Storage

Umazone UMA-ISO drive enclosure takes the sting out of mounting disk images

metrocashcarryry — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:15:03 +0000

Hey, man — aren’t you sick of all the pain and expense of mounting disc images from the desktop? OK, we weren’t either — until we saw this: Umazone’s UMA-ISO is a drive enclosure (supply your own 2.5-inch HDD) that features a small display and jog wheel for scrolling through CD / DVD image files. Simply select the file of your choice and plug it into your machine via USB or eSATA and the disk will be mounted, the same as if you’d inserted an optical disc. It’s that simple! There is also a mode for mounting as a standard external hard drive. Be forewarned, however: this guy is only compatible with a few flavors of Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7), and it’s only available in Japan — for the princely sum of ¥9,980 yen (about $111).

[Via SlashGear]

ASUS ships Windows Home Server-packin’ TS mini NAS drive

sealliarfarry — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:15:03 +0000

The Windows Home Server train has all but stopped this year, but with CES just around the bend (and Microsoft’s software engineers free from the burden of readying Windows 7 for launch), it looks as if the steam is picking up once more. Hot on the heels of its first 3D laptop, ASUS has introduced its TS mini NAS drive for home media junkies. Outfitted with a 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor, 1GB or 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a gigabit Ethernet socket, six USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA connector and a smattering of LED indicators, the drive can be purchased as we speak in 500GB and 2TB editions. Aside from streaming multimedia throughout your home network, the device can also back up ten total PCs automatically and subtly make you dependent on its reliability. Which, as you know so well, is just a precursor for bowing down when the Robot Apocalypse gets underway.

Transcend introduces 1.5TB StoreJet 35T external hard drive

kartridzhej — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:15:03 +0000

It ain’t flashy, but so long as you don’t ever plan on having more than 1.5TB of junk to store on an external hard drive, Transcend’s latest should do the trick. The StoreJet 35T promises average write speeds of 42MB/s, and the one-touch backup feature enables your mind to be at ease with the simplest of gestures. You’ll also get intelligent backup scheduling, StoreJet Elite software that offers 256-bit AES file and folder encryption and… well, little else. Mum’s the word on pricing and availability, but for those who find this one too rich for their blood, a 1TB model should be landing soon as well.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

OCZ’s Colossus desktop SSD line ships next week

irrannash — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:15:02 +0000

OCZ Technology has been trumpeting its Colossus SSD desktop solution since June, but due to some strange issues with the housing that have been troubling engineers for the past few months, the company has been forced to quietly push back the expected release date. At any rate, the company has informed us that the drives — which will arrive in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB flavors and tout maximum read / writes rates of 260MB/s — will begin shipping to retailers “next week.” If you’re lucky, you might catch one or two e-tailers selling their stock early, but first you’ll need to figure out where exactly that $300, $650, $1,200 or $2,200 (in order of mention) is going to come from.

Addonics Mini NAS: when RAID is too much to ask for

prestigesmwm — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:06:59 +0000

If you’re in the market for a single bay network drive, your options have certainly been piling up lately — and now the kids at Addonics are premiering their aptly named Mini NAS. Billed as “the world’s smallest,” this guy is roughly the same size (and roughly as attractive) as a small hub, and it sports 10/100Mbps Ethernet, a 2.5-inch drive bay, a USB port for printer sharing, and support for SMB, Samba, and iTunes music sharing, FTP access (up to 8 simultaneous users), and a BitTorrent client. Yours now for $69. PR after the break.

Show full PR text
Addonics Announces the Mini NAS, a Small Portable Network Storage Enclosure Solution That Provides Cross-Platform Access of Shared Data

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Addonics Technologies (www.addonics.com) today announced a small and portable network storage enclosure solution called the Addonics Mini NAS. The new storage device provides fast access to data across most platforms.

Among its key features are a fast Ethernet 10/100Mbps connection and the ability to install any 2.5″ SATA hard drive or Solid State Drive (SSD) and make it instantly sharable over the LAN. An USB printer can also be shared over the LAN simultaneously when attached to the Mini NAS.

The Mini NAS is the approximate size of a VHS tape cassette and weighs less than a pound. Its size makes it very portable and allows it to be installed in a small space.

The Mini NAS supports both SMB (Server Message Block) and open source Samba network protocols. This provides for cross-platform access of all shared data for most versions of Windows, Mac OS X, and various Linux distributions.

For remote users not connected over a LAN, the Mini NAS provides FTP access for up to eight simultaneous users anywhere in the world with an internet connection. In addition, the Mini NAS can be configured as a bit-torrent downloading appliance or as an iTunes media server.

Other features include ease of installation; low power requirements; the ability to be set as a DHCP server or client; support of Samba servers for up to 64 clients; support of FTP servers for up to eight clients, and the ability to be used as a print server and an UPnP AV server to share photo/music files stored on the file server with XBOX 360 video game consoles connected to a LAN.

The Mini NAS also provides read/only or read/write access to folders and administrative management access via web browser with password security.

List price starts at $69.

‘Wink’ USB flash drive: perfect for hockey moms, lipstick-laden pigs

assevedut — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:56:03 +0000

Active Media Products isn’t one to shy away from mildly ludicrous USB flash drive designs, but it may want to snag a lawyer on retainer for this one. Granted, there’s at least a sliver of a chance that Sarah Palin was actually notified that her image would be used to market AMP’s new “Wink” USB flash drive, but chances are she’s being rudely introduced to the sobering truth just as we are. Hailed as the planet’s smallest 16GB thumb drive, this waterproof slab of memory is also available in a few smaller sizes for those unconcerned with gaining political clout. It measures in at just 1.2- x 0.5- x 0.1-inches, or just marginally smaller than Little Diomede island (which you actually can see Russia from, amazingly enough). It’s available now to inspire and encourage starting at $7.95 (2GB), though that 16 gigger we mentioned earlier will set you back $37.95.

P.S. – We didn’t Photoshop this image, this is seriously Active Media Products’ pitch for this product.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

Gallery: ‘Wink’ USB flash drive: perfect for hockey moms, lipstick-laden pigs

Fusion-io ioXtreme PCI Express SSD reviewed: wicked fast, bloody expensive

solovekaaqw — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:56:03 +0000

Okay, so maybe you didn’t need a full-on review to tell you that Fusion-io’s ioXtreme PCI Express SSD was staggeringly pricey, but at $11 per gigabyte ($895 for 80GB), you may want to turn a blind eye right now if you’re short on disposable income. If you’ve managed to continue on, then you owe it to your collective senses to give the read link a look. The gurus over at HotHardware were able to get one of these lightning fast devices in for review, and while we were always assured that performance would be mind blowing, it’s another thing entirely to see those promises proven in the lab. Critics found the card to be the “fastest overall SSD solution on the market today,” with consistent 700MB/sec reads and 300MB/sec writes. Of course, they were still anxious to get their hands on a supposedly forthcoming update to make this thing bootable, and the omission of a RAID BIOS definitely put a small damper on things; still, it’s hard to let annoyance such as those overshadow the monster performance numbers, but we’d recommend giving the full skinny a good lookin’ at before committing your child’s college education fund to a pile of NAND.

Hitachi introduces 2TB SimpleDrive for digital pack rats

prestigesmwm — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:56:02 +0000

Hitachi GST has been pushing 2TB hard drives for quite some time, but for whatever reason, the outfit’s long-standing SimpleDrive line has been held back from enjoying the spoils. Until today, obviously. The outfit has just introduced a 2TB edition of its external SimpleDrive, and it also announced that all of its 3.5-inch retail drives are now available in 2TB capacities. There’s also an upgraded Hitachi SimpleTech Pro Drive and Duo Pro Drive (2 x 2TB), with prices for the entire lot checking in at $249.99, $299.99 and $499.99 in order of mention. Oh, and in just case your 250GB drive from 2002 just hit its limit today, you’ll be elated to know that each of these are available as we speak.

Gallery: Hitachi introduces 2TB SimpleDrive for digital pack rats

Cranberry DiamonDisc: the $35 DVD that’ll last longer than your ghost

kartridzhej — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:26:46 +0000

We’ve seen outfit after outfit trumpet their long-lasting optical storage wares before, but Cranberry seems different. Rather than promising that whatever miracle they’ve just unearthed will be available “in the very near future,” this company is selling its wonder product right now. The so-called DiamonDisc — which is reportedly constructed from “diamond-hard stone” — is designed to store precious memories for 1,000 years or more, and it’s even built to withstand “temperatures extending up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit as well as UV rays that would destroy conventional DVD discs.” Unfortunately, each disc holds just 4.7GB of information, and each one will run you $34.95 if purchased individually. Oh, and it’s only playable on “most” regular DVD drives, so across-the-board compatibility seems less than likely. The more we think about it, the more sense that whole “just carve it into stone for future generations to see” mantra makes. Kudos, cavemen.

[Via DailyTech]

ioSafe Solo hard drive places a 2TB bet on all kinds of disasters

olcia1802 — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:03:37 +0000

It’s Friday the 13th, and ioSafe couldn’t have chosen a better time to update their Solo fireproof and waterproof hard drive line with a 2TB model. Sure, it’ll cost you $399 for a USB 2.0 connection instead of eSATA, FireWire 800 or USB 3.0, but you’ll never know when your yacht sinks or burns down, sending that precious Kenny G collection to oblivion. Don’t go thinking you can just get the $149 500GB model and upgrade it yourself either — you’ll have to destroy the waterproof seal to get to the hard drive, as demonstrated before. Yeah, life’s tough.