DigitalAudioVideoExperience
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Seagate unveils "D.A.V.E." drive with Bluetooth and WiFi
The storage junkies over at Seagate are branching out a bit. Instead of just seeing how many terabytes they can cram into increasingly smaller hard drive platters, they're getting a little creative with this new "D.A.V.E." (Digital Audio Video Experience) device. The little unit, which we assume is holding a 1.8-inch drive within its belly, manages a 10GB or 20GB capacity, but ain't your plain vanilla portable hard drive. Along with the traditional USB port, the little guy sports Bluetooth and WiFi wireless connections, and is designed for helping you access and transfer your media on the go. The primary interface for doing this is over Bluetooth. D.A.V.E. includes a built-in battery, so you just switch the drive on, and then pair it with your phone. From there the phone can browse and view the files being stored on the HDD, and even communicate with other Bluetooth devices to push D.A.V.E. files to another D.A.V.E. via WiFi. The drive includes a microprocessor to run such operations, so it isn't just relying on your phone for the capabilities. At 12mm thick, with 10 hours continuous use battery life, and hefty drop protection, D.A.V.E. definitely seems portable enough to get the job done. Seagate is planning on getting this thing out in May or early June, but instead of self-branding the unit, it will be licensing the product to phone manufacturers and service providers such as Verizon, Cingular, Nokia and Motorola. The price should be around $200. Peep a video explaining the little guy after the break.
