Hasta La Gadget!

While most companies seem to use CES to unveil new products and hardware, some use the show to launch new software. Synology is one such company, bringing its DiskStation Manager up to version 4.2 beta during the show. DiskStation Manager, as pretty much every Synology user already knows, is the operating system the company has developed for its network attached servers.

The list of new features found in DiskStation Manager 4.2 beta is absolutely huge, so Synology users are definitely in for a treat. Some of the major highlights of this release include an expansion of QuickConnect to cover DS Photo+, DS File, and DS Audio. This upgrade should make it easier for new users to set these features up, which is always a plus.

iOS users now also have a DS Cloud app at their disposal, which seems to essentially be Synology’s in-house version of Dropbox. DSM’s Package Manager is also getting a pretty major overhaul with this release, and it adds a bunch of new ease-of-use features and new apps that users have specifically been asking for. If you’ve been bugging Synology for new apps and functionality in the Package Manager, there seems to be a pretty good chance that your wishes have been granted.

Jumping back to the Cloud-related features, Synology has done quite a bit with syncing in this latest release. For instance, Cloud Station is being brought up to version 2, and with this new version, the size limit for files is doubling – now users can sync files up to 10GB in size, rather than just 5GB. DiskStation Manager 4.2 beta is available for download right now from Synology’s website, with the full release following in another month or so. Be sure to check out our CES portal for all of our coverage from the show!

Synology DiskStation Manager makes jump to version 4.2 beta is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Synology has introduced the world to its latest network-attached storage solution, launching the 4-bay DiskStation DS413j. Using the DiskStation DS413j, small companies and individual users can create their own private cloud storage servers, and the 4-bay design means that they can store up 16TB of data on the device. It also comes running DiskStation Manager 4.1, an operating system that Synology claims will provide “rich features to boost user-productivity and simplify their tasks.”

DS413j owners can use a feature dubbed “Cloud Station” to sync their files on all of their computers, and Synology offers a mobile app for iPhone, iPad and Android that will allow you retrieve your files remotely, provided you have the DS413j hooked up to an Internet. On the inside, we have an unnamed 1.6GHz processor and 512MB of DDR3 RAM to keep things moving along. On the outside we aren’t working with too much, just two USB 2.0 ports and a Gigabit Ethernet port, but the DS413j comes with wireless support as well if you want to skip the cables.

Synology says that the DS413j uses only 31.56 watts during operation and 7.68 watts when in HDD hibernation mode, and it seems that reducing the carbon footprint of the device is something the company is pretty proud of. The Synology Hybrid RAID will build an optimal RAID volume “based on the hard drives installed” automatically, meaning that it isn’t necessary to have hard drives that are exactly the same size. Using the built-in media server, you can share content stored on your DS413j to other devices connected to your network easily – Synology specifically mentions the PS3 and Xbox 360, for instance.

Prices will obviously vary depending on the retailer you choose, but expect it cost a bit more than its predecessor, the DS411j, which is being offered at Best Buy for just south of $400. If you’ve got the cash and you’re in need of a private cloud server, the DS413j sounds like it might be a product worth your time. Be sure to have a look at our timeline below for more information on Synology!

Synology launches 4-bay DiskStation DS413j NAS is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.