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PortableHardDrive posts

Brinell Purestorage external hard drives are all kinds of classy

by Darren Murph posted Nov 5th 2009 at 10:37AM

Much like the great city of San Diego, Brinell's Purestorage line of external HDDs is amongst the classiest that we've ever seen. So classy in fact, that we'd probably be frightened to ever lug one around and risk marring the otherwise gorgeous leather, carbon, wood or stainless steel enclosure. That said, there's hardly a sexier way to carry around 160GB to 500GB in your pocket, and the USB-powered design enables you to leave the AC adapter in the very rear of your memory. Eager to caress one? These are available now across the pond in a variety of flavors starting at €189 ($280), so yeah, pony up.

[Via Unplggd]

Dane-Elec comes clean with external USB 3.0 HDDs / SSDs

by Darren Murph posted Oct 19th 2009 at 12:01AM

It's been almost an entire year since we heard a peep from the good lads and ladies at Dane-Elec, but those very individuals have today informed us that a few USB 3.0 drives are on the way from its labs. 'Course, we'd like to point out that it's being a little ambitious with that whole "world's first" thing, but given the youth of the format, we'll take all the competition (and excitement) we can get. The outfit's So SuperSpeed line of external drives will soon be taking on the US market, offering consumers up to 250MBps data transfers starting on December 11th. Sizes will range from 500GB to 2TB (in both 2.5- and 3.5-inch forms), and we're told that the SSD options (80GB and 160GB) will indeed be Intel-branded under the hood. Looking for prices? Sure you are -- they're just past the break.

Continue reading Dane-Elec comes clean with external USB 3.0 HDDs / SSDs

Origin unveils 750GB and 1TB Data Locker encrypted external HDDs

by Darren Murph posted Oct 18th 2009 at 9:41AM

Questionably christened the world's first 1TB portable hardware-encrypted hard drive, Origin Storage's extra-capacious Data Locker Secure Drive is certainly the one to get if you're paranoid about whatever it is you'd keep on such a large platter. Also available in 750GB, 500GB and 320GB models, the drives are secured by AES hardware encryption and a 6 to 18 digit PIN number which must be entered directly onto the device itself before the contents become accessible. Think James Bond, but for real. The USB-powered unit also packs rubber shoulders in case things get a little crazy between you and Mr. Data Thief, though we wouldn't try running this thing through the rain forest if at all possible. The 1TB edition will be available soon for £399 ($652), while the others are priced at £299 ($488), £239 ($390) and £180 ($294) from largest to smallest.

[Via Slashgear]

Active Media debuts 'seriously fast' Aviator 312 USB 3.0 SSD

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 6th 2009 at 3:48PM

It may not be the first USB 3.0 hard drive, but Active Media's new Aviator 312 external SSD does look to be the fastest one around at the moment-- assuming it actually lives up to the company's claims, that is. The biggest of those are read speeds "up to" a blazing 240MB/s and write speeds up to 160MB/s -- both, of course, made possible through the magic of USB 3.0, which also just so happens to let the drive be an external one, and be powered solely by USB. Of course, there are a few not insignificant trade-offs as well, the most notable being that the drive is limited to just 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, which also unsurprisingly demand more than their capacities would suggest: $89, $119, and $209, respectively.

[Via Electronista]

WD unveils new My Books with e-paper, while My Passport shrinks even further

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 6th 2009 at 10:23AM

Good news for hardcore portable storage buffs: looks like Western Digital is taking a hint from Verbatim and putting an e-paper display on its My Book Elite and My Book Studio portable hard drives, offering the device's label and free space up-front, perfect for those of us juggling multiple portable storage devices. In addition, both offer WD SmartWare, 256-bit hardware-based encryption, and are available in capacities ranging from 500GB to 2TB. My Book Studio (formatted for Mac and sportin' a FireWire 800 interface) ranges from $149.99 to $299.99 depending on size, while My Book Elite (with a USB 2.0 interface and NTFS formatting) will run you anywhere from $169.99 to $279.99.

If what you're looking for however, is the company's "smallest drive to date," check out My Passport Elite. Featuring a USB dock, illuminated capacity gauge, a secure "drive lock" indicator, and that 256-bit hardware-based encryption, this bad boy is sports up to 640GB storage (which will run you $169.99). This one is available in one of three "metallic" colors -- Metallic Red, Metallic Blue, or Charcoal Metallic. Sadly, the company hasn't yet teamed up with MusicSkins for a Metallica skin -- but our fingers are crossed.

Read - My Book Studio
Read - My Book Elite
Read - My Passport Elite

A-DATA's SH93 hard drive is probably more daring than you are

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 5th 2009 at 3:01PM

A-DATA already has slim and colorful portable hard drives covered, but it looks like it's now done one better with its new SH93 model, which adds a dash of ruggedness for good measure. That includes waterproofing compliant with IEC 529 IPX7 standards (or up to one meter deep for 30 minutes), shock-proofing to MIL-STD-810F standards for drops and general jostling and, of course, a bright yellow or red rubber enclosure that's almost begging you to toss it across the room. No word on pricing just yet, but it looks like this one will be available in your choice of 250GB, 320GB, 500GB or 640GB capacities, and presumably sometime soon.

[Via OhGizmo!]

Original Game Boy repurposed as external hard drive

by Darren Murph posted Sep 12th 2009 at 2:23PM

Okay, so maybe this here mod isn't nearly as extreme as shoving an entire PC into the case of a classic Game Boy, but it's still pretty fantastic in its own right. Completed at some point during the dog days of summer, the 80GB Game Boy had its innards stripped and replaced with parts that enable a 2.5-inch 80GB SATA HDD to operate beautifully as a standard USB hard drive. The display you see here is (unfortunately) an illusion, as it's simply a professional-looking still insert that merely gives the impression of it paying Game Boy titles while offloading spreadsheets. Now, if someone could figure out how to make it pull double duty...

[Via technabob]

LG launches XD3 Slim portable HDDs

by Vladislav Savov posted Sep 10th 2009 at 10:33PM

Brushed aluminum exterior filed down to a minimalist 13mm in thickness with rubber-padded sides for impact protection. This is not just a portable hard drive, this is an LG XD3 Slim portable hard drive. It seems like LG has decided to differentiate its products on aesthetics alone, as the XD3 has the same USB and SATA II connectivity that have been on offer since the XD1, and storage is no greater than the max 500GB on the XD2. Even so, if the Korean price of 110,000 Won ($90) for the 320GB model shows up unaltered in Western lands, we know what we'll be buying our imaginary girlfriends come Christmas.

Continue reading LG launches XD3 Slim portable HDDs

Buffalo stuffs 500GB into ultraslim HD-PVU2 portable hard drive

by Darren Murph posted Sep 7th 2009 at 8:31AM

With a few external hard drive outfits pushing out 640GB models this past week, a simple half-terabyte edition now seems mildly inadequate. That said, Buffalo's latest gets brownie points for being almost impossibly thin. The HD-PVU2 lineup is barely thicker than the 2.5-inch HDD within, with 320GB and 500GB versions available. Both black and white flavors will be shipped out to stores, and as expected, they'll get all the juice they need through USB 2.0. Check 'em out soon (assuming you can locate one) in Japan for ¥10,500 ($112) and ¥15,330 ($164), respectively.

[Via Impress]

Continue reading Buffalo stuffs 500GB into ultraslim HD-PVU2 portable hard drive

OWC shoves 750GB hard drive into Mercury On-The-Go Pro

by Darren Murph posted Sep 5th 2009 at 1:02AM

Other World Computing's Mercury On-The-Go lineup has always struck us as somewhat overpriced and completely overstyled, but it's tough to argue with 750GB of space in a bus-powered portable drive. The newest addition to the company's On-The-Go Pro range is a 750GB model that spins at 5200RPMs and packs 8MB of cache; we won't even begin to tell you what all you could fit on three-quarters of a terabyte, but if your imagination already has you tempted, you can snag one now for as low as $229.99 if you're kosher with a USB 2.0-only configuration.

[Via Electronista]

Samsung doles out 640GB S2 portable, 2TB S3 Station HDDs

by Darren Murph posted Sep 4th 2009 at 6:11PM

Whatever Toshiba can do, Samsung can do... um, equally well? Evidently that's the game being played over at IFA, as the latter company has issued a 640GB portable hard drive of its own nary 24 hours after Tosh did likewise. The unspeakably cute S2 portable is getting a much-needed capacity bump, making the largest drive in the line 640GB. In related news, the company's 3.5-inch S3 Station external HDD has seen its maximum storage level creep north to 2TB, though storage freaks will have to wait patiently until "early next year" in order to take one home. Prices for both remain a mystery, but if we had to guess, we'd put the MSRPs about a penny under whatever Toshiba settles on. Call it a hunch.

[Via HotHardware]

Apricorn launches Aegis Padlock Secure portable USB drive for paranoia on the go

by Laura June posted Aug 20th 2009 at 1:18PM

We're fairly certain a lot of you out there have plenty of data that needs... securing. Apricorn's just announced its Aegis Padlock Secure USB drive with keyboard for keeping your data safe via PIN. Sure, it's not as good looking as Lenovo's ThinkPad Portable hard drive, but it should get the job done, right? The drive comes in AES-128 or 256 bit hardware encryption flavors, and up to 500GB capacity. Prices start at $99 and $119 for the 250GB models in 128 and 256 bit, respectively, and they're available right now. Go ahead -- indulge yourself in the idea that someone is after your Mr T. JPEG collection.

Buffalo HDS-PH500U2 gives you 500GB of rugged, encrypted storage

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 6th 2009 at 5:29AM

Buffalo's MiniStation DataVault series of drives is focused on data protection, from hackers and clumsy owners alike, with features like automatic full disk encryption and ruggedized shock-resistant design. The latest model, identified in Japan by the dry alphanumeric title you see above, sticks to the security-centric formula but bumps the storage to a sweet 500GB. ¥23,200 ($244) will be enough to snag the USB-powered 5,400RPM device in mid-August, and a prompt US / European release also seems highly likely. Judging by what's already available in the US, you can expect a three year warranty plus preloaded auto-backup software and mobile versions of Firefox and Thunderbird for avoiding the scourge of IE wherever you may roam.

[Via PC Watch]

Hitachi intros two new portable HDDs, SimpleNET NAS adapter

by Darren Murph posted Jul 13th 2009 at 8:00AM

If you'll recall, Hitachi GST snapped up Fabrik in February, and with that acquisition came the latter company's highly-regarded SimpleTech line. Today, Hitachi is introducing its first consumer products since the pickup, and while you'll notice a hint of 'Simple' in the titles, the branding is all Hitachi. First up is the water-resistant and shock-proof SimpleTOUGH portable USB drive (250/320/500GB for $99.99/$119.99/$149.99), which can survive a 3-meter fall and boasts a twistable USB cable that's permanently affixed to the enclosure.

Next, there's the SimpleDRIVE Mini, which is a stylish, colorful portable HDD that is now shipping in red wine (250GB; $89.99), blue dusk (320GB; $109.99) and carbon fiber black (500GB; $139.99). Finally, there's Hitachi's alternative to the Pogoplug: the SimpleNET USB/NAS adapter. Put simply, this $79 device enables up to two USB HDDs to be placed on a network, though Hitachi makes clear that this is a convenience device, not a performance device. The 10/100 Ethernet jack is evidence of that, but hey, if you need a quick-and-dirty way to get your hard drive (regardless of format, by the way) on the web, this will certainly do it. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Hitachi intros two new portable HDDs, SimpleNET NAS adapter

Buffalo adds Ministation Metro to its external HDD lineup

by Vladislav Savov posted Jun 26th 2009 at 4:04AM

The Ministation Metro, coming in a variety of tastefully named colors, such as Black Crystal, represents a continuation of Buffalo's recent efforts to beautify its portable hard drive offerings. The drive's design is highlighted by a handily integrated USB cable that sits flush with the Metro's externals when not in use. It's also noteworthy that this latest entry in Buffalo's Ministation series looks remarkably similar (i.e. identical) to the recently announced HD-PXU2 in Japan. We can only surmise that the company believes the term Metro carries more positive connotations with Western consumers than the otherwise catchy jumble of letters and digits. Capacity choices range all the way up to 500GB, and the new drives are expected to reach American and British shores in August, with a US price somewhere in the vicinity of $200 for the most capacious models.

[Via Pocket-lint]