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LaCie's latest hard drives offer extra space via USB-C
As USB-C arrives on more machines, accessory makers will need to update their products accordingly. That's just what LaCIe has done for CES with its latest Porsche Design Desktop and Mobile hard drives. The aluminum-wrapped storage units now offer USB Type-C connections to your laptop or desktop. What's more, you can still charge your laptop while you're transferring files, so long as the drive is plugged in. If you haven't yet splurged for a new machine with the latest ports, there's a USB 3.0 adapter included with each of the hard drives. In March, the Porsche Design Mobile Drive will be available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB models starting at $110 and the Desktop Drive will be offered in 4TB, 5TB and 8TB options from $210.
Flash-based drives may soon be as cheap as the spinning kind
If you've noticed that solid-state drives (and the PCs that include them) no longer cost an arm and a leg, you're not alone. Researchers at DRAMeXchange understand that the price per gigabyte of an SSD has fallen off a cliff in the past three years, and the trend is only accelerating. If the company's estimates are on the mark, these drives could cost just 11 cents more per gig than conventional hard drives by 2017. At that rate, you might not have to choose between high capacity and breakneck speed when you're on a budget -- you could easily afford both.
Root password flaw leaves wireless Seagate drives open to attack
Own a wireless hard drive? Was it made by Seagate? You'll want to download an update. Researchers at Tangible security have discovered a vulnerability in certain Seagate wireless drives that could give unauthorized users root access to the device. The flaw? A default username and password that activates undocumented Telnet services. It's a terrifyingly simple vulnerability. Luckily, the fix is almost as simple -- all you have to do is patch your drive's firmware.
SanDisk will help you switch to an SSD for $40
Looking to give your aging computer some new life? Swapping out the hard drive for a new SSD could do the trick, and if you're nervous completing the upgrade yourself SanDisk has a new service to lend a hand. The company's SSD Concierge Service offers live video support (via a mobile device, natch) so that folks of all skill levels are able to make the switch and improve speeds from the comforts of home. The service also includes "all of the tools required to upgrade their laptop successfully" including data migration and installation. If you're looking for some help giving your computer a refresh, SanDisk's virtual guidance can be purchased through Amazon and TigerDirect for $40.
Samsung shows off a 2.5-inch hard drive with 16TB of storage
Hard drives are as ubiquitous as the desktops or they're made for. But as technology evolves, manufacturers continue to make these faster and smaller than ever before. Case in point: Samsung, which has developed the world largest hard drive, packing 16TB of storage in a 2.5-inch format. While the PM1633a (as it's currently named) could be considered an SSD, since there aren't any moving parts inside, there's no doubt it is a good ol' hard drive at its core. The PM1633a, revealed during the Flash Memory Summit in California, is based on Samsung's NAND flash chips -- similar to what you'd find on the its consumer solid-state drives. There's no word on pricing or availability at the moment, but it is more than likely that the PM1633a will end being used for enterprise servers. Hey, we can dream, right?
LaCie's latest portable drive is (almost) ideal for your new MacBook
Dead set on snagging one of those extra-slim MacBooks, but won't make the leap until you have an easy way to back up your files? LaCie has your back. It just unveiled a new version of its Porsche Design Mobile Drive that uses the same USB Type-C port as Apple's latest portable (and eventually, other computers), saving you the hassle of using an adapter just to offload that photo project or back up to Time Machine. It's not quite a dream storage device, though. You'll still need an adapter (thankfully included) to hook up to regular USB devices, and there's no passthrough port. Unless you get a hub, you'll have to choose between powering your Mac and expanding your storage. If that's no barrier, though, you can get the Mobile Drive in the second quarter in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB models. Pricing isn't available yet, but the regular USB models cost $80, $100 and $150 -- it won't be surprising if the USB Type-C versions are in that ballpark.
Daily Roundup: NSA spyware, Apple's VR headset and more!
Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Security researchers discovered NSA surveillance software in the firmware of some new hard drives. In other news, a UK company works on a self-driving shuttle for public transit and an Apple patent filed in 2008 shows the company has long been interested in VR displays. Catch up on all of today's top stories past the break.
The NSA hides surveillance software in hard drives
It's been known for a while that the NSA will intercept and bug equipment to spy on its soon-to-be owners, but the intellgency agency's techniques are apparently more clever than first thought. Security researchers at Kaspersky Lab have discovered apparently state-created spyware buried in the firmware of hard drives from big names like Seagate, Toshiba and Western Digital. When present, the code lets snoops collect data and map networks that would otherwise be inaccessible -- all they need to retrieve info is for an unwitting user to insert infected storage (such as a CD or USB drive) into an internet-connected PC. The malware also isn't sitting in regular storage, so you can't easily get rid of it or even detect it.
Toshiba stuffs 3TB into its latest portable hard drives
Portable hard drives don't hold nearly as much data as their desk-bound counterparts, but Toshiba is closing that gap in a big way. Both its simple Canvio Basics drives and sharing-friendly Canvio Connect II models (shown above) are some of the first (reasonably) portable drives to carry 3TB. That's obviously quite a bit more than the 2TB models you've seen before, and enough for you to stash your 4K videos on. They don't have any fancy new tricks in store, although that extra space could come in handy for the Connect II's PogoPlug-based remote access and bundled backup software. Mum's the word on pricing at the moment. With that said, it's safe to say the 3TB models will cost more than a similarly sized disk for your desktop.
Seagate intros a fleet of cloud, wireless and super-thin hard drives
If getting your digital life better organized is tops on your list of New Year's resolutions, Seagate has a trio of options that cover all the bases. First, the company is offering its ultra-thin 7mm drive in portable form with the appropriately named Seagate Seven. As you might expect, the company boasts that this is "the world's slimmest" device for on-the-go storage, wielding 500GB of space and connecting to your gadgets via USB 3.0 inside a steel enclosure. The Seven certainly won't take up much space in your pocket or backpack, and it's set to arrive later this month for $100.
LaCie's latest artist collaboration is a hard drive wrapped in Gorilla Glass
For the past two years, LaCie has revealed at least one new artist collaboration at CES, and this year is no different. Keeping with the reflective theme of last year's device, the 2015 edition is wrapped in Gorilla Glass and appropriately called Mirror. After teaming up with Philippe Starck and Christofle for previous releases, the company tasked French designer Pauline Deltour for a shiny 1TB hard drive that's covered in Corning's durable glass material and powered through a USB connection (no Thunderbolt here). To properly show the thing off on your desk, a stand of ebony wood provides a resting spot. If you're looking to keep the collection going, or just nab this particular entry, Mirror will arrive later this month for $280. What's that? You were hoping LaCie would have a new Rugged portable hard drive, too? Well, read on.
IBM wants to kill the hard drive it invented
Saving files to memory is something that's supposed to be mostly invisible for the end user. We don't need to think about it; it just has to work. But whether it's a solid-state or hard disk drive, conventional storage solutions have their limitations -- namely, speed, rewritability and durability. A team at IBM Research's Almaden facility in California has a cure for all of that and it's called "racetrack memory."
8TB hard drives have arrived
We're sorry to break the bad news, but that 5TB hard drive you bought last week? Yeah, it's already obsolete. Seagate has started shipping the first-ever 8TB desktop hard disk, doubling the 4TB capacities that seemed huge just a couple of years ago. If it's any consolation, though, this machinery isn't ready to go inside your hot gaming PC. Right now, all those terabytes are destined for data centers where capacity trumps every other concern; Seagate isn't mentioning prices, but enterprise-class storage is rarely cheap. You may want to set aside some money all the same. These extra-roomy drives have a tendency to filter down to the mainstream pretty quickly, so you may soon have more free disk space than you know what to do with... at least, for a little while.
LaCie's popular portable drive adds more convenience and durability
Who hasn't misplaced an accessory cable at one time or another? We've all been there. Well, to combat that issue with its popular orange-draped Rugged portable drive, LaCie has built it right in. A Thunderbolt cable is now attached to the mobile storage unit, wrapping around the edge of the device for safekeeping. What's more, there's a cap that protects the jack and an additional USB 3.0 port with IP54-rated dust and water protection. This means that not only are the drives capable of taking a fall of up to two meters (just over 6.5 feet), but it can also keep debris and moisture out whilst in the field.
WD unveils a truly portable Thunderbolt drive for performance junkies
There are already a few portable hard drives that take advantage of Thunderbolt's brisk performance, but they have to plug into a wall outlet -- not very convenient when you're in the field. Western Digital is fixing that discrepancy today by unveiling the My Passport Pro, the first dual-drive Thunderbolt storage that takes its power solely from Intel's high-speed port. The drive isn't the fastest we've seen at about 233 MB/s, but it's still quick on its toes; it can copy that giant video project to your MacBook Pro in roughly half the time it would take on USB 3.0. If you're the sort who would rather not go hunting for power sockets while editing outside of the office, you can grab the My Passport Pro right now for $300 with 2TB of capacity, or $430 in 4TB form.
5TB hard drives are here, shipping now in select LaCie products
25 terabytes of storage in a single standalone cube? That's now possible, thanks to Seagate's new 5TB hard drive. You can pair the LaCie 5big Network 2 five-bay NAS Thunderbolt series with up to five individual 5-terabyte drives for a maximum of 25TB of storage for less than two three grand. Based on the $300 price difference between the 15TB kit ($1,299) and the 10TB version ($999), we imagine you'll be able to max out the RAID device about $1,900, once these gigantic drives become available for purchase individually. For now, you'll need to settle for one of the two above configurations, available directly from LaCie beginning today. The 5big is available in a 10TB config (two drives) for $999, while doubling the storage will also double the price. You can even max the thing out with five drives for 25TB of storage for a cool $2,500. If smaller capacities are what you're after, LaCie's 2big is available with a pair of the new 5-terabyte drives for $899, or in a single configuration with the $449 d2. Update: We never like to strikethrough any content, let alone four full lines, but after hearing from LaCie, we have a bit more clarity when it comes to the company's new product offerings. The 5TB drive will be available in three products (outlined above), but not the aforementioned NAS. Ultimately, that's great news for consumers -- you can opt for a single-drive (5-terabyte) config for just $449.
Toshiba's new drive could take the headaches out of networked storage
There aren't many network-attached hard drives for the home, and those that exist aren't always easy to use... not unless you enjoy drive mapping, anyway. Toshiba may just make the experience simpler with its just-shipped Canvio Home, though. This sequel to the Canvio Personal Cloud takes some of the guesswork out of setting up and finding your storage on your home network; if you just need to drag-and-drop files, you could be up and running within minutes. The Canvio Home also introduces official Mac support. As before, you can access the Canvio Home from anywhere (including Android and iOS apps), and it will stream media to local DLNA-capable gadgets. Toshiba is selling a 2TB version of the new disk for $200, while its 3TB sibling costs $260.
Cloud storage meets old-school archiving with IDrive's new Safe service
An internet connection is usually the only thing between you and your remotely stored data. Not with IDrive's new "Safe" service, however, which is a strange mix of traditional archiving and newfangled cloud storage. For a one-off payment of $100, the company'll send you a physical 1TB hard drive to fill up, collect it from you, and store it indefinitely (with no recurring charge). With 24 hours notice, IDrive will dive into its warehouse, dig out your HDD and let you have at its contents through the magic of the interwebs -- higher pricing tiers are also available for individuals or businesses that require more frequent data dumps. We can almost see why some might prefer their very own HDD as opposed to an anonymous server rack, even if both are technically out of reach. Best to keep some treasured family photos backed-up though -- that flight isn't going to wait 24 hours for you to recover your e-ticket.
Seagate's Backup Plus line expands with Slim, Fast and desktop external drives for appropriately named file storage
We've been familiar with Seagate's Backup Plus line for quite some time now, and the company has just announced three new offerings under that moniker here at CES. The storage outfit has pulled the wraps off of Backup Plus Slim, Fast and desktop external hard drives, living up to each of those names with both automatic and scheduled backups. First, Fast is being touted as the first 4TB portable drive with dual 2TB drives in RAID 0. The unit is bus-powered at the hands of its USB 3.0 connection and claims speeds of 220 MB/s with a metal-topped plastic enclosure. It's set to ship for $300. Join us on the other side of the break for details on the rest of the group.
LaCie partners with Christofle on Sphère: a silver-plated limited-edition hard drive
Last year at CES, LaCie unveiled the Philippe Starck-designed Blade Runner to grab the attention of those who prefer their storage gadgets to be extra dapper. This time around, the outfit has teamed up with French silversmith Christofle on Sphère. The globe-influenced external hard drive is silver-plated and touts a 1TB capacity. File transfers are sorted via a USB 3.0 connection that doubles as the device's power supply. Just like its predecessor, the shiny Sphère is going to be in short supply when it arrives later this quarter with a $490 price tag, ready to upgrade the look of that workstation. We were able to take a closer look at the Sphère just ahead of the proper start of CES 2014. Despite what appears to be a weighty silver shell, the drive is quite light. The shiny exterior may double as a mirror in a pinch, but mucking it up with fingerprints will happen quickly. Aside from the branding inscriptions on the front and the iconic blue light, there aren't any other details aside from a cable slot around back on the unit's black base. Of course, less is more definitely applies here.
