Dec 21

Scientists developing E.Coli bacteria that stores, encrypts data

Posted in: research, science, storage, Today's Chili
Apparently it’s not good enough for bacteria to cause leprosy and tuberculosis any more, as scientists have been hard at work adapting the microorganisms for use as everything from microbial fuel cells to really, really small gears. Now, researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have developed a way to use a colony of E.Coli for data storage and encryption. The technique involved placing data (in this case, The Declaration of Independence) in the DNA of bacterial cells, and can even harness site specific genetic recombination to encrypt the data. That said, the technology is still in its infancy: retrieving the info is “tedious and expensive,” according to Cambridge University’s Tim Middleton, and there is still the possibility that as organisms mutate, so will the data. Currently the only application of all this is the storage of copyright info in genetically engineered organisms, although further research might yield a bacterial storage medium that could survive the electromagnetic pulses and radiation of nuclear fallout.

Scientists developing E.Coli bacteria that stores, encrypts data originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 17

Dropbox Cloud Storage Goes 1.0, Gains Selective Sync

Posted in: storage, Today's Chili

Our favorite online-storage service Dropbox got a major update today, finally bringing it out of beta and into version 1.0.

Most notably, the update introduces a big performance boost and a feature we’ve desired for a long time: selective syncing.

Now instead of syncing your entire Dropbox folder to every computer you use, you can choose to sync only specific folders to certain computers to save space (for instance, if you have a netbook that you don’t watch movies on.) This could save you a lot of time and space.

Dropbox has posted a full explainer on service enhancements and features.

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Image courtesy of Dropbox


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Dec 17

USB 3.0 for Mac review and benchmarks (with a LaCie 2big USB 3.0)

Posted in: Apple, benchmark, hard drive, HardDrive, Mac, mac os x, MacOsX, os x, OsX, review, storage, Today's Chili, usb, usb 3.0, Usb3.0

It took LaCie nearly a full year to ship the 2big USB 3.0 RAID drive — a device that was announced in the fall of 2009 — but now that it’s here, it’s being accompanied by a concept that actually far outshines the unit itself: USB 3.0 on a Mac. For whatever reason, Apple has refused to offer SuperSpeed USB on any of its machines, even a fully specced-out Mac Pro costing well north of $10,000. We’ve seen purported emails from Steve Jobs noting that USB 3.0 just isn’t mainstream enough to sweat just yet, but coming from the guy who’s still bearish on Blu-ray, we get the feeling that it’ll be quite some time far too long before Apple finally caves and upgrades from USB 2.0. We’re obviously no fans of the holdout — after all, even a few sub-$500 netbooks are enjoying the SuperSpeed spoils already — so we couldn’t have possibly been more excited to hear that a longstanding storage vendor was about to fill the void that Cupertino continues to ignore. We were able to pick up a LaCie USB 3.0 PCIe expansion card as well as a 4TB (2 x 2TB) 2big USB 3.0 drive and put the whole setup through its paces on our in-house Mac Pro. Care to see how it stacked up against USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800? Head on past the break for the grisly details.

Gallery: LaCie USB 3.0 PCIe expansion card and 2big HDD

Continue reading USB 3.0 for Mac review and benchmarks (with a LaCie 2big USB 3.0)

USB 3.0 for Mac review and benchmarks (with a LaCie 2big USB 3.0) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceLaCie’s USB 3 driver for OS X, PCIe card, ExpressCard  | Email this | Comments

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Dec 17

Dropbox celebrates version 1.0, throws selective sync into the mix

Posted in: cloud, Software, storage, Today's Chili, update
If you’re like us, you’ve probably come to rely on Dropbox quite a bit in your day-to-day activities. Hell, our crowd-sourced fan sequel to The Social Network about that “Tom from MySpace” guy would never have got off the ground without it! Well, if you’re as enthusiastic about cloud storage solutions as we are, you’ll be more than excited to know that Dropbox 1.0 has just been announced. Among the new features that we’re most looking forward to putting to the test are Selective Sync (choose which folders get downloaded to which computers) and Extended Attribute Sync (improved support for Mac apps like Quicken and Quark whose resource forks bedevil most sync applications and corrupt data in the process). But that ain’t all! Hit the source link to get started.

Dropbox celebrates version 1.0, throws selective sync into the mix originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 15

Seagate ships 3.5-inch Barracuda Green internal hard drive, leaves and all

Posted in: hard drive, HardDrive, storage, Today's Chili

Remember the Barracuda LP? Meet its formal successor. In a bid to generate some interest from upgrading Sierra Club members, Seagate has just introduced the Barracuda Green, described as the world’s highest performance eco-friendly desktop hard drive. Essentially, this 3.5-inch internal HDD aims to split the difference between power and performance, with a 5,900RPM spin speed and the company’s own SmartAlign technology to enable the benefits of the new 4K sector standard. The company claims that it’s whisper quiet in use, and it drains less power than non-Green alternatives. It’s hitting the sales channel now in 1TB, 1.5TB and 2TB sizes, with the big guy topping out at around $120. Ma Earth thanks you in advance for your consideration.

Continue reading Seagate ships 3.5-inch Barracuda Green internal hard drive, leaves and all

Seagate ships 3.5-inch Barracuda Green internal hard drive, leaves and all originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 15

Dongle Adds USB, SD and MicroSD to iPad

Posted in: Accessories and Peripherals, ipad, sd, storage, Today's Chili, usb

Apple’s iPad Camera Connection Kit is a wonderful thing, although overpriced at $30. Not only can you use it to inject photos from your camera direct into the tablet’s brain, you can also hook up all manner of USB peripherals, from keyboards to microphones to thumb-drives.

MIC Gadget’s 3-in-1 adapter does all this, and more. It combines Apple’s two small, easy-to-lose widgets into one slightly larger, slightly harder-to-lose package, putting an SD card reader and USB port into one plastic box. The extra is a micrSD slot, which is actually all but useless: the only way it would work is if your cellphone saves its photos into a standard folder named “DCIM”, which is what will trick the iPad into reading them.

There’s one thing that MIC Gadget’s version had in common with the official Apple version: it costs $30. I’d stick with Apple’s overpriced kit: it works, you only have to carry the part you need and it is built to last. It is also available now, unlike this 3-in-1 solution, which ship after Christmas.

3-In-1 iPad Camera Connection Kit [MIC Gadget]

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Dec 15

Hitachi ships Deskstar 7K3000 and 5K3000 HDDs, 3TB XL external drive

Posted in: hard drive, HardDrive, storage, Today's Chili, Windows XP

Three. It’s a magical number, you know? Hitachi GST sure feels that way, and the company is today introducing a trio of three terabyte storage solutions. First up is the 3TB Deskstar internal HDD kit, which apparently shatters the 2.2TB capacity limit on 32-bit Windows XP systems without any extra hardware required. For those who’ve graduated to more modern systems, there’s the new 3TB Hitachi XL USB 2.0, an external archive solution designed to be sat horizontally or vertically and operate with both PC and Mac platforms. Lastly, the company is finally shipping the 7K3000 and 5K3000 internal hard drives to OEMs and channel partners, but the 3TB version of the latter won’t hit until next quarter. As for pricing? All’s quiet on the western front… save for that XL, anyway — that one’s going for $249.99 (3TB), $169.99 (2TB) and $99.99 (1TB).

Continue reading Hitachi ships Deskstar 7K3000 and 5K3000 HDDs, 3TB XL external drive

Hitachi ships Deskstar 7K3000 and 5K3000 HDDs, 3TB XL external drive originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 03:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 13

Kingston’s DataTraveler Mini Fun USB flash drives: they’re small and thrilling

Posted in: flash drive, FlashDrive, storage, Today's Chili, usb

Tired of lugging around that boring flash drive? Kingston feels your pain, and it’s hoping to add a fair amount of “pizazz” and “spice” to your mobile storage needs. One look at the new DataTraveler Mini Fun G2 all but confirms that there’s oodles of joviality brimming beneath the colorful plastic, with a trio of hues to choose from (based on model). These guys can also be connected together for kicks and giggles, with 2GB, 4GB and 8GB models available to bring smiles to the faces of those you know and love. Pricing is set for £4.58 ($7.26), £5.04 ($7.99) and £9.00 ($14) from least capacious to most, with no surcharge to be placed on your favorite color — in other words, bonus fun is provided gratis. Beat that.

Gallery: Kingston’s DataTraveler Mini Fun USB flash drive

Continue reading Kingston’s DataTraveler Mini Fun USB flash drives: they’re small and thrilling

Kingston’s DataTraveler Mini Fun USB flash drives: they’re small and thrilling originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 13

Seagate trots out 2.5-inch 1TB Constellation.2 hard drive, dares you to wear it out

Posted in: enterprise, hard drive, HardDrive, storage, Today's Chili

Western Digital may have shipped the industry’s first 2.5-inch 1TB hard drive, and PureSilicon may have done likewise for the SSD sector, but Seagate is still finding a way to lay claim to a “first” with its newfangled Constellation.2. This here 2.5-incher is hailed as the “first 1TB 2.5-inch enterprise HDD,” with it being primed and ready for the insane demands generally found in DAS, NAS, SAN and other nonstop business environments. You’ll get 6Gb/s performance, T10 Protection Information (you know, for keeping your scanned travel receipts safe and sound) and 1.4 million hours MTBF. There’s a self-encrypting drive option for those who just can’t be too careful, and it’ll be out and about later this month in capacity choices of 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB. Mum’s the word on pricing, but Dell ought to be offering ’em across its enterprise products before the dawn of 2011.

Continue reading Seagate trots out 2.5-inch 1TB Constellation.2 hard drive, dares you to wear it out

Seagate trots out 2.5-inch 1TB Constellation.2 hard drive, dares you to wear it out originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 07

Rugged LaCie Tank enclosure protects external HDDs, gaming handhelds, family heirlooms

Posted in: case, peripheral, rugged, storage, Today's Chili

Hard to say why being “manufactured in Italy” is the reason for this thing’s “guaranteed durability,” but hey, there it is! LaCie‘s tough-as-nails Tank is little more than a robust, rugged, waterproof enclosure for anything small enough to sneak inside of it, but the internal foam cubes can be repositioned in order to house a top-secret external HDD, your cousin’s DSi or your wife’s gargantuan wedding band. Heck, you may even get two out of three in there. It’s IP-63 certified to protect against dust and “pouring rain,” and it measures 1.6- x 4.8- x 7.3-inches. Humorously, the warranty stops after 365 days, but look, it’s built “like a fortress,” okay? Now hand over your £19.99 ($31) and rest easy, bronco.

Continue reading Rugged LaCie Tank enclosure protects external HDDs, gaming handhelds, family heirlooms

Rugged LaCie Tank enclosure protects external HDDs, gaming handhelds, family heirlooms originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceLaCie  | Email this | Comments

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