KingstonWiDrive
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Kingston Wi-Drive update opens access to web, Android aficionados
Those of us who've been eying the Kingston Wi-Drive but have been disappointed with the iOS-first emphasis can rejoice, as a new firmware update is expanding access in a big way. At a minimum, anyone with a web browser can now stream music, photos and videos to their heart's content once they're linked to the drive over WiFi. And if you'd rather use a native app, any Android 2.2 or later device is now an option instead of having to turn to one of Apple's gadgets or the Amazon Kindle Fire. Future Wi-Drives should have the firmware loaded from the get-go. The apps as always remain free, although you'll need to spend a minimum of $50 to join the club with a drive of your own.
IRL: Kingston Wi-Drive, Dyson DC35 and being an Ubuntu fanboy
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. The lively comments in yesterday's Nest thermostat post got us thinking: for all our talk of smartphones and Ultrabooks, it's the mundane, not-glamorous stuff that we're spending most of our money on. Take Brad, for instance, who had to make room in his iTunes library for the Aladdin soundtrack and had to get creative after maxing out his iPhone's (non-expandable) storage. Or Zach, who felt not one, but two vacuum cleaners were necessary in his bachelor pad. And at least one of us avoids paying anything by choosing to tinker around in Ubuntu. How'd Brad make do with his 16GB of fixed storage? Why is Zach such a compulsive cleaner? And who's the Linux fanboy on staff? Meet us after the break to find out.
Kingston Wi-Drive for iOS hits stores today, lets you create your own portable music server for $130
Services like Spotify, which had an anything but subtle launch last week, help solve the evergreen issue of limited local storage by streaming millions of tracks to your devices. But streaming services require cell reception to operate (unless you've elected to store music locally), and often carry monthly fees. We've spent a fair amount of time testing Kingston's Wi-Drive, which lets you access music, videos, and other files from a handful of devices simultaneously over WiFi -- assuming you've loaded that content to the portable media server's 16GB ($130) or 32GB ($175) of built-in storage. The device worked well during our review process earlier this month, and now you can pick up one of your own at sites like Amazon and Newegg, or at Fry's and J&R US retail outlets. The server is likely to be a better fit for families than individuals simply looking to boost their iOS device storage, due to both price and capacity limitations, but if you need to stream media to several devices at once during your next road trip, for example, then the Wi-Drive may be worth the investment.
Kingston Wi-Drive wireless storage for iOS review
With nearly 350,000 apps and counting, the iPhone's maximum capacity of 32GB doesn't allow you to even scratch the surface of the App Store's catalog. Throw in an HD movie, some TV episodes, hundreds of tracks and a few thousand photos, and you'll be chewing through those available bytes in no time. Most manufacturers compensate this limitation by including a microSD slot for additional storage, but not Apple -- you're stuck with that original capacity until you're ready to upgrade to a new device. Luckily, for those who need more storage now and don't mind paying for it, AirStash, Seagate's GoFlex Satellite, and now Kingston's ultra-slim Wi-Drive allow you to boost gigs without upgrading, or switching to another platform. None of these pocket servers come without compromise, however -- you'll be spending over $100 for even the most basic option, while adding yet another device to your portable mix.%Gallery-127906%
Kingston's iOS-lovin' Wi-Drive wireless storage device hops into FCC database
You know what that means, right? It means that Kingston's on track for keeping its "July" release promise for the above-pictured Wi-Drive. For those who missed our preview last month, this is essentially a portable, battery-powered hard drive that's meant to stream content exclusively to iOS devices. Think of it as a way to add more storage to a device that simply cannot accept more storage. Barring any last-minute fights with the number crunchers, this guy will ship for $130 (16GB) / $175 (32GB), and while an FCC appearance is no clear indication of "when," it almost always means "soon."
Kingston Wi-Drive wireless storage for iOS preview (video)
Thinking about upgrading your iPad or iPhone just to add more storage for videos, photos and music? Kingston hopes to save the day with its Wi-Drive, a WiFi-enabled battery-powered storage device designed exclusively for use with iOS. Several factors make the pocket-sized device a tough sell, however, including its cost ($130 for 16GB, $175 for 32GB), and the fact that this otherwise clever content sharing contraption adds yet another gadget to your already crowded portable mix. We'd probably save up for a new, higher-capacity device before accessorizing our old gadgets, but a compact media server does seem like the perfect companion for a road trip, serving up HD videos and other content simultaneously to multiple devices using the free iOS app. This is strictly a content server -- while you can move move content off the drive and later transfer it back, there's no backup tool included, and Kingston says we shouldn't expect one in the future, either. Click past the break for our impressions of Kingston's flash-based server, due to hit stores later this month. %Gallery-124524%
