Seagate
Latest
Engadget giveaway: Win a smart home surveillance kit courtesy of Synology!
What's the cat doing? Did I leave the window open? Who's been eating my cereal? Keeping track of your pets and home security is easier than ever, and with Synology's latest Surveillance Station software running on one of its NAS products, there's more than just security. This well-known brand in network attached storage (NAS) offers your own personal and remotely accessible DLNA media server, letting you access photos, data, stream video and backup your files without third party services. The Surveillance Station package provides a video management system that lets you watch live feeds from multiple cameras, play back recorded video and even integrates with other security products like door controllers. This week, Synology has provided us with its DS416j NAS along with four 3TB drives and two Amcrest ProHD cameras for one extremely lucky reader. Just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget for up to three chances at winning this home security and media server package from Synology America Corp!
Seagate's new 60TB SSD dwarfs the others on the market
Seagate has just announced a whopping 60 TB solid-state-drive, the largest SSD yet with that sort of capacity. Unfortunately, the SSD is only meant for businesses, released as an addition to Seagate's data center portfolio. With four times the capacity of the next leading SSD, this massive hard drive could hold up to 12,000 DVD movies or even a whopping 400 million photos. Just sit back and think about how ridiculous an amount of data that really is.
Seagate unveils a 10TB hard drive for your home PC
It's no longer far-fetched to buy a 10TB hard drive if you're running a server, but what if you need gobs of space for your games and 4K videos at home? Seagate has your back after today, as it's releasing a trio of 10TB drives (mainly focused on networked and surveillance storage) that include one designed for your desktop. The new Barracuda Pro doesn't do anything remarkable beyond its capacity (it's a standard 3.5-inch, 7,200RPM disk), but that still means getting a massive amount of room in a drive that's meant for a run-of-the-mill PC. Just brace yourself for the cost. Seagate pegs the 10TB Barracuda Pro's price at $535 -- it'll be tempting to settle for 'just' an 8TB disk unless you know you need as much storage as possible in a single drive bay.
Seagate will launch the 'fastest-ever' SSD this summer
Geeks of all stripes agree: there's no such thing as being able to move data too fast. Luckily for them, Seagate will soon show off a "production-ready" solid-state drive that push those bits like no one's business. That SSD -- which is expected to officially launch this summer -- can move data at up to 10GB per second, making the Samsung drive that last held the record seem pokey by comparison.
Seagate released employee tax data in phishing attack
Tax season is upon us (sorry for the reminder), and apparently if you want the W2-form information of thousands of Seagate employees, past and present, all you have to do is email and ask for it. A company spokesperson confirmed the phishing attempt to Krebs on Security, saying that on March 1st a Seagate employee released 2015 W2 info to someone believed to be acting in official capacity for the storage-minded outfit. Yep, it's pretty similar to what happened with Snapchat recently.
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.
Xbox One gets its first exclusive external hard drive
Even though modern consoles ship with at least 500GB of storage, you only have to install a small number of digital games before your internal disk is full. Sony and Microsoft have alleviated some of the pain by bundling more storage, but if you've already put money down for a next-gen gaming machine, you're left with the option of switching out the default hard drive or, if your console supports it, attaching external storage via USB. Seagate recognized that most gamers probably prefer the hassle-free option, so it's teamed up with Microsoft to create a new 2TB Game Drive that works with both Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Which portable hard drives are worth buying?
With all our computers, phones and cameras, we create a lot of data. And while there are plenty of cloud-based options for storing all the information you generate, many people prefer something they can physically touch. A portable hard drive can give you plenty of control, while still making it possible to carry your data around in your bag. But which drives make it easy to transfer files to them in the first place? And which ones will survive the trips you take them on? We've taken a look at some of the better portable drives available now to find out which ones have the right stuff.
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.
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.
Seagate starts shipping 8TB hard drives that cost only $260
Here's something you can get for yourself these holidays: a 3.5-inch 8TB drive from Seagate that costs only $260 -- we didn't forget an extra number in that figure, promise. That's a lot cheaper than HGST's helium-filled 8TB disk drive, which is listed for $1,000 on newegg and just a bit more on Amazon. And, it's significantly more affordable than OCZ's 1TB SSD released only five years ago (remember when 1TB drives excited you?) for $2,200. This product is part of the brand's new Archive HDD line launched a few months ago, which uses Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) technology that can fit more data on a platter than the typical drive. The line also includes 6TB and 5TB options, if 8TB is already excessive.
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.
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.
Backblaze stats show most/least reliable hard drives: Hitachi leads the pack with lowest annual failure rate
Online backup firm Backblaze has a lot of consumer-grade hard disk drives spinning away in their open-source Backblaze Storage Pods -- 27,134 at the end of 2013, to be exact. Over the past several months they've been providing us with statistics generated by keeping an eye on all of those drives. First they told us how long a hard disk drive should last, followed by some info on whether or not those pricey enterprise-grade drives really last longer than cheap consumer-grade drives. Now they're back with a blog post on what company makes the most reliable hard drives. With the caveat that these are consumer-grade drives being used in a very high-vibration environment under stressful conditions, Backblaze's Brian Beach noted that they've excluded the Western Digital Green 3 TB and Seagate LP (low power) 2 TB drives. These drives tend to spin down when not in use and then spin right back up, which causes a lot of wear and tear and a high failure rate in the Backblaze environment. It's not that they're bad drives -- they're just not suited for the high-stress environment of a storage farm. As you can see in the graphic at the top of this post (taken from the Backblaze study), Hitachi drives tend to have the lowest annual failure rates for Backblaze, followed by Western Digital drives. Seagate drives have a much higher failure rate, although the larger 3 and 4 TB drives tend to be more reliable than the 1.5 TB model. Of the 1.5 TB Seagate drives, the Barracuda LP is the most reliable, but the Barracuda Green drives are -- to quote Beach -- "dropping like flies." Beach notes that "if the price were right, we would be buying nothing but Hitachi drives. They have been rock solid, and have had a remarkably low failure rate." I've always been a fan of Western Digital drives, so I was happy to see that they also tend to be survivors in the Backblaze world. You can see the relative survival rates for Hitachi, Western Digital and Seagate drives in the graphic at the bottom of this post. For a more detailed look, be sure to read Beach's blog post over on the Backblaze site.
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.
NSA can reportedly bug computer equipment before it reaches buyers
Don't think that the NSA always has to wait until people are using technology to start snooping on it. Spiegel has obtained documents which claim that the agency's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) group can intercept computer equipment orders and install tracking hardware or software before the shipments even reach their buyers. The division can target a wide array of hardware, too. Another NSA section, ANT, reportedly has a catalog of tools that can install back doors in everything from Cisco and Huawei network systems through to hard drives from most major manufacturers, including Seagate and Western Digital. Some of these bugs can give the NSA "permanent" access, since they're designed to persist if the owner wipes a device's storage or upgrades its firmware. The leak suggests that the targeted manufacturers aren't aware of what's happening; Cisco and other firms tell Spiegel they don't coordinate with the NSA. These hardware interceptions are also limited in scope next to remote surveillance programs. The agency isn't confirming any specifics, but it maintains that TAO is focused on exploiting foreign networks. Whether or not that's true, the discoveries show that the NSA's surveillance can reach the deepest levels of many networks.
gdgt's best deals for October 16th: Apple MacBook Air (11-inch), Samsung 46-inch LED Smart TV
Ready to save some cash on your tech buys? Then you've come to the right place. Our friends at sister site gdgt track price drops on thousands of products every day, and twice a week they feature some of the best deals they've found right here. But act fast! Many of these are limited-time offers, and won't last long. Today's top deals include gear that could pass for back to school necessities -- if you're convincing. The popular and uber-portable 11-inch MacBook Air (mid-2012) is currently cruising at low-priced altitudes, and budding filmmakers or game coders could make an argument for nabbing Samsung's 46-inch F8000 series LED TV for "research" at its current price point. Want to make the most of your post-ramen bankroll? Join gdgt and add the gadgets you're shopping for to your "Want" list -- every time there's a price cut, you'll get an email alert!
Seagate unveils 500GB Ultra Mobile hard drive for Android tablets
Seagate's 5mm hard drives already have a home in slender laptops; today, they're coming to to Android tablets through the company's new Ultra Mobile HDD. The 500GB disk augments the existing 5mm design with a speedy 8GB flash cache, a tougher enclosure and firmware that improves both the energy consumption and shock tolerance. In theory, the Ultra Mobile HDD gives Android slates the capacity of a laptop drive without giving up the speed or resilience of flash storage. It will be a while before anyone can verify those claims, as Seagate hasn't mentioned any customers or ship dates. The company does have something to tide us over, though -- it's previewing a Rescue and Replace service that will offer both data recovery and drive replacements later this year, starting at $30 for two years. Check out details of both the Ultra Mobile HDD and the recovery service in the press releases after the break.
Seagate ships 5mm Laptop Ultrathin hard drive to ASUS, Dell and more
Western Digital may have been quick to release a 5mm hard drive, but it doesn't have a lock on the category: Seagate is entering the fray by shipping its own slim disk, the Laptop Ultrathin. Like its rival, the drive stuffs as much as 500GB of conventional, rotating storage into SSD-like dimensions ideal for Ultrabooks and some tablets. It even costs the same $89 as its WD counterpart, although we're more likely to find the disk built into our next PC than pick one up as an upgrade. Both ASUS and Dell have chosen the Laptop Ultrathin for new models, and we suspect they won't be alone.
The Daily Roundup for 05.07.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
