Hasta La Gadget!

If you’ll recall, Hitachi GST snapped up Fabrik in February, and with that acquisition came the latter company’s highly-regarded SimpleTech line. Today, Hitachi is introducing its first consumer products since the pickup, and while you’ll notice a hint of ‘Simple’ in the titles, the branding is all Hitachi. First up is the water-resistant and shock-proof SimpleTOUGH portable USB drive (250/320/500GB for $99.99/$119.99/$149.99), which can survive a 3-meter fall and boasts a twistable USB cable that’s permanently affixed to the enclosure.

Next, there’s the SimpleDRIVE Mini, which is a stylish, colorful portable HDD that is now shipping in red wine (250GB; $89.99), blue dusk (320GB; $109.99) and carbon fiber black (500GB; $139.99). Finally, there’s Hitachi’s alternative to the Pogoplug: the SimpleNET USB/NAS adapter. Put simply, this $79 device enables up to two USB HDDs to be placed on a network, though Hitachi makes clear that this is a convenience device, not a performance device. The 10/100 Ethernet jack is evidence of that, but hey, if you need a quick-and-dirty way to get your hard drive (regardless of format, by the way) on the web, this will certainly do it. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Hitachi intros two new portable HDDs, SimpleNET NAS adapter

Filed under: Storage

Hitachi intros two new portable HDDs, SimpleNET NAS adapter originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fry’s is an electronics retailer with 34 stores scattered around the United States. The store has certainly had its share of ups and downs throughout the years, from frustrated customers and questionable security tactics to Fry’s vice president being charged with defrauding the company. Since then, Fry’s has tried to maintain its place in the market by offering discounted items and weekly specials.

Through July 9, 2009, Fry’s is offering a slew of discounts for the week, including specials on computers, software, and hard drives. What I found disappointing is that most of the retailer’s specials are only available by picking up in-store; that leaves a lot of customers looking elsewhere for better deals. But even if you do have a Fry’s near you, should you still bother? Find out if Fry’s has good buys, after the jump.

The Ministation Metro, coming in a variety of tastefully named colors, such as Black Crystal, represents a continuation of Buffalo’s recent efforts to beautify its portable hard drive offerings. The drive’s design is highlighted by a handily integrated USB cable that sits flush with the Metro’s externals when not in use. It’s also noteworthy that this latest entry in Buffalo’s Ministation series looks remarkably similar (i.e. identical) to the recently announced HD-PXU2 in Japan. We can only surmise that the company believes the term Metro carries more positive connotations with Western consumers than the otherwise catchy jumble of letters and digits. Capacity choices range all the way up to 500GB, and the new drives are expected to reach American and British shores in August, with a US price somewhere in the vicinity of $200 for the most capacious models.

[Via

Pocket-lint]

Filed under: Storage

Buffalo adds Ministation Metro to its external HDD lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Western Digital has already dialed things up to 4TB with its My Book Studio Edition II hard drive, and it’s now done the same with its new My Book World Edition II dual-drive storage system. One of the big advantages with this one is that the dual drives are shipped in a mirrored RAID 1 configuration for an extra level of protection, although you can of course reconfigure ’em yourself if you’d prefer twice the space instead. Otherwise, you can expect all the usual NAS-related features, a “cooler, quieter, eco-friendly design,” a USB port to add on an extra USB drive, and a nifty capacity gauge to let you see how much space is available at a glance. Expectedly, the top-end 4TB demands a rather hefty $700, but you can also pick up a 2TB drive for a more reasonable $400 if you have less demanding needs.

Filed under: Storage, Networking

Western Digital rolls out new dual-drive My Book World Edition II originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seagate‘s giving its FreeAgent Go drives a fresh new 640GB capacity ceiling, and while it’s not the first external to cross that 500GB threshold, it’s certainly on the thinner end of the totem pole, physically. Nothing revolutionary here otherwise, it’s still the standard USB-connected with up to 480Mbps transfer with multiple color options. Also distinctly the norm? Not a bit of info on pricing or availability, but if Seagate’s posting promotional materials on its main site, we suspect it’s not too far off.

[Via Slashgear]

Filed under: Storage

Seagate’s FreeAgent Go series bumped to 640GB originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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