• Vertical form factor with a “non-invasive footprint”
• Up to 2TB of storage space
• Plug-and-play support
• Anodized aluminum enclosure keeps the drive cool
• Available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities

The 500GB has an MSRP of $99.99. The 1TB an MSRP of $129.99 and the 2TB an MSRP of $249.99.

In addition to the SimpleDrive USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive, Hitachi also announced 2 terabyte solutions in the form of :

• SimpleTech Pro Drive with four interface options (USB 2.0 FireWire 400, FireWire 800, and eSATA). 500GB available for $119.99, 1TB for $169.99, and $2TB for $299.99
• SimpleTech Duo Pro Drive – two drives in one supporting RAID 0 or RAID 1. Includes eSATA and USB 2.0 interfaces. 1TB goes for $199.99 while the 2TB goes for $499.
• Hitachi Internal Hard Drive Kits – available in both 5400 and 7200 RPM speeds with up to 32MB cache buffer. The 2TB 7200RPM HDD has an MSRP of $249.99.

Technorati Tags: Hitachi, SimpleDrive USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive

Verbatim announces today their new InSight Portable Hard Drive lineup which has a unqiue always-on display revealing the current amount of free space as well as a customizable drive name. And when they say it’s always on.. the 32 x 128 pixel really is always on – even if it’s not connected to a computer.

The InSight lineup is available in 320GB and 500GB storage capacities and includes Nero BackItUp Essentials data protection software for backing up your PC/data. Other features include a premium black finish, a measurement of 6 x 3.4 x 0.63 inches, a weight of 6 oz, and a 2.5 inch 5400RPM hard drive with 8MB of cache memory. The drive is USB 2.0 bus powered which means there’s no need for an external brick (AC adapter).

The 320GB InSight drive has a suggested price of $119.99 while the 500GB InSight drive has a suggested price of $149.99.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Verbatim, Verbatim InSight Portable Hard Drive

Looking for small portable hard drives with interface options? You’ll want to check out Verbatim’s new SureFire lineup of portable hard drives. Housed in a durable black aluminum-extruded case, the SureFire hard drive comes with one USB 2.0 port and one FireWire 800 port. Best of all – the drive is bus powered which means no AC adapter is required.

The drives will be available in 250GB, 320GB, and 500GB storage capacities with Verbatim utilizing 2.5 inch 5400RPM hard drives – each with 8MB caches. The drives measure 3.13 x 5 x 0.66 inches and weigh a mere 0.41 pounds.

Expect the 250GB version to be available for $109.99, the 320GB version for $139.99, and the 500GB version for $179.99. Each package comes with the hard drive, FireWire 800-800, FireWire 800-400, USB 2.0, and USB power cables, and a carrying case.

[Check it out at the Apple Store]

Technorati Tags: Verbatim SureFire Portable Hard Drive,

Western Digital released an updated version of their My Book World Edition network storage drive designed to address the ever growing needs of today’s home networks. The new network-connected drive is available in either 1 or 2 terabyte configurations and will automatically (and continuously) back up all PCs and Macs connected on a home network. Any changes to files on the computers will also be automatically backed up to the drive.

The My Book World Edition also acts as a media server to any DLNA compatible media player device such as the Xbox 360, and Sony PlayStation 3.

Other features of the My Book World Edition include:

• Simple file recovery for lost or damaged files
• Works with both PCs and Macs
• DLNA 1.5 and UPnP certification
• iTunes  Music Server software
• USB 2.0 Utility Port allows users to connect a USB drive and turn it into an instant network drive or add additional capacity to the My Book
• Capacity gauge to see how much space is available on the drive
• Gigabit Ethernet

The 1 terabyte drive is available now with the 2 terabyte drive expected later this month. The 1TB drive retails for $229.99 while the upcoming 2TB drive will retail for $449.99.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Western Digital, My Book World Edition, NAS

Featuring a dual eSATA/USB 2.0 interface, the DVR Xpander 1.5TB external drive can provide up to 843 hours of standard programming or up to 187.5 hours of HD programming to your DVR. Yes, that does mean you can record a single HD station for over 7 days straight!

Other storage capacities options are 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB with each drive supporting a wide array of DVRs including the popular Scientific Atlanta 8300 series DVR and the DISH Network ViP Series HD DVRs.

Finally, these DVR Xpander drives are rather affording. The prices are as follows: 500GB for $119. 750GB for $149. 1TB for $179 and 1.5TB for $239.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Apricorn 1.5 TB DVR Xpander, DVR, External Hard Drive

The new models feature USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800, and eSATA II interfaces – plenty of flexibility especially for individuals needing fast interfaces for jobs such as audio/video work. Other specs to the new drives include:

• Measures 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches and weighs 3.3 lbs
• 3.5 inch 7200 RPM drive
• 32MB cache memory
• Silent cooling fan
• Bus powered drive
• Includes Nero BackItUp2 Essentials software

Both models are available now with the 500GB model going for $179.99 and the 1TB model going for $249.99.

Technorati Tags: Verbatim, Desktop Hard Drives, Quad interface hard drive

Toshiba this week introduced a new 400GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive. The 400GB drive joins a product lineup that already has 160GB, 250GB, and 320GB storage capacities and features the same glossy finish and contemporary graphics found in the other drives. A new Electric Blue and Black design joins the existing designs which consist of Carbon Grey, Hot Rod Red, and Gecko Green. Other features and specs include:

• Measures 0.65 x 3.19 x 5 inches and weighs 6 oz
• USB 2.0
• Compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, OS X 10.3.9 or later
• Features NTI Shadow software for backup solution

You can purchase the drive now for $179.99 after a $20 instant rebate.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Toshiba, 400GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive

This could be the perfect addition to owners of netbooks – it’s the new Buffalo Technology MiniStation Shinobi 1.8 inch portable hard drive. This super thin external hard drive measures a mere 5mm (or 0.2 inches) thick and includes easy-to-use backup software, mobile applications (such as Firefox and Thunderbird), and Buffalo’s SecureLockMobile software to prevent peeping toms from looking at your data.

The MiniStation Shinobi also comes with a self contained cable management system (handy for us mobile professionals – we need a little management in our lives!) and is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X systems.

The MiniStation Shinobi will be available in October in two sizes – a 30GB drive for $119.99 and a 60GB drive for $169.99.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Buffalo Technology, MiniStation Shinobi, portable hard drive

Dell is taking a page out of Apple’s business model by introducing a new line of bags and accessories dubbed “Designed for Dell”. These are products designed by third party manufacturers that complement the latest Dell PCs such as the Studio laptops that were recently introduced. This is Dell’s attempt to create an industry similar to what we’ve seen with Apple’s iPod/iPhone product line – third party products that accentuate the capabilities of the main product. In this case, we’ve got the new Dell Studio notebook which is just begging for matching case designs, cool looking speakers, hard drives for more storage space, and funky mice. Current manufacturers participating in the Designed for Dell program include:

• Belkin: Backpacks and messenger cases
• Built: Computer sleeves, cargo bags and portfolios
• Creative Labs: Headphones and speakers
• Iomega: Portable hard drives
• Logitech: Mice
• Swiss Gear: Backpacks
• Targus: Messenger cases and accessories bundles

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Dell, Designed for Dell, Belkin, Built, Creative Labs, Iomega, Logitech, Swiss Gear, Targus

Need a small form factor external hard drive with lots of storage space? Check out the LaCie Little Big Disk Quadra (boy.. that name is begging for jokes if you ask me). The “Little Big” comes in 400GB, 500GB, and 1TB storage capacities and features a four interfaces – eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0.  Other features include built-in RAID 0, firewire bus-powered, and heat sink aluminum design. This drive is compatible with PCs and Macs as well as Apple’s Time Machine application. The 400GB model sells for $429.99 (same price as the 500GB although the 400GB is a 7200RPM drive). The 1TB drive is $699.99.

[Check it out via Tech Digest]

Technorati Tags: LaCie Little Big Disk Quadra,

The Snap-In ExDrive25 is a portable 2.5 inch hard drive enclosure which allows users to install a 2.5 inch notebook hard drive without any tools or mounting screws. Simply “snap” in the hard drive and you’re all set. The ExDrive25 has an aluminum body and connects to your desktop or notebooks via your choice of either a USB 2.0 connector or an eSATA connector. Features include:

• Easy installation and removal of hard drive without any special tool or mounting screws
• Built-in eSATA and USB 2.0/1.1 interface to computer
• Compatible with any 2.5″ SATA hard drives of 9mm – 9.5mm height
• Sturdy aluminum construction with patented interior anti-shock protection system
• LEDs on both sides of the enclosure for power indication and hard drive activity
• Weight less than 5 oz.
• Compact size for convenient transportation
• USB Y cable with dual USB Type B connectors to support 7200RPM drives with higher power requirements
• Hot swappable
• Plug and play
• OS support –
  • USB connection – Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, XP, Vista, Linux (Kernel 2.4 and above), Mac OS X and above
  • eSATA connection – DOS, Windows NT, 98SE, Me, 2000, XP, Vista, Linux (Kernel 2.4 and above), Mac OS X and above, Solaris 10 and above.

The 2.5 inch Snap-In ExDrive costs $29 dollars with an optional AC/DC 5.0V power adapter at $15 dollars.

The Snap-In Double Drive allows users to install two 2.5 inch SATA hard drives in a single 3.5 inch bay. Users can install or remote hard drives from the enclosure simply by “snapping” open the door and pushing or pulling the drive. Features include:

• Installs into standard 3.5″ drive bay
• Easy insertion and removal of hard drive without any tool or mounting screws.
• Two drive slots to accommodate up to two 2.5″ SATA 1.5Gbps or SATA 3Gbps hard drives
• Sturdy steel construction
• LEDs for power and drive activity
• Supports hot swap (when connects to controller with this feature)
• Plug and play
• DOS, Windows 98SE, Me, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, Linux (Kernel 2.4 and above), Solaris 10 and above, Mac OS X and above

The Double Drive will run you $39 dollars.

Finally, the Zebra Snap-In Mobile Rack is similar to the ExDrive25 except the Zebra model supports 3.5 inch SATA hard drives. You can choose between an eSATA interface model or a combination USB/eSATA interface model. Features include:

• Supports any 3.5″ SATA hard drives
• Hot swap hard drives
• Choice of eSATA or eSATA /USB combo interface
• black color bezel
• Rugged steel construction for rough handling and fast cooling
• Point to point Serial ATA connection (no cable to connect hard drive to enclosure)
• Suspension mount to protect against vibration and shock
• Key lock to secure hard drive
• Compact size for convenient transportation
• Rear mount 40×40mm cooling fan
• LED for drive access and power
• Plug and play
• Stereo ear phone jack
• Bootable under DOS
• Simple installation
• OS Compatibility:
  • Zebra eSATA Model: DOS, Windows 98SE, Me, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, Linux (Kernel 2.4 and above), Solaris 10, Mac OS X 10.4.x
  • Zebra eSATA / USB 2.0 Combo: DOS, Windows 98SE, Me, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, Linux (Kernel 2.4 and above), Solaris 10, Mac OS X 10.4.x

The Zebra Snap-In Mobile Rack with an eSATA interface will cost $69.99 while the dual USB/eSATA interface model will cost $77 dollars.

Technorati Tags: Addonics, Snap-In ExDrive25, Snap-In Double Drive, Zebra Snap-In Mobile Rack

Iomega is now selling a USB based external hard drive marketed towards the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 game consoles called the Media Xporter. Yes.. I do say marketed because a traditional USB based external hard drive will work just fine with either the PS3 or the Xbox 360. What makes the Xporter slightly different boils down to two umm.. features. Feature 1 – the Xporter has a "cool, contemporary black style" design (though I suppose cool is pretty subjective) and Feature 2 – the drive comes with the Prism Video Converter MX software application which allows users to convert media files into file formats compatible with the 360 and the PS3. Specs on the Iomega Media Xporter are as follows:

• 160GB
• Preformated
• No AC adapter required – USB powered
• USB 2.0
• Meaures 0.625 x 2.93 x 5.15 inches and weighs 0.4 lbs

[Check it out via Ubergizmo]

Technorati Tags: Iomega, Media Xporter, 160GB, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, External Hard Drive

LaptopMag published a review of the 1 terabyte Time Capsule device here on their website. Those of you not familiar with Apple products, here’s the basic gist. Time Capsule, which looks like an Apple Airport Extreme device, is a combination wireless router and network attached backup device. The device works in conjunction with OS X Leopard’s Time Machine backup software application and from what I’ve seen and heard, it works quite well. Here’s the gist of the review from LaptopMag:

It’s so easy to use, that Mac users now have no excuse not to back up their content.

Read more of the review at LaptopMag’s website here.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Apple, Time Capsule, LaptopMag, Review

The folks at Everything USB have published a review of the Buffalo MiniStation 320GB Turbo USB Hard Drive here on their website. This 5400 RPM external hard drive solution is designed to be compact and shock resistant while offering throughput speeds up to 34.9 MB/s. Other features include support for USB 2.0, Shock Resistant Chassis, USB powered, convenient wrap around cabling, and included software such as Memeo AutoBackup Solution, and SecureLockWare. Here’s what Everything USB thought of the drive:

The Buffalo 320GB MiniStation is an excellent bus powered drive that delivers great speed and easy to use backup software. The only drawback is the high price, but that has always come with increased performance.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Buffalo, MiniStation 320GB Turbo USB Hard Drive, Everything USB, Review

LaCie is now taking pre-orders for a new small portable hard drive designed by Sam Hecht called the LaCie Little Disk. The Little Disk comes in a black rectangular shape no larger than the size of your palm. It has a protective removable cap which reveals an extractable USB connector on the inside. Simply plug the Little Disk directly into an available USB port – no cables or power adapters needed. LaCie also provides LaCieSync software which keeps your important data secure.

Pre-order the 30GB model now for $129.99 with units shipping in February.

Specs include:

• 30GB storage capacity
• USB 2.0 connectivity
• 3600 RPM
• 2MB cache
• Up to 480Mbits/second
• Measures 2.64 x 1.69 x .67 inches
• Weighs 85 grams

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: LaCie, Little Disk, Sam Hecht

This is an upcoming IOGEAR device (which has yet to be announced nor named) which is basically an external hard drive/media player. Inside the green chassis is a small portable hard drive which you can use to store all of your latest digital content – everything from music to photos to videos. Bring it with you to your friends or families’ home and then connect it up to your television set to view the content.

On the video side, the device will support most of the popular formats including MPEG-2/MPEG-4/H.264 etc. Storage sizes have yet to be finalized but you can probably expect a 250GB unit to be available sometime in 2008.

The device can be controlled using the onboard buttons or a separate remote control.

Technorati Tags: IOGEAR, CES 2008

• Intel Celeron 420 series processor running at 1.6GHz
• Intel 945GZ/ICH7-R chipset
• 512MB DDR2 memory
• Four USB ports
• Four tool-less drive retention bays
• Three year warranty
• One Intel Gigabit LAN port
• 250 watt PSU

The box is capable of supporting up to four 3.5 inch SATA hard drives ranging from 80GB to 1TB in size and comes with an eSATA connection too. Curiously, the Intel Entry Storage System doesn’t support hot-swappable drives.

Features of the box include:

• Data file sharing among Microsoft Windows, Linux OS, and Apple Mac systems with user name, password protection, and management access in local workgroups
• Support for RAID levels 5, 10, and 1
• Easy to use setup wizard
• Backup and recovery application provides system backup, remote boot, and recovery for Windows clients
• Capable of being a DHCP server
• Can act as a DHCP client
• User-friendly web interface for setting up users and access rights
• Built-in FTP server
• Web-based management
• Can be used as linear storage or as RAID 0 setup

Price point for this box? $500 dollars – which puts it squarely against devices like the new HP MediaSmart Server which is due out later this month. It’ll be interesting to see if anyone takes this box and installs Windows Home Server instead on it. One nice thing about this Intel box – out of the box support for Linux and Apple systems.

[Check it out via ExtremeTech]

Technorati Tags: Intel, Intel Entry Storage System, SS4200-EHW, NAS

Are you looking for an external hard drive solution with practically every single interface connector under the sun (well ok.. maybe not all of them but it comes close to having all the modern ones)? Check out NewerTech’s miniStack v3 ‘Quad Interface’ Powered Hub Storage Solution. Available in capacities up to 1 TB, the miniStack v3 comes with eSATA, two FireWire 800, one FireWire 400, and three USB 2.0 ports. It also comes with FireWire 800/FireWire 400/USB 2.0 connection cables too! The drive connects to either Mac or PC systems and offers Plug-and-play ease.

Features of the miniStack v3 include the following:

• Up 1 TB storage space
• Large 8MB, 16MB, or 32MB data cache
• Oxford OXUF924DSb chipset for high performance FireWire 800/400, USB 2.0, eSATA to SATA-II with NCQ
• Compact design measuring 6.5 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches
• Auto Power on/off automatically with computer
• Intelligent thermal monitoring activates fan only when needed to reduce power consumption and minimize noise output

miniStack v3 is available in the following storage configurations:

• 160GB
• 250GB
• 320GB
• 400GB
• 500GB
• 750GB
• 1 TB

[Check it out via ChipChick]

Technorati Tags: miniStack v3, External Hard Drive, eSATA, USB, FireWire

• Maxtor OneTouch 4
• Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus
• Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini
• Seagate Digital Audio Video Experience (DAVE)
• DB35 Series hard drives for DVRs and Home Media Centers
• SV35 Digital Video Surveillance hard drives
• Barracuda FDE hard drive
• Momentus 5400.4 hard drive
• Cheetah 15K.6 hard drive

Here are the product briefs for each of the new product announcements:

Maxtor OneTouch 4:

• Available in 250GB, 500GB, or 750GB capacities
• Easy to set up and manage data backup, file archiving, and system settings with new easy to use interface

Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus:

• Full-featured backup and storage solution
• Includes Maxtor SafetyDrill software to prepare, boot, and recover your PCs entire internal hard drive contents
• Available in up to 750GB
• Includes two levels of security to guard against unauthorized usage or a lost or stolen drive
• Sync data between two or more computers on the same OS
• Backup files with one touch of a button

Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini:

• Offers same protection as desktop model
• Travel friendly compact design
• Ships will full suite of software protection tools

Seagate Digital Audio Video Experience (DAVE):

• Enabling technology that delivers wireless storage using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
• Available in up to 60GB of storage
• Designed to be branded as a technology accessory for mobile handset OEMs, networks, automobile, and automotive component manufacturers, media center, and DVR brands
• Think of DAVE as an accessory device designed to provide additional storage for mobile devices that support some form of wireless connectivity or USB

DB35 Series hard drives for DVRs and Home Media Centers

• Fourth generation of DB35 hard drives
• Provides up to 1 terabyte (TB) of space on a single drive
• Provides a range of options for DVR manufacturers – from 250GB drives to one terabyte drives

SV35 Digital Video Surveillance hard drives

• Hard drives specifically designed for digital video surveillance systems
• Available in up to 1TB of space

Barracuda FDE hard drive

• 3.5 inch 7200 RPM hard drive that automatically and transparently encrypts all desktop PC information with AES encryption

Momentus 5400.4 hard drive

• 250GB notebook oriented hard drive
• 2.5 inch 5400 RPM hard drive
• Second generation notebook drive to use perpendicular magnetic recording technology
• SATA interface

Cheetah 15K.6 hard drive

• 3.5 inch hard drive with 28 percent increase in sustained data transfer rates compared to previous generation
• Uses second generation perpendicular recording technology
• Available in 147GB, 300GB, and 450GB configurations

[Check it out]

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Other features of the O’ TOSTORE TA-M12O include:

• Converts SATA HDD signal to USB 2.0 or FireWire for use with notebooks
• Bundled 6 pin to 9 pin FireWire cable and USB 2.0 cable
• Provides heavy duty cooling with quiet-running, low power fan
• Aluminum housing

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: O\' TOSTORE TA-M12O