Hasta La Gadget!

We all knew Seagate’s FreeAgent line couldn’t hang around forever, and tonight the storage mainstay has revealed the next logical step for the line. The GoFlex family is one of the more varied ranges out there from any hard drive maker, with the primary intent on the HDD side being to create drives (ranging from 320GB to 2TB) that are friendly with both Macs and PCs (simultaneously) while also giving users the ability to upgrade their connection or switch it out depending on what workstation they interface with. The new crew supports USB 2.0 out of the box, though upgrading to USB 3.0, FireWire 800 or eSATA can be accomplished via the new GoFlex cable system. Also launched today is the GoFlex TV HD media player, which essentially acts as a liaison between your tele and your media, regardless of whether it’s stored locally, on the LAN or on the internet. Moving on, there’s the GoFlex Net media sharing device, which transforms any USB mass storage device into one that’s happy to pump out content via the ‘net — think Pogoplug, and you’ve pretty much got the idea. It looks as if the whole crew will be available for purchase starting this week, with the full list of details and prices just beyond the break.

Continue reading Seagate introduces new GoFlex range: multi-port HDDs, media players, etc.

Seagate introduces new GoFlex range: multi-port HDDs, media players, etc. originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 May 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 external HDD to hit stores this May originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now here’s a first: the next time you buy an external hard drive, it might come with a library of preloaded movies. Seagate has partnered with Paramount to sell 500GB FreeAgent Go portable hard drives that are pre-loaded with 21 Paramount movies. Buyers will be able to watch the 2009 Star Trek for free. Unlocking the other 20 will cost between $9.99 and $14.99 each.

Once buyers have unlocked a movie, they’ll be able to play it on multiple portable devices as well a desktop computer. If they have the FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player, they’ll be able to watch the movies on their televisions. The movie assortment includes The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, G.I. Joe, Beowulf, Nacho Libre, and a mixed assortment of other titles. No word yet on how much of that 500GB drive is taken up by the movie library.

Say it with us now: “finally!” We’ve been yearning for a true Drobo NAS drive ever since Data Robotics first introduced its “intelligent” storage robot back in the heyday that was 2007, and after coming darn close with the DroboShare, the company has finally produced a bona fide networked storage solution. The Drobo FS (for ‘File Server’) utilizes the same chassis as the Drobo S, and in terms of features, it can do everything that box can, too. What differentiates it, however, is that astoundingly gorgeous gigabit Ethernet jack on the rear, not to mention a new dual-core CPU, increased RAM, a revised Linux kernel and enough overall tweaks to make it perform 4x faster than the DroboShare. We spoke with Mark Fuccio, Senior Director of Products and Markets, who obliged when we dug for even more details.

For starters, this device will boast five bays, and users can mix, match, upgrade and swap drives at will, just like any other Drobo. It’ll also support network backups of Macs and PCs, and while you won’t find a Time Machine stamp, the Time Tamer app available in the DroboApps portal will enable support for Mac loyalists who insist on using that over Data Robotic’s (likely superior) solution. It also ships with a BitTorrent client that keeps your transfers humming even when your PC is off, and it’ll handle iTunes, UPnP and DLNA streaming to boot. Firmware upgrades will be handled over the network, and users can poke around for even more applications by visiting the company’s website. One app that stood out to us, however, was one that’ll be thrown in by the recently renamed Oxygen Cloud; in essence, this will allow users to turn their Drobo FS into “the cloud,” enabling colleagues or kids to remotely access the Drobo as if it were some faraway, magical data drive connected to a mythical T3. Yeah, this definitely feels more like a corporate thing than anything else, but it’s certainly something that you won’t find on those “other” NAS drives. It should be noted, however, that the app will only support a single user for free — if you’re buying for a corporation or small business, you’ll need to hit up Oxygen Cloud to procure a multi-user license.

Aside from nabbing SMB and AFP support, Mark told us that users could reasonably expect to see file transfers between 30MB/sec and 40MB/sec, but that’s obviously subject to vary based on strain. As for pricing? Data Robotics told us that the new Drobo FS will be on sale globally today through the typical channels (Amazon, CDW, B&H Photo, Dell and NewEgg), with the empty unit selling for $699. A 4.5TB model (1.5TB x 3) will go for $999, while a 7.5TB version (5 x 1.5TB) lists for $1,149 and a 10TB edition (2TB x 5) for $1,449. Or you could just enter to win one here. Oh, and as for that DroboShare we mentioned earlier? It’s being phased out with the introduction of the Drobo FS, so if you’re jonesing for one, you might want to get that order placed.

Drobo FS: finally, Data Robotics releases a Drobo NAS drive originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We interrupt our nonstop iPad coverage to bring you news of the Toshiba Canvio, which lets you put up to 1TB of data in your pocket. It’s a stylish choice, coming in a range of five colors, and it’s smaller than a postcard. It also offers a set-it-and-forget-it option, so you never need to remember to back up your stuff.

In its press release, Toshiba has chosen to market the Canvio on fear: Americans worry more about losing their digital valuables than they do about losing a wallet or getting audited by the IRS. That may be true, but isn’t there enough fear in the world? Don’t back up because you’re scared; back up because you want to. This is your inspirational thought for the day.

Toshiba is offering the 500GB model for $119.99, the 640GB for $139.99, the 750GB for $159.99, and the 1TB for $199.99. The Toshiba Direct site is currently offering $10 in instant savings. Go for the terabyte and never be afraid again.