world-renowned designer Neil Poulton, the Big Disk and d2 Network drives were engineered to maximize reliability and are remarkably compact for their enormous capacity. Its sturdy aluminum body with a unique heat sink design offers natural heat dissipation by providing 60% more surface area. The versatile design allows users to place the drive in an upright or vertical position, depending on the environment. If users desire multiple d2 drives for backup or increased capacity, the drives can be rackmounted using the LaCie d2 rack accessories for desktop and standard 19″ IT equipment racks.

Availability and Pricing
The LaCie NAS solutions are available now, with the retail cost starting at $189.99 for d2 Network and $379.99 for Big Disk Network. LaCie products are available through the LaCie Online Store or LaCie Resellers.

About Neil Poulton
Neil Poulton was born in Thurso, Scotland. A graduate in Industrial Design from Edinburgh University and Milan’s Domus Academy, Poulton first came into public view in 1989 as the creator of “the ageing pens,” pens made from a “living,” wearing plastic that changes color and form with use. Today, Neil Poulton designs and develops best-selling, award-winning products for a variety of international clients including LaCie & Artemide. Since 1991, Poulton has lived and worked in Paris, France. www.neilpoulton.com

About LaCie
Located in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, Singapore and Hong Kong, LaCie is the leading manufacturer of computer peripherals for Windows, Apple and Linux users. LaCie creates external storage solutions and color monitors that help professionals and everyday people easily manage their digital lives. LaCie has differentiated its products through original designs and leading-edge technology. Established in France in 1989, LaCie is listed on Euronext under FR0000054314 (LAC). For more information, visit www.lacie.com

Both models have USB 2.0, eSATA, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 connectivity, and with the RS-4 you can have up to 8TB of total space if you fill it to its maximum.  Of course, there’s no data redundancy in such a setup, so the Frigo drives will let you establish unspecified RAID arrays: we’re guessing at least drive duplication, but Sarotech’s site has no mention of the new products.

There’s no telling if any of Drobo’s management cleverness has been “borrowed” by the Korean manufacturer, or if these are simple dumb RAID enclosures.  They’ll go on sale in a few weeks time in Korea, priced at $311 for the Frigo RS-2 and $433 for the Frigo RS-4.

[via Akihabara]

Out goes the bargain-basement chassis and in comes a new, black and silver aluminum frame with a new super-quiet fan.  The front panel gets an Apple-styled perforated mesh finish, and there are even little swivel feet that can keep the DVR Expander standing upright. 

Capacities remain 500GB, 1TB and 1.5TB, and there are both USB 2.0 and eSATA connections.  The drive supports dual tuner record with simultaneous playback of a third file.  Prices start at $119 for the 500GB model, rising to $169 and $219 for the 1TB and 1.5TB models respectively; a mail-in rebate promotion brings the 1.5TB drive down to $179.

Press Release:

APRICORN UNVEILS NEW LOOK FOR THE DVR EXPANDER

The largest capacity DVR external hard drive on the market now has a sleek new design

Poway, Calif. April 8, 2009 – Apricorn, (www.apricorn.com) the leader in personal storage, today unveiled the revamped design of the Apricorn DVR Expander. Sporting a sleek black and silver aluminum frame, allowing for greater heat dissipation and whisper quiet ultra-cool fan to keep the drive at optimal temperatures – even in cramped TV cabinets, the DVR Expander’s fresh design is the perfect blend of form and function.

The DVR Expander’s stackable design and convenient hideaway stand that can swivel away when not in use, enables the DVR Expander to be used in either horizontal or vertical configurations, allowing it to fit in virtually any entertainment center.

Available in 500GB, 1TB, and 1.5TB capacities, the DVR Expander’s dual USB 2.0 / eSATA interface is compatible with a variety of DVRs utilizing an active eSATA or USB 2.0 connection. This includes Scientific Atlanta® 8300 series DVR (eSATA), DIRECTV® DVRs (eSATA) and Dish Network® ViP HD DVR (USB 2.0). The DVR Expander also supports all the functions of your dual tuner DVR, including simultaneously recording two high definition channels while playing one back.

The set up of the DVR Expander, which can add up to 843 hours of standard programming or 187.5 hours of high definition programming to your DVR, takes minutes. Just connect the DVR Expander to the active eSATA or USB 2.0 port on the back of the DVR (depending on your system), format the drive using the DVR prompts and your DVR capacity is instantly increased.

“Running out of recording space on a DVR is the biggest complaint we hear about DVRs” said Mike McCandless, Apricorn’s VP of Sales and Marketing. “With our high capacity DVR Expander I can record 4 days of the Masters in High-Definition without deleting my wife’s Oprah recordings. It’s a marriage saver”.

System Requirements

oYour DVR eSATA or USB port must be active to use the DVR Expander. If you are unsure if your DVR eSATA or USB port is active or the DVR Expander is compatible with your system, please refer to the Apricorn website or your cable provider

1 terabyte (TB) = 1 trillion bytes = 1000 gigabytes
*Accessible capacity will be less and actual capacity depends on the operating environment and formatting.

Availability
Apricorn’s DVR Expander is available from online retailers and Apricorn’s website www.apricorn.com.

Pricing
o500GB: $119.00
o1TB: $169.00
o1.5TB: $219.00

Warranty
One year limited

Video demo after the cut

While the ZONE will work as a standalone unit, it comes into its own when more than one are installed.  Then each ZONE can share content with each other, or with network-attached storage, including Digital Cable boxes or 3rd-party TV tuners for DVR duty.

The ZONE PC itself has a 2GHz T5750 processor, 2GB of RAM, Intel GMA 4500HD graphics, gigabit ethernet, a 160GB hard-drive, slot-loading Blu-ray drive, HDMI 1.3 and eSATA ports, and can output 7.1 surround sound.  It runs Windows Vista Home Premium together with Niveus’ own software suite, including the Movie Library app which handles saved DVD and Blu-ray content.  The whole thing measures just 6.5 x 6.5 x 1.97 inches and uses less than 50W.

The Niveus ZONE media player is available now, priced from $1,499 per unit.  There’s also a new user community, Niveus Forums, where buyers and dealers will have access to early software builds and tech support.

[via Automated Home]

Both models have 6-cell batteries, which promise up to 4.5hrs of runtime for the Q320 and up to 5hrs for the R522; there’s also a SuperSilent Mode which reduces fan-noise.  No details on specific Core 2 Duo processors, RAM or hard-drives, but we do know the Q320 uses NVIDIA’s GeForce G105M GPU.

The extra chassis space means the Samsung R522 gets four USB 2.0 ports together with a combo USB/eSATA port; the smaller Q320 manages just a single USB 2.0 paired with a combo port.  Both notebooks will arrive in April, prices to be confirmed.

[via Register Hardware]

The SATA port was free, because tnkgrl had already switched out her Aspire One’s original 8GB SSD with a 60GB hard-drive, hooked up to the PATA interface.  Two versions of the 8.9-inch Aspire One motherboard are out there, the SSD version has the ZIF connector and the HDD version has the standard 2.5-inch SATA connector.

Some basic 2-conductor shielded microphone cable was used to link to where the SATA connector would normally be, and an eSATA socket was taken from an old desktop bracket.  The netbook requires a reboot to recognize any new devices plugged in, seeing as its SATA isn’t hot-swappable.

In fact the OWC burner can write to Blu-ray discs at 8x speeds, amounting to up to 2GB per minute.  DVD burn speeds, meanwhile, are up to 16x, while CDs can be toasted at up to 32x rates.  According to OWC it’s plug & play on both Macs and Windows machines, and works with “most” built-in and third-party disc authoring software.

Available now, the OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray/SuperDrive “Quad Interface” External Drive is priced at a not-inconsiderable $399.99, including all cables and two 25GB Blu-ray BD-R discs.  Alternatively $479.99 gets you the drive, the discs and cables, plus the full retail version of Roxio Toast 10 Titanium.

Press Release:

OWC ANNOUNCES FASTER MERCURY PRO 8X BLU-RAY DRIVES WITH FIREWIRE 800/400, USB2, ESATA“QUAD INTERFACE”

Only “Quad Interface” Blu-ray Drives on the Market
TWICE AS FAST as Previous Mercury Pro Blu-Ray Solutions

Write/Burn Blu-Ray up to 8X speed, DVDs up to 16X and CDs up to 32X speed

February 24, 2009, Woodstock, IL — Other World Computing (OWC®) http://www.macsales.com, a leading Mac and PC technology company, announced today its newest OWC Mercury Pro™ Blu-ray/SuperDrive “Quad Interface” External Drive solutions featuring super-fast 8X Blu-ray write speeds of up to 2GB per minute. The Mercury Pro Blu-ray “Quad Interface” External Drives are the only Blu-ray burners on the market that provide the flexibility of a “Quad Interface” of FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, & eSATA interfaces for Plug & Play compatibility with both Windows and Macintosh systems.

Burn 50,000 JPEG Images, 17,500 MP3 Songs, or 25 DVD Movies on a Single Disc!

Available immediately priced starting at $399.99, the Mercury Pro Blu-ray External Drives are ideal for consumers with large amounts of High-Definition or other video, photos, music, and data files that they want to author, archive, or retrieve using a single disk. With twice the Blu-ray burn speed over earlier Mercury Pro models, the new Mercury Pro Blu-ray External Drives are capable of burning 50GB of data — equal to 50,000 JPEG images, 17,500 MP3 songs, 25 DVD quality movies, or just under four hours of High Definition video — onto a single disc as quickly as 30 minutes. Additionally, Mercury Pro Blu-ray drives read and/or write virtually all optical media, including DVD-RAM, DVD Dual-Layer R/RW, DVD R/RW, and CD-R/RW, as well as Blu-ray.

Pricing for OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray “Quad Interface” External Drive solutions:

OWC Mercury Pro “Quad Interface” External Drive (Model BDR-203X): $399.99. Writes and reads Blu-ray up to 8X, 16X DVD, and 32X CD Burn Speeds. Includes all connection cables and two 25GB BD-R discs.

OWC Mercury Pro “Quad Interface” External Drive (Model BDR-203XT) with Roxio software: $479.99. Writes and reads Blu-ray up to 8X, 16X DVD, and 32X CD Burn Speeds. Includes all connection cables, two 25GB BD-R discs, and full retail version of Roxio Toast 10 Titanium.

“With Blu-ray write speeds twice as fast as the previous OWC models, as well as the ability to read/write DVDs and CDs, these new OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray External Drive solutions give anyone with digital entertainment and general data files the ability to dramatically reduce the time and amount of media required to create general use and archive discs,” said Larry O’Connor, CEO, OWC.

The OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray “Quad Interface” External Drive solutions have been fully tested for compatibility with most Apple and Windows built-in and third party DVD/CD tools and players, including Apple iTunes, Apple Disc Burner, Apple iDVD 5, Apple DVD Studio Pro, EMC Retrospect Express, NTI DragonBurn, Roxio Toast, Roxio Easy Media Creator, and Nero Burning.

For more information on the OWC Mercury Pro Blu-ray external drive solutions, visit:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/optical-drives/

The OCZ Throttle eSATA drive family ranges from 8GB, 16GB to 32GB capacities. Like the USB with plug-and-play capability, the Throttle allows instantaneously data access from any computer without the need to install any additional hardware or drivers. Product availability and pricing have not yet announced.

Despite the potential speed of a 3Gb/s eSATA interface, the e-Flash actually only supports up to 75MB/s read rates and up to 25MB/s write rates.  It’s not explained, but it’s entirely possible that the flash memory used in the drive is the limiting factor here, rather than the connection.

That means that while the read rates are over double the maximum USB 2.0 speed offered (up to 30MB/s), the write speed is only 5M/s more (25MB/s for eSATA, versus 20MB/s for USB 2.0).  Still, you probably want the Kangaru e-Flash for bragging rights more than you really need a significant speed boost.

Kangaru are selling the e-Flash now, priced from $84.95 for the 16GB model or $119.95 for the 32GB version.  A 64GB version is planned for January 2009.

[via I4U]

The FX6800-05 also has a 1TB 7,200rpm SATA-II hard-drive as well as an Intel 80GB SSD. Connectivity includes eight USB 2.0 ports, two eSATA, one FireWire, gigabit ethernet and HDMI (via a DVI-HDMI dongle).

As standard it ships with a DVD burner, but a Blu-ray drive is optional. As with the FX6800-01e, all the ports and drives are hidden behind doors and pop-out bays, and the PC is finished in a rather dramatic shade of orange. The Gateway FX6800-05 Gaming PC is available now, priced from $2,999.99.

Press Release:

GATEWAY SUPERCHARGES ITS FX SERIES GAMING PCs WITH NEW INTEL® CORE™ i7 PROCESSORS

New processing technology breaks barriers with extreme performance for intense gaming and high impact entertainment

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 17, 2008 — Gateway today announced two new models in its FX Series of desktop PCs featuring Intel’s fastest desktop platform technology to date, the Intel® Core™ i7 processors and the Intel® X58 Express chipset. The new Core i7 processors feature faster, intelligent multi-core technology that automatically applies processing power where it’s needed most, delivering an incredible breakthrough in PC performance.

An unrivaled value at just $1,249.99, the Gateway® FX6800-01e means the world of extreme gaming and turbo-charged fun isn’t limited to high-priced systems costing thousands of dollars. At its heart lies an Intel Core i7-920 processor, providing gamers with the critical horsepower to pwn even the most worthy opponents. Partnered with an ATI Radeon HD4850 video card, 3GB of DDR3 triple channel memory and high definition audio, it delivers the performance, graphics and audio necessary for those who want to experience their digital entertainment full throttle.

“The new Gateway FX6800-01 featuring the Intel Core i7-920 Processor is another example of our commitment to bringing high-performance into the mainstream price range,” said Glenn Jystad, senior manager, desktop products for Gateway. “The screaming performance this desktop delivers is more than enough for most gamers, and leaves them with a lot more money for games, as well as the ability to play them better than ever before.”

Hard-core gamers who crave white-knuckle rushes and heart-palpitating action will find the Gateway® FX6800-05 delivers all that and more. Aggressively priced at $2.999.99, it is fueled by the even more powerful Intel Core i7-940 processor, making it the ultimate holiday gift and game crusher. Realistic heart-stopping, jaw-dropping visuals are provided by ATI Radeon HD4870 X2 graphics card and 6GB of DDR3 memory for spine-tingling fun.

And the excitement doesn’t stop there. In addition to its massive 1TB hard drive, Gateway takes it to the next level, adding a revolutionary new high-speed drive — an 80GB Intel High Performance Solid State Drive. This industry-leading drive can’t be beat for drive-intensive applications with extreme performance needs. Devoid of moving parts, it provides faster and more reliable data storage than traditional hard drives, with less heat and noise.

“Solid state hard drive technology on a gaming PC will make a huge difference in the fun factor,” continued Jystad. “Currently used in mission critical environments, users are seeing boot up times that are two to three times as fast and they are running cooler and quieter, and without data fragmentation, all of which are hugely valued by gamers as well.”

“Fueled by the best desktop processors on the planet — with Intel Hyper-Threading and Intel Turbo Boost Technology — the new Gateway FX Series desktops will transport gamers to a new level of performance and PC enjoyment,” said CJ Bruno, vice president, sales and marketing group and president, Intel Americas, Inc. “Not only can the new Intel Core i7 processor handle today’s most complex and immersive games, but it’s also powerful enough to handle tomorrow’s gaming advances, ensuring these new systems will continue to meet customers’ needs for years to come.”

In addition to their powerful engines, the FX Series desktops offer numerous user friendly features that add convenience, flexibility and value to their overall proposition.

Hidden pop-out doors keep ports tucked away, out-of-view and free from dust and debris. A pop-up on the top of the system provides convenient access to media ports and the Smart Copy button, which simplifies the storing of digital photos. A hidden pop-out on the front hides the i/o ports most often used for temporary items such as a microphone, headphone, and 1394 cables.

Touch-sensitive media control buttons make it easy to control DVDs, music play lists and TV functionality. Both the models can include Blu-ray Disc™ optical drives.

The FX6800 PCs come standard with two internal hard drive bays. Customers can also quickly and easily add a third and fourth hard drive by simply sliding out a tray located on the front lower section of the chassis. A completely tool-less process, users simply insert the hard drive into the tray and Vista will immediately recognize and configure it for use.

A backup button on the front of the system is tied to the backup feature found in Vista. Using this button, consumers can quickly and confidently copy their files to any storage location they choose.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

Gateway® FX6800-01e: Available now at leading retailers for a MSRP of $1,249.99.

1. Intel Core i7-920 Processor (2.66Gz Quad-Core w/ Intel Hyper-Threading & Turbo Speed Technology, new 8-thread CPU architecture with automatic acceleration up to 2.93GHz on a single core)

2. Intel X58 Express Chipset

3. ATI Radeon HD4850 w/ 512MB Discrete Video Memory

4. 3GB (3072MB DDR3 1066MHz Three Channel Memory [3 x 1024MB])

5. 750GB SATA II hard drive (1) (7200RPM, 16MB cache)

6. 18X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti Drive featuring LabelFlash™ Technology(2)

7. 15-in-1 High Speed Digital Media Card Reader with Smart Copy Button

8. Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit with Service Pack 1

9. (8) USB 2.0 Ports, (2) PS/2, (2) IEEE 1394a, (2) eSATA, RJ-45, RJ-11, (8) Audio Ports, (1) Serial Port

10. HDMI Connector v1.3 (via DVI-HDMI dongle)

11. 500W Power Supply

Gateway® FX6800-05: Available now at leading online retailers, with an MSRP of $2,999.99.

1. Intel Core i7-940 Processor (2.93GHz Quad-Core w/ Intel Hyper-Threading & Turbo Speed Technology, New 8-thread CPU architecture with automatic acceleration up to 3.20GHz on a single core)

2. Intel X58 Express Chipset

3. ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 Graphics w/ 2048MB Discrete Video Memory

4. 6GB (6144MB DDR3 1066MHz Three Channel Memory [3 x 2GB DIMM])

5. 1000GB SATA II hard drive (1) (7200RPM, 16MB cache)

6. 80GB SSD (Solid State Drive)

7. 18X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti Drive featuring LabelFlash Technology(2)

8. 15-in-1 High Speed Digital Media Card Reader with Smart Copy Button

9. Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit with Service Pack 1

10. (8) USB 2.0 Ports, (2) PS/2, (2) IEEE 1394a, (2) eSATA, RJ-45, (8) Audio Ports

11. HDMI Connector v1.3 (via DVI-HDMI dongle)

12. 1000 Watt Power Supply

Gateway Limited Warranty, Service and Support

The Gateway FX Series Desktops are backed by a one year limited warranty(3). Gateway’s commitment to quality and reliability is evident in its award-winning line of PCs as well as in its exceptional service and support programs(4). In addition to the company’s standard limited warranty options, its extensive online support center helps customers maximize their PC investment; it gives them easy access to customer support representatives and information on important issues such as warranties, technical issues and upgrading.

About Gateway

Since its founding in 1985, Irvine, Calif.-based Gateway has been a technology pioneer, offering award-winning products and world-class service to customers worldwide. Gateway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Acer Inc., the world’s third-largest PC company. See www.gateway.com for more information.