Engadget RSS Feed http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2013 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Ask Engadget: What's the best way to store my media collection?]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/20/ae-itunes-media-storage/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/20/ae-itunes-media-storage/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/20/ae-itunes-media-storage/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Ask Engadget

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is from Michael, who is suffering from a storage crunch. If you're looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I'm a bargain-basement kinda guy, and I've picked up lots of DVDs cheaply during the sale season(s). I was planning to rip my collection with Handbrake so I could watch them on my iPad, but my 1TB HDD is already close to being maxed out! Is there a better solution out there than just buying a 2TB HDD now, waiting a year and buying a 3TB HDD when the prices come down? Is there a cheap RAID-style system that plays nicely with my iTunes? Please help!"

  • You can pick up a standalone 3TB external HDD for between $150 and $200,
  • Or you could take the leap and set up an iTunes home server, perhaps using the cheapest Synology DiskStation, which is $200 plus the cost of the drives. That way you can get a 4TB iTunes server for just under $400.
  • You could also snag a Drobo that'll give you the same storage options with significantly increased expandability, up to 16TB in the future.

That said, perhaps our friendly readers know a way to tame this man's ever growing media collection, so if you've already set up your own system, why not share your knowledge in the comments below?

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]]> AEAppleAsk EngadgetAskEngadgetDroboExpandable StorageExpandableStorageHard DriveHard DrivesHardDriveHardDrivesHTPCIomega EgoIomegaEgoiTunesiTunes StorageItunesStorageMedia CollectionMedia StorageMediaCollectionMediaStorageNASRAIDStorageSynology Sat, 20 Oct 2012 23:00:00 -0400 21|20354366 <![CDATA[Western Digital bumps My Book Thunderbolt Duo to 8TB, consoles regular My Book buyers with 4TB]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/09/western-digital-bumps-my-book-thunderbolt-duo-to-8tb/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/09/western-digital-bumps-my-book-thunderbolt-duo-to-8tb/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/09/western-digital-bumps-my-book-thunderbolt-duo-to-8tb/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo at Macworld 2012

Many of us may have liked the prospect of Western Digital's My Book Thunderbolt Duo, but there's no doubt some of us who discovered that even 6TB just wouldn't cut it. If that digital pack rat mentality describes you, the solution is here: the company has taken advantage of larger 4TB hard disks to stuff a total 8TB of storage into the Duo's enclosure. The extra capacity hikes the price to $850, although the company notes that it's including the often expensive Thunderbolt cable to avoid any surprise trips to the store. Those without the ports or budget for the Duo can still reap some of the benefits through an updated, 4TB version of the regular My Book that hums along on USB 3.0 at a more reasonable $250 price. Either of the new drives should be lurking in stores if you're hurting for space as we write this.

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Source: Western Digital (1), (2)

]]> external hard driveexternal storageExternalHardDriveExternalStoragehard diskhard drivehard drivesHardDiskHardDriveHardDrivesmacmy bookmy book thunderbolt duoMyBookMyBookThunderboltDuostoragethunderboltusb 3.0Usb3.0wdwd my bookwd my book thunderbolt duoWdMyBookWdMyBookThunderboltDuowestern digitalwestern digital my bookwestern digital my book thunderbolt duoWesternDigitalWesternDigitalMyBookWesternDigitalMyBookThunderboltDuowindows Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:33:00 -0400 21|20345464 <![CDATA[Hard drive shipments recover from floods in Thailand, expected to reach record high]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/29/hard-drives-thailand-floods-recover-record/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/29/hard-drives-thailand-floods-recover-record/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/29/hard-drives-thailand-floods-recover-record/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Hard drive shipments recover from floods in Thailand, expected to reach record high

Last year's floods in Thailand caused hard drive shortages after wreaking havoc on a number of electronics manufacturers, but new stats from IHS iSuppli indicate that the HDD market for PCs has fully recovered and is poised to hit an all time high. The firm expects 524 million units for internal use in PCs to ship this year, besting the previous record by 4.3 percent. What's giving the recovery an added boost? According to the analytics group, the extra demand comes courtesy of Windows 8 and Ultrabooks. Unfortunately for deal hounds, the company noted in a report earlier this year that prices aren't expected to dip below the pre-flood range until 2014. If IHS iSuppli projections hold true, total annual hard drive shipments could reach 575.1 million by 2016.

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Via: Computerworld

Source: IHS iSuppli

]]> floodfloodshard disk drivehard disk driveshard drivehard drive shortagehard drive shortageshard drivesHardDiskDriveHardDiskDrivesHardDriveHardDrivesHardDriveShortageHardDriveShortagesHDDHDD shortageHDD shortagesHddShortageHddShortagesIHS iSuppliIhsIsupplimanufacturingshipmentshipmentsshortagestorageThailandthailand floodthailand floodingthailand floodsThailandFloodThailandFloodingThailandFloodsUltrabookUltrabooksWindows 8Windows8 Sat, 29 Sep 2012 16:48:00 -0400 21|20336975 <![CDATA[Synology launches DiskStation DS413j NAS server for your own private cloud]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/06/synology-launches-diskstation-ds413/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/06/synology-launches-diskstation-ds413/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/06/synology-launches-diskstation-ds413/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Synology launches DiskStation DS413j NAS server for your own private cloud

If you like your data local, but crave remote access, you've now got options like Synology's new DiskStation DS413j -- a network-attached storage (NAS) server for your own private cloud. The feature-packed box has four drive bays for a total of 16TB storage, and you can mix and match HDDs of different sizes without losing the comfort of RAID. Along with what you'd expect from NAS, its media server will stream content to your console or TV via DLNA or UPnP and push tunes to your stereo, with iOS and Android apps for couch DJing. The server will sync your files across computers if you wish, and give you access to all that data on the move via the internet or mobile apps. And, if you need more files, you can download directly using your favorite protocols -- it'll even automate them if you trust RSS feeds to make recommendations. All this can be yours for around $380, depending on the retailer, but don't forget to budget for drives to fill those empty bays.

Gallery: Synology DiskStation DS413j

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Via: SlashGear

Source: Synology

]]> android appandroid appsAndroidAppAndroidAppsappApple iOSAppleIosappscloudcloud computingcloud storageCloudComputingCloudStorageDiskstationdiskstation ds413jDiskstationDs413jDLNADNLAds413jgoogle androidGoogleAndroidhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDrivesinternetiosios appios appsIosAppIosAppsmediamedia streamermedia streamingMediaStreamerMediaStreamingNASNAS serverNasServernetwork attached storagenetwork-attached storageNetwork-attachedStorageNetworkAttachedStorageRSSRSS feedsRssFeedsserverstreamingsyncSynologysynology diskstation ds413jSynologyDiskstationDs413jupnp Thu, 06 Sep 2012 04:22:00 -0400 21|20316389 <![CDATA[Seagate completes purchase of LaCie in quest to become king of the hard drive hill]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/03/seagate-completes-purchase-lacie/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/03/seagate-completes-purchase-lacie/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/03/seagate-completes-purchase-lacie/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Seagate completes purchase of LaCie

The final price may end up being more than the initially proposed $186 million, but Seagate has successfully acquired a controlling share of LaCie stocks. The provisional price of €4.05 per share could increase to €4.17 if Seagate manages to accumulate 95 percent of the company's stocks in the next six months. As of now, however, it hold just shy of 65 percent, enough to take control of the French manufacturer. With LaCie and its valuable consumer business under its belt and Samsung's SSD expertise, the move to reject a Western Digital take over is looking better and better. After all, consumer choice is the engine of capitalism and now Seagate has more than enough ammunition to take on WD and its Hitachi properties. Check out the PR after the break.

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]]> acquisitionhard diskhard diskshard drivehard drivesHardDiskHardDisksHardDriveHardDriveslaciemergerpurchaseseagate Fri, 03 Aug 2012 23:27:00 -0400 21|20293051 <![CDATA[Hands-on with G-Technology's Mac-friendly, USB 3.0-packing G-Drive slim]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/25/g-technology-g-drive-slim-hands-on/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/25/g-technology-g-drive-slim-hands-on/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/25/g-technology-g-drive-slim-hands-on/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments

When we set out to get hands-on with a hard drive, of all things, you can bet we're going to do more than just pick it up and marvel at how lightweight it is. Here at a gdgt event in New York City, we spotted G-Technology's new Mac-friendly USB 3.0 drives on display and immediately got to work running some speed tests on the thinnest of the bunch, the G-Drive slim. Though transfer rates varied, both download and upload speeds tended to hover around 95 MB/s, and that was after ten or so runs in the Blackmagic benchmark. (Next time we'll bring a USB 2.0 cable to test a backward-compatible setup.)

According to a company rep staffing the event, the other drives in the lineup, the G-Drive mini, mobile and mobile USB 3.0, should deliver similar performance. Really, the differences here are in the specs: the G-Drive mobile and mini have FireWire ports, and all three offer more storage (750GB to 1TB, as opposed to 500GB for the slim). Design-wise, all the drives on display here seemed fairly impervious to scratches, and that rubberized band around the edges also makes the devices feel a little less delicate. On that point, you can check out the hands-on photos to see what we're talking about, though you'll just have to take our word on the speed testing.

Gallery: G-Technology USB 3.0 G-Drive Slim hands-on

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

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]]> G-DRIVE slimG-driveSlimg-technologyhands-onhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDriveshddportable drivePortableDriveusb 3.0Usb3.0 Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:59:00 -0400 21|20265937 <![CDATA[Toshiba Canvio 3.0 external drives bump up to 1.5TB, give Mac users some love]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/toshiba-canvio-3-0-external-drives-bump-up-to-1-5tb/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/toshiba-canvio-3-0-external-drives-bump-up-to-1-5tb/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/toshiba-canvio-3-0-external-drives-bump-up-to-1-5tb/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Toshiba Canvio 3.0

Toshiba's Canvio external drives have just gotten a hefty boost, most of all for data swappers that play both the Mac and PC sides of the computing fence. Both the regular Canvio 3.0 and the Canvio Basics 3.0 have made the jump from 1TB to 1.5TB of capacity to hold that much more in the way of backups and videos. If you spring for the top-end 1.5TB Canvio 3.0, though, you'll also get a new NTFS driver for the Mac that lets you take the USB 3.0 disk between a Mac and a Windows PC without having to either load a special reader app or wipe the drive clean. Living in that technology utopia will cost you $200 when it's ready in early June, but the Mac- or Windows-only among us can pay as little as $120 to get a 500GB Canvio while still getting backup software and one of six glossy colors. More frugal travelers can pay $10 less at the capacity for one of the software-free Basics drives.

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]]> canvioexternal hard driveexternal hddExternalHardDriveExternalHddhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDrivesstoragetoshibatoshiba canvioToshibaCanviousb 3.0usb 3.0 hard driveUsb3.0Usb3.0HardDrive Tue, 15 May 2012 22:01:00 -0400 21|20238508 <![CDATA[WD grits teeth, hands over the goodies to Toshiba to regulators and dentists' delight]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/wd-toshiba-hdd-asset-swap/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/wd-toshiba-hdd-asset-swap/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/15/wd-toshiba-hdd-asset-swap/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Image

Western Digital has completed its FTC-ordered handover of assets to Toshiba in order to buy Hitachi's HDD business Viviti. The wedding of the year was halted when regulators, citing monopoly concerns, demanded WD hand over a bundle of IP, R&D materials and production line gear to Tosh. In exchange, Western Digital will take over Toshiba Storage Device (Thailand), the arm of the company that was devastated in the recent flooding. It's WD's aim to integrate the remaining assets into its own local operations -- you can read the official line in the land of pure imagination below.

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]]> Anti-CompetitiveBusinessFederal Trade CommissionFederalTradeCommissionFTCHard DriveHard DrivesHardDriveHardDrivesHDDsHitachiminipostMonopolySaleStorageThailand FloodingThailandFloodingToshibaVivitiWestern DigitalWesternDigital Tue, 15 May 2012 08:36:00 -0400 21|20238148 <![CDATA[WD's 1TB VelociRaptor HDD gets reviewed: substantial gains, moderate price]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/16/western-digital-1tb-velociraptor-review-roundup/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/16/western-digital-1tb-velociraptor-review-roundup/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/16/western-digital-1tb-velociraptor-review-roundup/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Image

Western Digital has expanded its line of desktop-grade VelociRaptors to include a 1TB model that's available now for $320, but those kidding themselves with that whole "250GB is enough" thing can get in for as little as $160. Top-level specs include a 10,000RPM spindle rate and a SATA 6Gb/s interface housed within a 3.5-inch heat sink -- useful for lessening the burden of the drive's thermal output on the rest of the machine. Storage Review's tests reveal that sequential read and write transfer speeds top out around 206MB/s, thermal dissipation is excellent with low power consumption, and that random access has improved compared with its 600GB predecessor. They consider the new HDD to be a "very appealing value proposition" and "a blend of high performance, storage, capacity, and low cost."

Hot Hardware discovered virtually identical numbers with their tests, but wasn't quite as forgiving when it comes to the cost-per-GB versus 7200RPM hard drives. However, they call this VelociRaptor the "fastest HDD yet" at "nearly double the capacity of previous" model. You can find even more stats and impressions to chew on at the sources below.

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]]> 1 tb1 tb hdd10000 rpm10000Rpm1Tb1TbHdd2.5 inch2.5Inchhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDriveshddmagnetic storagemagneticstorageNAND memoryNandMemorynotouchraffreview roundupReviewRounduprotary acceleration feed forwardsatasata 6gSata6gssdvelociraptorwdwd velociraptorWdVelociraptorwestern digitalwestern digital velociraptorWesternDigitalWesternDigitalVelociraptor Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:28:00 -0400 21|20216927 <![CDATA[Portuguese opposition party wants 'terabyte tax,' voters want a new opposition party]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/13/portugal-terabyte-tax/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/13/portugal-terabyte-tax/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/13/portugal-terabyte-tax/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments ImagePortugal's opposition party, Partido Socialista, is pondering a tax on storage media under the flag of copyright protection. Under the proposal, consumers would pay €0.02 for every gigabyte of storage purchased, so a 1TB HDD would cost around €21 ($28) extra, plus an additional levy on devices over that size means a 2TB drive could cost an additional €103.2 ($135). It doesn't just stop at desktop platters: USB sticks, memory cards and even smartphones would also be charged, with any device packing 64GB of storage facing a surcharge of €32 ($42). A party member defended the idea, saying that the tax is aimed at professionals who use larger capacity drives -- but since most consumer HDDs come with a minimum size of 160GB and the legislation is also supposedly meant to tackle piracy, we're not entirely sure it adds up -- except maybe in government coffers.

Update: We're hearing that the bill titled PL118 has been withdrawn in the face of overwhelming common sense.

[Thanks, Ricardo]

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]]> CellphonesFlash DrivesFlashDrivesGovernmentHard DrivesiPod TaxIpodTaxMemory CardsMemoryCardsPiracyPiracy TaxPiracyTaxPortugalSci/TechSilly GovernmentSillyGovernmentTerabyte TaxTerabyteTaxUSB DrivesUSB flash driveUsbDrives Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:30:00 -0400 21|20214966 <![CDATA[Western Digital ships 7mm HDD for Ultrabooks, losing down pavement cracks]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/11/wd-7mm-scorpio-blue/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/11/wd-7mm-scorpio-blue/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/11/wd-7mm-scorpio-blue/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Image
Western Digital is whipping the sheets clear from a new, 7mm tall 2.5-inch mobile HDD that'll sit nicely inside your Ultrabook or other skinny device. The single-platter Scorpio Blue comes in 320 and 500GB varieties and will even sit nearly in 9.5mm slots (just, you know, bring along some blu-tack to pad the void around the drive bay). The units boast of super-low power management, quiet operation (with WD's WhisperDrive tech) and capable of taking a shock of 400Gs. It's available from today via selected retailers, the 320GB edition costing $80 and the 500GB version $100. Just be careful not to look at it side-on, after all, it's so thin you may not find it again.

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]]> 7mm HDD7mmHddHard DriveHard DrivesHardDriveHardDrivesminipostScorpio BlueScorpio Blue 7mmScorpioBlueScorpioBlue7mmUltrabookUltrabooksWestern DigitalWesternDigital Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:49:00 -0400 21|20213140 <![CDATA[IRL: Blue Mics Yeti, Western Digital My Passport and Razer's Naga Hex gaming mouse]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/06/irl-blue-microphones-yeti-western-digital-my-passport-and-raze/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/06/irl-blue-microphones-yeti-western-digital-my-passport-and-raze/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/06/irl-blue-microphones-yeti-western-digital-my-passport-and-raze/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

It's been a busy week for tech writers. Capping out a week populated by not one, not two, but three smartphone reviews, we're happy to take a breather and return our attention to life's littler pleasures. Like USB mics and portable 2TB hard drives. And also, gaming mice.

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]]> 2TB2tb drive2tb hard drive2tbDrive2tbHardDriveBilly SteeleBillySteeleBlue Microphonesblue microphones yetiBlue micsblue mics yetiBlueMicrophonesBlueMicrophonesYetiBlueMicsBlueMicsYetiDarren MurphDarrenMurphengadgetirlhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDrivesHDDirlMy PassportMyPassportNaga HexNagaHexportable hard driveportable hard drivesPortableHardDrivePortableHardDrivesRazerRazer Naga HexRazerNagaHexSean BuckleySeanBuckleyWDWD My PassportWdMyPassportWestern DigitalWestern Digital My PassportWesternDigitalWesternDigitalMyPassportyeti Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:00:00 -0400 21|20210094 <![CDATA[Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo is available now starting at $600]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/15/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/15/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/15/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Back at Macworld, we laid our peepers on Western Digital's MyBook Thunderbolt Duo and were able to take a demo setup for a quick spin. Now, the dual-wielding external HDDs are officially on the market. You can snag 4TB (2x 2TB) and 6TB (2x 3TB) versions of this "über-fast" MyBook for $599 and $699, respectively. Don't forget: you can daisy chain up to six of these bad boys via the dual Thunderbolt ports on the kit's backside (if you have quite the piggy bank, of course) -- just like the four-unit set we encountered sporting 700MB/sec read and 500MB/sec write speeds in RAID 0. WD also says the storage devices are Time Machine compatible as soon as you can unpack 'em. If you're anxious to grab one of your own, hit the source link below to part with your funds. And for a quick refresher, take a gander at the gallery below.

Gallery: Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo eyes-on at Macworld 2012 (video)

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]]> 3.5-inch3.5-inch HDD3.5-inchHddexternal hard driveexternal HDDExternalHardDriveExternalHddhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDrivesHDDlightpeakMyBookMyBook ThunderboltMyBook Thunderbolt DuoMybookThunderboltMybookThunderboltDuonow shippingNowShippingRAIDstoragethunderboltvideoWD MyBook Thunderbolt DuoWdMybookThunderboltDuoWestern DigitalWestern Digital MyBook Thunderbolt DuoWesternDigitalWesternDigitalMybookThunderboltDuo Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:00:00 -0400 21|20193447 <![CDATA[FTC: Western Digital and Hitachi must give assets and IP rights to Toshiba (update: sale approved)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/06/ftc-orders-western-digital-share-assets-with-toshiba/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/06/ftc-orders-western-digital-share-assets-with-toshiba/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/06/ftc-orders-western-digital-share-assets-with-toshiba/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Thought everything was looking rosy for the hard drive hitch of the year? Well, it looks like Federal Trade Commission reckons the union of Hitachi and Western Digital isn't quite there just yet, ordering that the new company would have to shed some of its assets to Toshiba. The FTC wants to ensure a competitive climate in the 3.5-inch hard drive market and avoid Western Digital and Seagate -- the two largest HDD manufacturers -- carving up the whole sector between them. According to the FTC's proposals, Toshiba has to receive the production assets needed to equal Hitachi's current HDD market share, alongside access to Western Digital's research and development resources and licenses to its intellectual property. Regulators had previously stated that WD could expect to sell on some of its production assets in order to get the tie-up okayed. Western Digital now has 15 days to hand over these assets to Toshiba -- who, presumably, aren't complaining -- once the deal with Hitachi is finally inked.

Update: Looks like all the FTC wrangling was worth it, because WD and Hitachi have announced that all the necessary approvals have been obtained and the deal is due to close on March 8th. PR's after the break.

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]]> acquisitionanti-competitiveFederal Trade CommissionFederalTradeCommissionftchard diskhard diskshard drivehard drivesHardDiskHardDisksHardDriveHardDriveshddhitachimergerregulatorregulatorssalestoragetoshibawestern digitalWesternDigital Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:38:00 -0500 21|20186840 <![CDATA[Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo eyes-on at Macworld 2012 (video)]]> http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/26/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo-hands-on-macworld-2012/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/26/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo-hands-on-macworld-2012/ http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/26/western-digital-mybook-thunderbolt-duo-hands-on-macworld-2012/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Here at Macworld 2012, Western Digital demoed a preview of their essentially finished, yet not final, MyBook Thunderbolt Duo. Scheduled to ship in Q1 for an "aggressive price," the unit plays host to two 3.5-inch drives, which'll come stuffed from the factory in either 4TB (2x 2TB) or 6TB (2x 3TB) configurations. On the outside, you're looking at the MyBook aesthetic you either love or loathe, but around back you'll find all connectivity has been gutted, save for power and two Thunderbolt ports. The latter means that up to six can be daisy-chained off one interconnect, which when setup in RAID 0 equates to rather speedy transfers, like 700MB/sec reads and 500MB/sec writes in the four-unit demonstration configuration we toyed with. And it's future proof too, as there's a door up-top which enables plebes to swap drives should the need arise. We'll keep an ear out for pricing, but until that day arrives, peep them in the gallery below, or in video form after the break.

Gallery: Western Digital MyBook Thunderbolt Duo eyes-on at Macworld 2012 (video)

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]]> 3.5-inch3.5-inch HDD3.5-inchHddhands-onhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDrivesHDDlightpeakmacworldmacworld 2012macworld iworldMacworld2012MacworldIworldMyBook Thunderbolt duoMybookThunderboltDuoRAIDthunderboltvideoWD MyBook Thunderbolt DuoWdMybookThunderboltDuowestern digitalWestern Digital MyBook Thunderbolt duoWesternDigitalWesternDigitalMybookThunderboltDuo Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:47:00 -0500 21|20157883 <![CDATA[Ask Engadget: best sub-$150 SSD?]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/17/ask-engadget-best-sub-150-ssd/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/17/ask-engadget-best-sub-150-ssd/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/17/ask-engadget-best-sub-150-ssd/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Aaron, who was inspired by our Primed article on SSDs to buy one of his own. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

"I've really been thinking about upgrading to an SSD. Speed is a big plus and I'd prefer a SATA 3.0, but I'm concerned about reliability and keeping my budget to around $150. What SSDs are Engadget readers using and what would you recommend? Thanks!"

So come on people, is there a beloved SSD that you'd love everyone to use? Do you prefer Crucial to Super Talent? Can you really upgrade to a decently-sized SSD for under $200? Help a brother out by shouting loudly and proudly (inside voices only, please) in the comments below.

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]]> AskAsk EngadgetAskEngadgetHard DriveHard DrivesHardDriveHardDrivesSATA 3.0SATA IIISata3.0SataIiiSSDs Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:00:00 -0500 21|20129579 <![CDATA[Hitachi outs a pair of 4TB HDDs for your storing pleasure]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/13/hitachi-outs-a-pair-of-4tb-hdds-for-your-storing-pleasure/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/13/hitachi-outs-a-pair-of-4tb-hdds-for-your-storing-pleasure/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/13/hitachi-outs-a-pair-of-4tb-hdds-for-your-storing-pleasure/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments We here at Engadget believe that, while keeping data in the cloud is certainly convenient, one can never have too much local storage space. Hitachi shares our enthusiasm for commodious HDDs, and has rolled out a pair of 4TB drives to keep all your movies, music, and photos close to home. For those wanting to up the ante in their desktop machine, the Deskstar 5K4000 should do the trick with a SATA 6Gb/s connection and 32MB buffer. Its stablemate, the Touro Desk External Drive, brings the same HDD in an onyx enclosure and connects to your computer via USB 3.0 -- plus you get 3GB of cloud storage free from Hitachi. (Who says you can't eat your cake and have it too?) The 5K4000 is available now for a penny under $400, while the Touro will cost $420 once it hits the market in January.

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]]> 4 tb4Tbdeskstardeskstar 5k4000Deskstar5k4000external hard driveexternal hddExternalHardDriveExternalHddhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDriveshddhitachistoragesuperspeedsuperspeed usbSuperspeedUsbtourotouro desktouro desk external hard driveTouroDeskTouroDeskExternalHardDriveusbusb 3.0Usb3.0 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:11:00 -0500 21|20126575 <![CDATA[Intel cuts Q4 revenue forecast by $1 billion due to hard drive shortages]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/12/intel-cuts-q4-revenue-forecast-by-1-billion-due-to-hard-drive-s/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/12/intel-cuts-q4-revenue-forecast-by-1-billion-due-to-hard-drive-s/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/12/intel-cuts-q4-revenue-forecast-by-1-billion-due-to-hard-drive-s/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments We've already seen quite a few companies lower their forecasts in the wake of the Thailand floods and subsequent hard drive shortage, and it unsurprisingly looks like Intel is no exception. The company issued a press release today advising that its fourth quarter revenue is now expected to come in at $13.7 billion, plus or minus $300 million, and not $14.7 billion (plus or minus $500 million) as previously expected. If you do the math, that means the company is taking around a $1 billion hit in revenue, due largely to a reduction in the worldwide PC supply chain that's led to a drop in processor purchases. According to Intel, thing should begin to turn around in the fourth quarter, when it expects computer sales to be "up sequentially," although it notes that hard drive shortages are expected to continue into the first quarter, with a recovery anticipated to take place over the first half of 2012. The company's full statement is after the break.

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]]> earningsfinancialfinancialsforecasthard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDriveshddintelq4revenueshortagethailand Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:46:00 -0500 21|20126235 <![CDATA[Western Digital purchase of Hitachi's hard drive business approved by EU regulators]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/23/western-digital-purchase-of-hitachis-hard-drive-business-approv/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/23/western-digital-purchase-of-hitachis-hard-drive-business-approv/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/23/western-digital-purchase-of-hitachis-hard-drive-business-approv/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments HDD Two of the hard drive industry's biggest players will soon be just one company. European Union regulators have given a conditional thumbs-up to Western Digital's plans to snatch up Hitachi's storage division for $4.3 billion. The companies are the second and third largest hard disk manufacturers in the world (respectively) behind Seagate, which purchased Samsung's HDD division back in April. Out of concern for the quickly consolidating market, regulators only approved the Western Digital deal after assurances that the company would sell off some its production assets, including a manufacturing plant, and transfer some intellectual property to the new unit being put on the auction block. As soon as WD finds a buyer it'll be free and clear to take over Hitachi's HDD division. So, anyone interested in a hard drive manufacturing plant?

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]]> acquisitioncompetition commissionCompetitionCommissionconditional approvalConditionalApprovaleuropean unionEuropean Union Competition CommissionEuropeanUnionEuropeanUnionCompetitionCommissionhard diskhard diskshard drivehard drivesHardDiskHardDisksHardDriveHardDriveshddhitachimergerregulatorregulatorssalestoragewestern digitalWesternDigital Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:52:00 -0500 21|20113134 <![CDATA[Seagate merges Barracuda range, renounces small platters for hungry storage diners]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/01/seagate-merges-barracuda-range-renounces-small-platters-for-hun/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/01/seagate-merges-barracuda-range-renounces-small-platters-for-hun/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/01/seagate-merges-barracuda-range-renounces-small-platters-for-hun/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Seagate's decided its desktop drives were getting a bit flabby. It's ditching the Green and XT brands, and in turn, deeming the entire range Barracuda. The revamped series now carries 1TB platters rather than the five 600GB layers in the older models and all will run at 7200RPM with a 64MB cache. It's part of an initiative to slim a bloated inventory channel for the company's OEM partners. Those with an environmental bent should know that the new drives more than match the Green's environmental prowess, whilst those who are speed hungry will be excited to hear news on the mooted new Barracuda XT. This replacement XT will match the hybrid stylings of the Momentus XT, a hybrid HDD that includes a 4GB SSD to increase cache speed. The 3TB monster will be available for $179.99 as soon as it hits the shipping channels -- which, so far as we can tell, should be anytime between next week and next year.

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]]> Barracuda XTBarracudaXtHard DriveHard DrivesHardDriveHardDrivesHDDHDDsminipostSeagateSeagate BarracudaSeagate Barracuda XTSeagate TechnologySeagateBarracudaSeagateBarracudaXtSeagateTechnology Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:01:00 -0400 21|20095551 <![CDATA[OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid review roundup: a speedy and spacious storage solution]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/27/ocz-revodrive-hybrid-review-roundup-a-speedy-and-spacious-stora/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/27/ocz-revodrive-hybrid-review-roundup-a-speedy-and-spacious-stora/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/27/ocz-revodrive-hybrid-review-roundup-a-speedy-and-spacious-stora/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Ever since we spent some time with OCZ's RevoDrive Hybrid back at Computex, we eagerly awaited its arrival so that it could be put through its paces. Well, the time has come for the $500 storage mongrel to face the music and for us to find out if it adds up to more than the sum of its SSD and HDD parts. Hot Hardware found the RevoDrive Hybrid delivered on its promise of mind-blowing peak transfer speeds of almost 1GBps, with performance that could only be matched by dual SATA III SSDs in a RAID 0 setup. Everyone spoke well of the Dataplex software that manages the RevoDrive's caching, as it dutifully maxed out performance once it learned usage patterns. TRIM support was a welcome feature, but all noted the niggle that it must be used as the system boot device, so it can't pull duty as secondary storage. All in all, the consensus is that while the RevoDrive Hybrid may be too pricey for some, it's a darn good deal for the performance it provides. Of course, you don't have to take our word for it, so dig into the full reviews at the sources below.

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]]> 1tb1tb hdd1tbHddhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDriveshddoczOCZ RevoDriveocz revodrive hybridOczRevodriveOczRevodriveHybridreview roundupReviewRoundupreviewsrevodriverevodrive hybridRevodriveHybridsolid state driveSolidStateDrivessd Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:37:00 -0400 21|20091467 <![CDATA[Salt enables six times the storage capacity for snail-unfriendly hard drives]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/17/salt-enables-six-times-the-storage-capacity-for-snail-unfriendly/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/17/salt-enables-six-times-the-storage-capacity-for-snail-unfriendly/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/17/salt-enables-six-times-the-storage-capacity-for-snail-unfriendly/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments Salt: sure, you might use it to cure meats for your latest solar-powered circumnavigation. But hold onto your kippers, Magellan, because Singaporean scientists have found that sodium chloride -- ordinary table salt! -- can also dramatically increase storage capacity. You see, typical hard drives have randomly-arranged magnetic grains, which allow data density of about 0.5 terabit per square inch. But a high-resolution e-beam lithography process, aided by our good friend NaCl, arranges the grains in a tighter, more orderly fashion, upping the density to 3.3 terabits per square inch. Called nanopatterning, this technique enables a 1TB drive to hold 6TB without additional platters; it also works with current manufacturing technology, meaning no expensive upgrades. If that's got you dreaming of a higher-capacity future, hit the source link for more glorious technical details. We'll warn you, though: the pictures of luscious, bee-stung lips stop here.

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]]> angelina jolieAngelinaJolieCapacitydata densityDataDensitydriveshard drivesHardDrivesIMREInstitute of Materials Research and EngineeringInstituteOfMaterialsResearchAndEngineeringJoel YangJoelYangnaclnanonanopatterningnanotechnanotechnologyplatterssaltsciencesingaporestorage Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:22:00 -0400 21|20082549 <![CDATA[Toshiba introduces tiny enterprise hard drives with big speed and big storage]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/13/toshiba-introduces-tiny-enterprise-hard-drives-with-big-speed-an/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/13/toshiba-introduces-tiny-enterprise-hard-drives-with-big-speed-an/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/13/toshiba-introduces-tiny-enterprise-hard-drives-with-big-speed-an/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments HDDYou're probably laughing to yourself right now saying, "300GB? That's not big storage." But, hear us out. The oh-so memorably titled MK01GRRB and MK01GRRR are not your standard hard drives -- these are enterprise-grade disks that spin at 15k RPM and fit in a 2.5-inch bay. Toshiba claims they're the highest capacity 2.5-inch, 15k drives on the market, and we couldn't dig up any evidence to the contrary. The 6Gb/s SAS connection makes sure businesses get the most they can out of those platters spinning at break neck speeds and the GRRR models include a self-encrypting feature. The two drives will start shipping in both 147 and 300GB sizes in Q1 of 2012, but pricing has yet to be announced. Check out the PR after the break for a few more details.

Update: Seagate wrote in to let us know that they had a similar drive at the same size, capacity and speed earlier this year. So, take that, Tosh.

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]]> 15k15k rpm15kRpmencryptingencryptionhard diskhard diskshard drivehard drivesHardDiskHardDisksHardDriveHardDriveshddMK01GRRBMK01GRRRself encrypting driveself encryptionSelfEncryptingDriveSelfEncryptionstoragetoshibaToshiba MK01GRRBToshiba MK01GRRRToshibaMk01grrbToshibaMk01grrr Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:42:00 -0400 21|20080669 <![CDATA[OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid merges 100GB SSD with 1TB HDD for $499]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/01/ocz-revodrive-hybrid-merges-100gb-ssd-with-1tb-hdd-for-499/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/01/ocz-revodrive-hybrid-merges-100gb-ssd-with-1tb-hdd-for-499/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/01/ocz-revodrive-hybrid-merges-100gb-ssd-with-1tb-hdd-for-499/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments We heard about OCZ's clever crossbreed a few months ago, but couldn't be sure about pricing for this premium model. Turns out, it's significantly less than we'd guessed: $499 for a 100GB SSD and 1TB HDD happily united on a single PCI Express card. Yup, that's still a heck of a lot more than the $300 or so it'd cost to pick up a SandForce-controlled 120GB solid state beauty along with a separate 1TB SATA 6GB/s hard drive. The comparison isn't entirely fair, though, because OCZ claims its combo boosts overall performance by caching both "hot" and "cold" data, which is automatically organized between the SSD and HDD, on a single card with up to 910MB/s bandwidth and 120,000 IOPS. Nevertheless, it'll take some real-world benchmarking to determine whether the promised speed gain is worth our wages. More details in the PR after the break.

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]]> 1tb hdd1tbHddhard drivehard drivesHardDriveHardDriveshddhybridhybrid drivehybrid hddhybrid ssdHybridDriveHybridHddHybridSsdOCZOCZ RevoDriveOCZ Revodrive hybridOczRevodriveOczRevodriveHybridrevodriverevodrive hybridRevodriveHybridsolid state drivesolid state drivesSolidStateDriveSolidStateDrives Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:02:00 -0400 21|20032121 <![CDATA[Pogoplug Mobile hands-on]]> http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/01/pogoplug-mobile-hands-on/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/01/pogoplug-mobile-hands-on/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/01/pogoplug-mobile-hands-on/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
The cloud is huge (well, infinite, really), and everybody wants their piece. Pogoplug has been a player since the beginning, albeit with a somewhat convoluted setup process, so it's no surprise that the drive-to-web plug appliance company is ready to push out a smartphone-friendly version. Pogoplug Mobile, as it's to be known, brings much of its big brother's functionality (you won't be able to "mount" remote drives) to smartphones, tablets, and dedicated desktop apps. Want to load some photos from your 4 terabyte hard drive in San Fran while you're on the subway in Tokyo? Simply launch an app, sign in with the username and password you registered during the seconds-long setup process, and you're on your way. You can even email photos (links to images on your remote drive -- you won't be using data), post them to social networking sites, or transfer new ones that you shot with the phone. The concept is certainly familiar, but we got to take a look at Pogoplug's interpretation at IFA in Berlin. Jump past the break to see what we thought.

Gallery: Pogoplug Mobile (hands-on)

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]]> drivesfeatureshands-onhard drivesHardDrivesnetworknetwork driveNetworkDrivenetworked storageNetworkedStoragepogo plugpogoplugpogoplug mobilePogoplugMobileremoteremote accessRemoteAccessreviewstorageweb accessWebAccess Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:03:00 -0400 21|20032472