Hasta La Gadget!

Imation was set to announce its first-ever Wireless USB hard drive a year ago, but it lost a dear friend shortly before it materialized and we’d heard nothing since then. Today Imation has returned — holding hands with its new partner, Staccato — to release the Pro WX 1.5 terabyte Wireless USB hard drive for both Windows and Mac. At $449.99, though, we thought to ourselves: does the Pro WX offer something extraordinary for the premium price? Or are you better off with a NAS device like Apple’s infamous Time Capsule? We ran some quick tests to find out — do read on for some juicy results.

Continue reading Imation Pro WX Wireless USB hard drive reviewed

Filed under: Storage

Imation Pro WX Wireless USB hard drive reviewed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Both Intel and Numonyx have been talking up phase change memory for years now, but for some reason, we’re slightly more inclined to believe that the latest breakthrough is actually one that’ll matter to consumers. In a joint release, the two have announced a new non-volatile memory technology that supposedly “paves the way for scalable, higher density phase change memory products.” Put as simply as possible, researchers have been testing a 64Mb chip that “enables the ability to stack, or place, multiple layers of PCM arrays within a single die,” and the two are calling the discovery PCMS (phase change memory and switch). We know, you’re drowning in technobabble here, but if these two can really apply Moore’s Law to density scaling, you’ll be thanking ’em as you pick up your $50 6TB hard drive in 2014.

Filed under: Storage

Intel and Numonyx pave the way for scalable, higher density phase change memory originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Questionably christened the world’s first 1TB portable hardware-encrypted hard drive, Origin Storage’s extra-capacious Data Locker Secure Drive is certainly the one to get if you’re paranoid about whatever it is you’d keep on such a large platter. Also available in 750GB, 500GB and 320GB models, the drives are secured by AES hardware encryption and a 6 to 18 digit PIN number which must be entered directly onto the device itself before the contents become accessible. Think James Bond, but for real. The USB-powered unit also packs rubber shoulders in case things get a little crazy between you and Mr. Data Thief, though we wouldn’t try running this thing through the rain forest if at all possible. The 1TB edition will be available soon for £399 ($652), while the others are priced at £299 ($488), £239 ($390) and £180 ($294) from largest to smallest.

[Via Slashgear]

Filed under: Storage

Origin unveils 750GB and 1TB Data Locker encrypted external HDDs originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ready for some churchin’ up? Then step on in to the house of Starck. Philippe Starck that is, the prolific designer who’s left his mark on hotel interiors, motorbikes, and toilets across the globe. His latest contribution to the economy of stuff also heralds a return to LaCie (remember his “toaster” series?) with a pair of new hard disk drives: the LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive and Desktop Hard Drive. Both drives are conspicuously inscribed with Starck’s name and flare for melding organic shapes within the rigid rules of geometry. Drives that must be pressed to flesh to be fully appreciated for their aesthetic and mass. And while the models we received feature off-the-shelf disks from Samsung and Hitachi, LaCie adds a few functional tricks to enhance that high-design form. Read on to see if the two struck the appropriate balance.

Continue reading LaCie hard drives stand in Starck contrast to the competition (hands-on)

Filed under: Storage

LaCie hard drives stand in Starck contrast to the competition (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know what you’re thinking, why would you ever turn two decent hard disk drives into tinny speakers when it’s much more logical to use them as storage and buying cheap speakers instead… but if you’re the kind of mad scientist who likes to see doohickeys function outside their intended use, or have friends who’d be really impressed or amused, you might want to consider recreating this classy speaker set complete with transparent glass case and the requisite blue lights. All the instructions lie beyond the read link, and if you’re not quite convinced, we think the video after the break is likely to change your opinion for the better.

[Via Hack a Day]

Continue reading Hard drives quit their day job to pursue new life as a speaker system

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Hard drives quit their day job to pursue new life as a speaker system originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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