Mar 31
LaCie has updated its Fuel portable drive, doubling capacity of the wireless hard-drive for iPad, iPhone, and Android devices. The Fuel, announced at CES in January, now offers up to … Continue reading
Jan 29
Synology is adding Google Chromecast support to its range of network-attached drives, allowing photo, audio, and video saved on the shared storage to be streamed to a TV. The feature, … Continue reading
Jan 07
Sometimes it can be the simpler items that make an impression, and that happens to be the case with the i-FlashDrive. This is a small flash drive that has a … Continue reading
Jan 05
LenovoEMC has revealed its latest high-performance NAS, a four-bay backup and media-streaming center targeted at prosumers and small offices. The LenovoEMC px4-400d can store up to 16TB spread across four … Continue reading
Jun 04
Facebook serves as a sort of central social hub for a lot of Internet users, where one has easy access to acquaintances and a direct messaging system. While there are a lot of methods for hosting files online and sharing them with friends, Pipe is the first Facebook-integrated app that allows you to directly share
May 29
Personal cloud provider Connected Data has announced version 2.0 of its Transporter, the bottle-shaped desktop drive that raised more than $260k on Kickstarter, as well as news of merger discussions with Drobo. The updated Transporter functionality – which will be pushed out to existing owners courtesy of a software upgrade – pares back the interface for easier link-sharing and drag’n’drop file management, as well as more granular control over which files are synchronized.
That means big folders – such as movies or music collections – can be kept solely on the Transporter itself, while other data that users might want to have ready access to, such as documents, can be synchronized across multiple devices. Connected Data also has new mobile apps, for iOS and Android, for browsing a remote Transporter and exchanging files with it (in both directions).
Meanwhile, there’s new technology which helps make firewalls more transparent, and as before multiple Transporter units can communicate with each other and create synchronized backups. Connected Data’s argument is that a local drive is more secure than entrusting your files to Dropbox, Box, SkyDrive, or one of the other cloud storage providers, while its internet-connectivity means you can still access content no matter where you are.
It’s a similar argument to what Pogoplug has been pushing for some time, though Transporter – and future hardware based on the technology – could become a much greater threat now that Drobo is weighing in. The two companies are in “merger discussions” it was announced this week [pdf link] and are currently in a 30-day due diligence process.
A collaboration wouldn’t be too great a surprise, however, given the heritage of Connected Data’s founders. The start-up’s CEO, Geoff Barrall, was in fact the original founder (not to mention former CEO) of Drobo, while other key members of the team previously worked there too.
Drobo’s multi-drive boxes have met with highly-positive feedback, not least because of the convenience of the BeyondRAID data redundancy system they use, but the range’s remote access options are comparatively lacking. Bringing the Connected Data team back into the fold would certainly address that shortcoming.
The Connected Data Transporter 2.0 will hit shelves in June, priced at $199 drive-free, $299 for the 1TB model, or $399 for the 2TB version.
Connected Data Transporter 2.0 detailed as Drobo merger talks revealed is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Mar 14
We’re here live at Samsung’s GALAXY S 4 unveil event in New York City, and the company has unveiled a new feature called HomeSync, which is essentially a home-based cloud storage solution for you and your family. Up to eight family members (or just general users) can push content to a storage box at home, and phones pair with it using NFC. Samsung also unveiled Knox, which is a new feature that keeps your personal life and work life separate on the GALAXY S 4.
HomeSync is basically a home server, and it has 1TB of storage, which is plenty to store all store all sorts of media that you can access on the go. Although, rather than being an actual cloud storage service, the storage is in your home rather than somewhere in a server farm.
The system allows content thats played on a TV to be viewed by the GALAXY S 4 in full 1080p if the video file is rocking it. The big kicker here, though, is the NFC capability. All you have to do is tap the device on the home box and content appears on the S 4. It’s a pretty nifty system, and quite a unique one at that.
As for Knox, it’s essentially a service that allows for enterprise-level security on the phone, as well as the ability to store all of your personal content, which is very similar to BlackBerry Balance. Knox keeps all of your business files and personal files separate, that way you don’t mix the two accidentally.
Samsung details Knox and HomeSync sharing system is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jan 08
Should LaCie’s Blade Runner have enough style but not enough space for your external data needs, fear not; the company has a pair of new 5big arrays with a choice of network or Thunderbolt connectivity for those with big storage demands. The 5big Thunderbolt and 5big NAS Pro each follow the monolithic design language of previous LaCie drives – all brushed aluminum and glaring blue power-light “eye” – but offer up to 20TB of capacity or optional RAID redundancy.
The 5big Thunderbolt supports RAID 0, 1, and JBOD across its five hot-swappable bays; however, it’s also possible to mix and match those RAID setups, so for instance you could have a three-disk array in RAID 0 for performance, and then leave the remaining two disks in RAID 1 for backup redundancy.Two Thunderbolt ports are included, and up to six devices can be daisy-chained. LaCie reckons the 5big is good for up to 785MB/s when used with the five 7,200rpm/74MB cache drives in the standard RAID 0 configuration.
As for the 5big NAS Pro, that ditches Thunderbolt in favor of dual gigabit ethernet (with link aggregation support); LaCie also throws in a pair of USB 2.0 ports, a further pair of USB 3.0, and a VGA port for hooking up a display for management. Inside there’s a dualcore 2.13GHz Atom 64-bit processor and 4GB of RAM, plus a choice of RAID 5, 5+spare, 1, or 0 setup.
LaCie will offer the 5big NAS Pro in barebones, 10TB, and 20TB capacities, priced from $549. The 5big Thunderbolt is priced from $1,199 for 10TB, with a 20TB option.
LaCie 5big Thunderbolt and 5big NAS Pro hands-on is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Dec 09
Iomega px2-300d NAS Review
Posted in: Today's ChiliIomega’s StorCenter px2-300d is a NAS unit aimed at businesses and the prosumer crowd, offering features beneficial to both types of user. This particular unit is the 4TB model, but the device is available in up to 6TB varieties, all of which share the same features. While one would initially be tempted to view the px2-300d as a NAS device tailored to the SMB environment, I contend that it also makes an excellent personal server, offering a pleasant mix of appealing design, quiet hardware, easy-to-use software, and high-end functionality. Whether you’re a business owner looking for a way to keep your data safe or a prosumer in need a sophisticated personal server, read our full review of the px2-300d to see how the device holds up.
Hardware
Upon picking up the px2-300d, the first thing you notice is that it feels durable; so durable, in fact, I imagine it could take a swift kick and come out of the attack unaffected. The body is constructed from sheet metal, while the faceplate and hard-drive cover are constructed from matte plastic. The back of the unit is solid metal, as is the bottom, which is adorned with four large rubber feet. Overall, the px2 feels like a battle tank of a device, more than durable enough to handle being placed in a potentially precarious location, such as under a desk or atop a busy work surface.
The unit measures 8.91-inches x 4.97-inches x 8.18-inches, and weighs in at almost 9lbs with both hard-drives in place. The NAS is a two-bay unit, with both hot swappable hard-drives housed behind a grated door. You can lock the door, but you cannot lock the individual drives in place; this is rather disappointing, as the door is flimsy, and offers little protection from someone with a sturdy prying tool and ill intent. The hard-drives are server class, while the drive carrier supports both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch drives.
The LCD is large enough to display a decent amount of information, but not so large as to be bothersome; you can place the px2 in an entertainment system setup between the DVR and Blu-ray players, for example, and its display won’t stand out obtrusively among the other devices’ displays. There are two buttons to the right of the LCD that allow for toggling through the various screens and options. When left alone, the display casually alternates between displaying the network IP address, used/available capacity, and the date and time.
The px2 runs an Intel D525 Atom dual-core 1.8GHz processor with 2GB of RAM, which gives it a combination of decent power and low energy consumption. You have access to one USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, as well as two gigabit ethernet ports. There is both IEEE 802.3 and IEEE 802.3u LAN standard support, along with RAID 0, 1, and a rotational vibration sensor. Helping make the px2 an all-around accessible device is a VGA port, allowing the device to be used with an external monitor via the MindTree software. There’s a USB port conveniently located on the front of the device, as well.
Setup
Setup is simple and fast; the time from when you plug the device in and turn it on to when you’ve transferred your first file is about five minutes. For the px2 itself, it has an exceptionally long power adapter and includes an ethernet cable, which you’ll plug into your router or modem. The device connected to the network almost instantaneously, displaying the IP address on its LCD. From there, users can access the drive via their browser by going to “http://px2-300d,” where they can configure the device, install apps, and more. The device supports multiple network file protocols, including NFS (Unix/Linux), AFP/Bonjour (Apple), SMB/Rally/CIFS (Microsoft), FTP, TFTP, and SFTP.
Software
Users will need to install the Iomega Storage Manager application, which can be done via the installation CD included with the drive or by downloading the application from the company’s website. Once installed, the application found the px2-300d immediately. A variety of categories are provided under “Shares,” including Backups, Documents, etc. Each category is assigned its own drive letter. You can transfer files via the Storage Manager or directly via Windows Explorer. Either way, transferring a 300MB file took only a few seconds.
Configuring the device is done via a Web browser by going to “http://px2-300d.” It’s from here you can install various applications to the device via Application Manager and access the different features. One of the first things I installed was McAfee, a process as simple as clicking on the McAfee icon and verifying that I wanted to install it. Once installed, users can configure system events and schedule tasks, among other things; this provides real-time McAfee VirusScan Enterprise protection, and, according to Iomega, is the only NAS in its class that does so.
Users can set up the px2-300d to function as a cloud storage solution using the Iomega Personal Cloud, which allows individuals to remote access the NAS via the Web from wherever they are located. Included is a variety of other cloud solutions, including Amazon S3, Mozy Pro, EMC Avamar data duplication, and EMC Atmos. Apple users will be pleased with the ease at which Time Machine integration can be set up.
One particularly nice feature is the complete implementation of social networking tools. With the px2, users can parse their various files into folders that are tied to social networking accounts, such as Facebook, where the files will then be automatically uploaded. As with the ix2-200 and other Iomega NAS devices, the px2 has UPnP DLNA for media streaming. The unit is compatible with virtualization environments, as well, including VMware and XenServer.
While the software options are plentiful, perhaps one of the top features is the integration of SecureMind Surveillance Manager. With this application, the NAS can be used as part of a rather sophisticated surveillance system, supporting up to 16 cameras (the ix4-300d only supports 8 cameras). Via the SecureMind software, users can live monitor multiple channels, record videos, and quickly playback a recorded video. Included with the px2-300d is a single camera license to get you started. Combining it all together, the px2 makes a nice, cohesive, and easy-to-use surveillance base upon which a business (or private user) can setup their security system.
Issues
While the px2-300d ran very well, it did have this particular habit of restructuring data protection seemingly every time the device was powered off, then turned on again. If you remove one of the drives while the unit is running, you’ll get an error (obviously), followed by restructured data protection once you reinsert the drive. This is fine. However, multiple times upon leaving the drives in place and shutting the unit down properly, it stated that it was restructuring data protection upon turning the device back on. Fortunately, this can be skipped manually by pressing the top button on the button panel, because total restructuring time averaged three hours. This isn’t much of an issue, considering that the NAS device will be up and running most of the time.
Wrap-up
There are many cloud storage options aimed at every level of need. While the 4TB px2’s price ($999) will be prohibitive for many users who need a storage solution on the personal level, the benefits of using a NAS unit rather than cloud storage are relevant. Aside from the obvious issues of security and being in possession of the physical hardware harboring your data, you get faster transfer speeds and the ability to easily make data available to users on your network. Businesses will find the px2-300d particularly appealing because, as far as the level of features go, the price is rather modest, and the unit does what it claims to do, and it does it well. For the prosumer, the px2 offers a host of features that make it more than some network-accessible hard drives.
Overall, the px2-300d is an all-around excellent storage device. It runs relatively quiet when not crunching away at data, looks nice intermingled in with other hardware, and, most importantly, offers many different features that cover a broad enough spectrum to make this NAS an ideal choice for a variety of different users. The small business looking for a way to store files and run surveillance, the medium-sized business that needs a way for a subset of workers to access files via the cloud, and the prosumer who wants a personal server that covers all the bases of home-network storage needs will find the Iomega px2-300d suitable.
The diskless model is priced at $499.99; it is also available in 2TB ($699.99), 4TB ($999.99), and 6TB ($1,199.99) varieties.
Iomega px2-300d NAS Review is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Nov 19
Drobo has teased its latest model, the Drobo 5N, adding ethernet connectivity to the storage technology in the Drobo 5D and Mini. Replacing the Drobo FS, the new 5N is “very close” according to CEO Tom Buiocchi, and described as “a close sibling to what we already have” making it likely a slight reworking of the five-bay Drobo 5D (pictured) announced back in June.
The Drobo 5N “leverages all of the cool new architecture and capabilities under the hood in the new Drobo 5D and Mini, including SSD support” Buiocchi explains, “with an Ethernet port to connect to your network rather than Thunderbolt and USB.” The executive also suggests that it will use the same speed technologies as the 5D and Mini, which suggests the Drobo Accelerator bay will be included.
That bay accepts an mSATA solid-state drive, which although too small to play a dedicated role in the redundancy array, is used as a caching drive to speed up accessing of commonly-required files. That’s only part of the speed improvements over the previous generation, Drobo claims, however.
Exact release times haven’t been confirmed, though “I certainly wouldn’t buy another networked storage device in the next few weeks if I were you” Buiocchi suggests. However, the Drobo 5D is priced at $849 for a point of reference, with Drobo offering a 60GB mSATA SSD for the Drobo Accelerator bay at $169.
Drobo 5N teased with ethernet connectivity is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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