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Seagate releases GoFlex Satellite firmware update: improved battery life, WiFi passthrough
There's nothing quite like under-promising and over-delivering, and it seems that we've got just that scenario in the case of this here rumor-turned-reality. After hearing that Seagate was planning to update the firmware on its GoFlex Satellite streaming hard drive, the company has indeed released version 1.3.5.015 today, a 51MB file that makes quite a few succulent changes. For one, it improves battery life (from five hours to seven), and it also "lifts the restriction on the number of devices that can connect to the drive at one time." Lastly (and perhaps most importantly), it provides a pass-through for internet access when connected to the drive. As you'd expect, the new bits and bytes are available gratis, and they can be downloaded there in the source link.
Seagate GoFlex Satellite reportedly getting firmware update on March 19th
Still rockin' one of those (cargo) pocket-sized GoFlex streaming drives we showed you a while back? Marvelous. According to Gear Diary, Seagate's given the site intel saying it's getting ready to roll out a Satellite firmware refresh on the 19th of this month. Allegedly, the update will boost the limit on the number of devices that can be connected simultaneously, making the jump from three to eight, as well as promising to double your battery life in the process. The company says the updated firmware will come gratis to all "original devices" (hear that Androids?), while all new GoFlex drives are expected to ship with it on board. And now, you know.
Seagate GoFlex Thunderbolt Adapter now shipping, snag one for $100
Keeping its Q1 delivery promise, Seagate is now shipping its GoFlex Thunderbolt Adapter for portable drives of the same moniker. We got our mits on this bad boy back at CES, witnessing first-hand the much improved transfer speeds of Intel's tech over the standard USB 2.0 for the smaller external drives. You can snag yours now, via the source link for a whole Benjamin. If you're in need of a refresher before making the investment, hit the gallery below for another peek at our hands-on.
Seagate crams Verizon 4G LTE into a battery-powered portable HDD; Thunderbolt GoFlex Adapter launches
So, here's the good news -- Seagate has managed to convince Verizon Wireless to stuff a 4G LTE module into a portable hard drive as part of its newly-launched Innovation Program. The bad news? Heaven only knows when it'll ship, and how much it'll cost. Ever since Google managed to squeeze Big Red for gratis data in Samsung's Chromebook line, we've longed for similar solutions in other products. Now, it seems as if Seagate's getting the message; the company just revealed a wild device here at CES that mimics the GoFlex Satellite in a myriad ways, but the prototype we were shown is obviously far thicker (fret not; it'll be slimmer when it ships). The primary difference, however, is the built-in WWAN. It's so early on that the thing doesn't even have a proper name, with Seagate dubbing it the "4G LTE Mobile Wireless Storage" for the purposes of the show. Reportedly, there's a battery within that'll keep it streaming for up to five hours, with 802.11b/g/n devices capable of being served. We're told that the product can tap into VZW's 4G LTE network to connect with a library of entertainment (vague enough for you?), and it's also capable of downloading music, movies and photos before streaming over WiFi to up to three devices. There's nary a word on potential capacities, but it'll supposedly handle "over 300 HD movies." Now, if only we knew how much it'll cost to keep it connected from month to month... Finally, the outfit is introducing its new GoFlex Thunderbolt Adapter and the GoFlex Desk Thunderbolt Adapter, which we first caught wind up at last year's IDF. The former will be available during the first quarter of this year, while the latter is expected to be available before the second half of 2012. Dante Cesa and Billy Steele contributed to this report.
Pogoplug Series 4 expands your cloud storage, makes it easier to hibernate
Pogoplug has already moved to the cloud. Now, it's coming back down to Earth. Today, the company unveiled its latest "cloud expansion device," known as the Pogoplug Series 4, pictured above. As the fourth incarnation of Pogoplug's original device, this box effectively allows users to host their own unlimited storage, for those moments when 5GB (or even 10GB) of cloud space just won't cut it. With Series 4, you'll be able to hook up your HDD through one of four different connection ports, including two USB 3.0 inputs, one USB 2.0 port and an SD card slot. The model also features plug-and-play support for Seagate GoFlex external drives, or any other USM-compliant products. It's available now for $100, so head past the break for more details in the full PR.
Seagate GoFlex Cinema puts up to 3TB of media files at your TV's disposal
Seagate's latest addition to its GoFlex line of hard drives is dubbed the Cinema and, as you've probably guessed, it's designed to hook up to your home entertainment system. Inside is a set of spinning platters up to 3TB in size, and around back are HDMI, composite, and S/PDIF hookups. This isn't just some hard drive with a marketing gimmick though. The hardware itself is capable of pumping out 1080p video in a slew of different formats (including MKV and MP4 amongst others), and even comes packaged with a remote for perusing your media collection from the comfort of your milk crate couch. The GoFlex Cinema is available now in Europe, starting at €99 ($136) for the 1TB version and climbing to €179 ($246) for the 3TB model. No word yet on US pricing or availability.
Seagate plays the 4TB card with its GoFlex Desk external HDD, shipping now for $250
That tangled mess of a backup solution feeling a little cramped? Yeah, join the crowd. Seagate's looking to give you a dash of capaciousness -- a dash that you could desperately used -- with its newest desktop HDD. The GoFlex Desk line is about as sleek as it gets for a non-mobile drive, with 1/2/3/4TB options being made available. The stock model ships with USB 2.0 / 3.0 support, a required AC power adapter (blah) and support for OS X and Windows platforms. The entire unit weighs but 2.38 pounds and checks in at 6.22- x 4.88- x 1.73-inches; true to the GoFlex name, the lower base can actually be swapped out for those who'd prefer a different interface (you know, like FireWire or Thunderbolt), and there's a four-LED capacity gauge on there as well. In our limited testing, we consistently saw USB 3.0 burst rates top 100MB/sec, while sustained transfers hovered closer to 60MB/sec. When used on a USB 2.0 rig, we saw reads and writes hover between 30MB/sec and 40MB/sec. As for pricing and availability? The 4TB flagship can be found right now at Seagate's site for $249.99, while the GoFlex Desk for Mac -- which touts both Firewire 800 and USB 2.0 -- will be available in Apple stores by the end of the month. We're told that Thunderbolt will be supported once that GoFlex adapter is let loose, but an ETA isn't quite ready for public eyes. %Gallery-132801%
Seagate's GoFlex Turbo portable hard drive touts USB 3.0, built-in SafetyNet
Another week, another external HDD from the folks at Seagate. This go 'round, it's the GoFlex Turbo taking the stage, positioned somewhere between the GoFlex Slim and Satellite in terms of depth. It's the outfit's first drive to ship with two free years of SafetyNet, which nets you a single data recovery attempt should something go haywire during the honeymoon period. Tucked within, you'll find a 500GB / 750GB drive (7200RPM), a USB 3.0 port and support for eSATA / FireWire 800 connectors via an optional interface adapter. Per usual, it'll hum along just fine on both Windows and OS X, and can be snapped up today at Best Buy for $119.99 / $139.99, respectively. Full release is after the break, and if you're curious, we managed to see consistent USB 2.0 rates of 30MBps to 40MBps (read / write) during our brief time with it. %Gallery-129709%
Seagate's GoFlex Satellite HDD invites Android users to its media streaming party
When we took a look at Seagate's GoFlex Satellite back in May, we recommended that non-iOS buyers hold off until the company rolled out an app for different operating systems. Android users take note, the storage company today took the wraps off of an app that lets users wirelessly stream content like HD videos from the external hard drive to devices running their favorite dessert-themed mobile OS. No internet connection is required to stream, you just need to be in range of the drive. The 500GB GoFlex Satellite has a built-in battery that can stream video for up to five hours. The drive will run you $200, but the Android app is decidedly more free. Check the relevant press info below.
GoFlex Satellite is your iPad's portable, wireless hard drive
Seagate introduced the GoFlex Satellite, a portable, battery-powered hard drive targeted for iOS devices. The external hard drive includes an iOS app for the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch that lets you browse and view multimedia files stored on the drive. Different than most external drives, the GoFlex uses Wi-Fi to share its data with up to three Wi-Fi enabled devices at the same time. If you need faster transfers, an included cable lets you connect the drive to any USB 3.0 port. The battery-powered drive delivers 5 hours of continuous usage and 25 hours in standby mode. The drive ships in a single 500 GB capacity option (US$199) and is available for pre-order now from Seagate, Amazon and Best Buy. The drive should hit US retail shelves in July and international retailers later this summer. [Via ZDNet]
FCC reveals Seagate GoFlex Satellite, a WiFi-capable battery-powered external hard drive
For a purportedly doomed manufacturer of magnetic storage, Seagate sure is spinning some interesting ideas these days -- last year, we got modular, upgradable cables, and now the company's testing external hard drives that don't need pesky wires to function. According to filings, the Seagate GoFlex Satellite not only plays the network-attached-storage card with built-in 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, it's also got a 3.7V battery inside its case... making the product's name somewhat apt, don't you think? According to a leaked description, Seagate's also planning a companion iOS app called "GoFlex Media" to let your iDevices stream content directly from the device. Mind you, none of that means you won't be able to dock with your Satellite the old-fashioned way -- FCC docs also mention a USB 3.0 cable that delivers data and power simultaneously.
Seagate copies Samsung's notes, re-breaks areal-density barrier with 1TB HDD platters
What better way for Seagate to celebrate its $1.375 billion dollar purchase of Samsung's HDD division than to re-introduce the old firm's breakthrough? Seagate took the Samsung's 1TB platter prototypes and packed them into a real hard drive, bringing the new technology to market for the first time. These new drives will boast an areal-density of 625 gigabits (78.13GB) per square inch, scoring 1TB platters for the outfit's next generation of hard disks. Unfortunately, Seagate won't be cramming four of those 1TB plates into a single hard drive as Samsung originally planned, instead opting to debut the technology in a 3TB external drive under their GoFlex brand. No official specs this time around, but when the turkey was on Samsung's platter, it spun at 5,400 RPM with a 32MB cache and SATA 6Gbps compatibility.
Seagate starts shipping pencil-thin $99 GoFlex Slim hard drive
Remember that 9mm 2.5-inch GoFlex external HDD that Seagate teased us with back at CES? You're looking at it. The company has just gone official with the newly christened GoFlex Slim, a performance-oriented, multifaceted drive that's slimmer than your mother's last smartphone. The final product will boast USB 3.0 support, a 7200RPM drive (ours was 320GB), a three-year warranty and a price tag that's still being determined. By the numbers, you're looking at a pocketable drive weighing 0.356 pounds and measuring 4.91- x 3.07- x 0.354-inches, but due to the GoFlex attachment on the bottom, you'll need the special SuperSpeed USB cable that Seagate includes in order to make contact. In our testing, it managed to transfer files at upwards of 40MB/sec when attached to a USB 3.0 system, which ain't half bad for a drive that's powered via USB and slimmer than a pencil. It'll hit US retailers on August 5th, and at just $99, you know you'll be picking up two just for kicks and giggles. Update: Seagate just pinged us with a clarification; it'll start shipping today! %Gallery-119855%
Seagate's GoFlex TV and FreeAgent Theater+ HD media players get iPhone, iPad and iPod remote control app
Too busy to fiddle with another remote while your iPod touch / iPad / iPhone is already cozily tucked between your arm and chest? Seagate hears you, and it's just pushed out a new app that'll transform its bundled remotes into fantastic doorstops for those that adore iOS. The TV Remote app enables any new iOS device to control the functions of Seagate's GoFlex TV and FreeAgent Theater+ HD media players, and since it relies on WiFi, you need not worry over line-of-sight considerations. You'll also be able to use iOS' keyboard to input test into search fields on YouTube, Netflix and Pandora (just to name a few), and users will gain the ability to surf through entire media library (provided you've got an HDD connected to your media player) right on your iDevice. Hit the source link to get the download going, but make sure you update the firmware on your box before giving it a go.
Seagate reveals 9mm 2.5-inch GoFlex external HDD, third-party GoFlex certification process
CES is just kicking off in earnest tonight in Vegas, and Seagate's wasting no time in dishing out a smattering of new releases. Up first is the outfit's slimmest external drive yet: the new, ultrathin GoFlex HDD, which holds a 2.5-inch drive within, but measures just 9mm thick -- that's 38 percent slimmer than the existing GoFlex drive. At least initially, it'll only be offered in a 320GB model, and the USB 3.0 port ensures that it'll run laps around your older USB 2.0 model. Mum's the word on pricing, but you can expect it to ship out this spring. Moving on, there's a new raft of GoFlex for Mac external drives, which arrive HFS+ formatted and ready to play nice with Time Machine. Each one ships with FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 adapters, but allow for USB 3.0 or eSATA to be used with Windows PCs. The GoFlex for Mac houses a 2.5-inch HDD and will sell for $199.99 (1TB) / $249.99 (1.5TB), while the limited edition of that very product will only be available in a 1TB ($199.99) version. There's also a GoFlex Pro for Mac, housing a 7200RPM 2.5-inch HDD and costing $149.99 (500GB) or $179.99 (750GB). Wrapping up this collection, there's a GoFlex for Mac drive that'll go for $219.99 (2TB) or $279.99 (2TB). Lastly, and potentially more importantly, Seagate is finally opening up the GoFlex standard that it has been pushing so vigorously of late. As of now, the only products that support the GoFlex platform -- which allows various connectors to be attached to your existing HDDs -- are Seagate-branded. But today, Seagate's revealing a Certified GoFlex Storage System that'll enable third-party vendors to make wares that are also welcome in the family. Here at CES, the company is planning to showcase a line of prototype concept devices, and while we've yet to see what exactly those are, we are told that the certification also endorses the soon to be established SATA-IO Universal Storage Module (USM) specification. Better still, a number of other companies (Antec, GIEC, Hi-Sense, Ionics and Thermaltake) are planning to showcase GoFlex-approved gear here at the show, including a TV, a laptop, desktop PC, "plug computer," DVR and docking station. Needless to say, the possibilities here are near-endless, and we're definitely looking forward to see just how many odd places a GoFlex adapter ends up. Update: We just got a look at what the SATA-IO USM modules slots might look built into the likes of a ThermalTake case -- spot them immediately below! %Gallery-112190%%Gallery-112580%
Seagate's 3TB GoFlex Desk hard drive reviewed: hot, in more ways than one
Just under two months ago, Seagate pushed the capacity envelope once more by introducing a $250 3TB hard drive meant to be used by archivists the world over. It all sounds peachy on paper, but AnandTech managed to uncover a dirty little secret about the drive that serious power users should know about. For starters, the crew cracked open the case to find a 3.5-inch, five platter Barracuda XT -- that's a drive that Seagate doesn't intend to sell for internal use until the end of the year, but it's available now if you're willing to spring for its enclosure. Reviewers actually fell for the overall design, but they noticed right away just how little ventilation options there were. Needless to say, that point came back to bite the drive once data had been transferring over for a few hours, as temperatures soared beyond the 140 degree Fahrenheit mark and transfer rates plummeted. Seagate affirmed that those high temperatures were within spec, but critics felt that running it as such for extended periods may harm the longevity; it's obviously a gamble you'll be taking if you need this much space within a single drive, but we'd recommend hitting that source link before making a decision that could burn you down the road.
Seagate's FreeAgent GoFlex Home adds flexibility to your next NAS setup
Looks like Seagate's not content with giving users a choice of connector -- the outfit's latest GoFlex apparatus utilizes a docking system to give users an easier way to upgrade their NAS. 'Course, those that really plan ahead will go ahead and grab a multi-bay device like Data Robotics' Drobo FS, but for the money, it's hard to argue with the FreeAgent GoFlex Home. Designed to work seamlessly with Windows-based PCs and Apple's Time Machine, the 1TB and 2TB devices provide a NAS dock for the drive to sit in, and the dock itself also boasts a USB port for adding external storage to the mix or sharing a printer over the network. Seagate's also tossing in its Share Pro service, which enables families to access content stored on the drive from mobile devices such as an iPhone, iPad or BlackBerry. Best of all, the $159.99 (1TB) / $229.99 (2TB) asking prices won't totally crush the bank, so it seems like you've just about run out of excuses for backing up those childhood memories. %Gallery-97737%
Seagate busts out 3TB external hard drive for $250
Yeah, you heard that right. As of today, those among us who value quantity over speed in our storage can buy a whole trifecta of terabytes in one solitary package. Seagate has just unveiled the FreeAgent GoFlex Desk (did they have the teenage intern name this thing?), which is the first 3.5-inch drive to store quite so much data. It also comes with a USB 2.0 adapter that can be upgraded to USB 3.0 or Firewire 800, depending on your preference (and cash reserves). Priced at $250, this record-busting storage hub is available to buy today direct from Seagate. Full PR after the break.
Switched On: A new spin on external hard drives, part two
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Last week's Switched On laid out the basics behind GoFlex, Seagate's new system of interoperable connectors and docks that leverage a sturdier-than-stock SATA connector separate external storage from the connecting interface. With USB 2.0 nearly universal, Seagate has the burden of explaining why consumers should buy into GoFlex. The system does have advantages. You can pick up a GoFlex drive assured that it will work with most computers via the bundled USB 2.0 connector cable, upgrade to eSATA or FireWire 800 for faster speed today, and then to USB 3.0 as you acquire a computer that uses that connector. Adapters start at about $20, which is what one might spend on a decent new enclosure for upgrading the old-fashioned way, and Seagate claims that separating the drive from the physical interface will enable it to sell less expensive external drives that come without any connector. Still, by the time most people spend between upgrading their PCs, they might want to simply start over with a higher-capacity drive that will be compatible with the latest and greatest connector anyway.
Switched On: A new spin on external hard drives, part one
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Consumer hard disk connectors have been pretty stable for the past few years. Most internal drives use SATA connectors and most external drives connect via USB; there hasn't seemed to be much frustration with this other than the speed of USB 2.0, which is showing its age and is being superseded by the backward-compatible USB 3.0. Seagate, though, is betting big that a new series of breakaway connectors will bring the old usage model of floppy drives into the 21st Century and accommodate complete media libraries, as well as include a few new twists that take into account such modern tasks as media streaming, remote access and networked entertainment.