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LaCie's latest hard drives offer extra space via USB-C
As USB-C arrives on more machines, accessory makers will need to update their products accordingly. That's just what LaCIe has done for CES with its latest Porsche Design Desktop and Mobile hard drives. The aluminum-wrapped storage units now offer USB Type-C connections to your laptop or desktop. What's more, you can still charge your laptop while you're transferring files, so long as the drive is plugged in. If you haven't yet splurged for a new machine with the latest ports, there's a USB 3.0 adapter included with each of the hard drives. In March, the Porsche Design Mobile Drive will be available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB models starting at $110 and the Desktop Drive will be offered in 4TB, 5TB and 8TB options from $210.
Rugged LaCie Tank enclosure protects external HDDs, gaming handhelds, family heirlooms
Hard to say why being "manufactured in Italy" is the reason for this thing's "guaranteed durability," but hey, there it is! LaCie's tough-as-nails Tank is little more than a robust, rugged, waterproof enclosure for anything small enough to sneak inside of it, but the internal foam cubes can be repositioned in order to house a top-secret external HDD, your cousin's DSi or your wife's gargantuan wedding band. Heck, you may even get two out of three in there. It's IP-63 certified to protect against dust and "pouring rain," and it measures 1.6- x 4.8- x 7.3-inches. Humorously, the warranty stops after 365 days, but look, it's built "like a fortress," okay? Now hand over your £19.99 ($31) and rest easy, bronco.
LaCie plays media server, NAS cards with Network Space MAX
No monkeys here, but LaCie's latest is still worth toying around with -- particularly if you've been yearning for a way to better serve media around your home and / or backup those all-important Match.com email confirmations. The Network Space MAX (which can also be used as a USB 2.0 drive when away from the CAT5) is predictably designed by Neil Poulton, and while it'll likely attract an unhealthy amount of dust and fingerprints, the internals are what really matters. LaCie's shipping these with at least 2TB of space, but with two 3.5-inch SATA HDD slots, you can easily go the 4TB route with a couple of these. RAID 1 and RAID 0 setups are supported, giving the whimsical among us a pair of opportunities to get our lives backed up in case of disaster. Oh, and there's also inbuilt UPnP / DLNA support, which makes it easy for your PS3, Xbox 360 or Popcorn Hour box to tap into whatever media collection you happen to store here. Check it sooner than you can whisk yourself around and belt out a Lady Gaga lyric for $279.99 and up. %Gallery-93305%
LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 external HDD to hit stores this May
The gang at LaCie sure do love their orange, life raft-esque external HDDs. As you've probably guessed, the Rugged USB 3.0 takes the already familiar device, which is designed to resist drops up to 2.2 meters, and throws SuperSpeed USB into the mix. The 500GB (7200 RPM) model becomes available in early May for $150. If anything, it looks like this company definitely got its money's worth out of Neil Poulton!
TUAW review: LaCie Network Space 2 low-cost NAS
Everybody needs storage, and lots of it. The race for space began when we started taking digital pictures, accelerated when we began purchasing music online, and went positively orbital when movies and TV went digital. While big drives in desktop machines are becoming commonplace (1 TB drives are now standard in most iMac configurations), what happens when you have a couple of laptops or older machines that you want to back up, or if you want to share data with others in your office or home? That's when some sort of network-attached storage comes in handy. Network-attached storage is nothing new; you can even consider Apple's US$299 Time Capsule to be a wireless NAS. Now storage manufacturer LaCie has released the US$190 Network Space 2 device, providing 1 TB of storage and speedy connectivity. LaCie provided TUAW with a Network Space 2 for review purposes, so we put it through its paces before sending it back to the company. Read on for a review of this attractive and useful peripheral.
LaCie serves up Enterprise Class versions of Quadra external drives
LaCie dabbled in the CES extravaganza with a few minor offerings, but it decided to wait a few weeks for things to calm down before busting out a new range of wares. Today, the outfit is slinging out a trio of products in the freshly created Enterprise Class: the d2 Quadra Enterprise Class, 2big Quadra Enterprise Class and the 4big Quadra Enterprise Class. Obviously engineered for the more hardcore among us, these units pack enterprise-class SATA drives, a five-year warranty, 128-bit AES hardware encryption and hardware RAID with hot-swappable disks. Each HDD within spins at 7200RPM and boasts 32MB of cache, and 700MB/sec are promised when using a RAID 50 array with four 4big Quadra Enterprise Class units. The whole slate of Neil Poulton-designed drives offer up quad interfaces (FireWire 400 / 800, USB 2.0 and eSATA), and prices get going at just $299.
LaCie packs 2TB HDD, DLNA support into LaCinema Classic HD
LaCie's LaCinema Classic multimedia hard drive was a fine device, but if you're anything like us, you're never perfectly satisfied. Thus, we're stoked to see the outfit issuing a revamped version of the aforesaid device today, with the LaCinema Classic HD including up to 2TB of internal storage space, (optional) 802.11n WiFi and built-in DLNA server capabilities. As you'd expect, this sexy black block will stream multimedia from your Mac or PC onto your HDTV, and the included HDMI port (and cable) should ensure that transfers remain gorgeous. We're told that format support won't be an issue, and if you're a believer, you can get your pre-order in now for $249.99 (1TB). Rear shot is after the break.
LaCie's Sound2 PC speakers look good... real good
LaCie isn't exactly the first name that comes to mind when you think "sound," but it's definitely near the top in the design department. Neil Poulton, the same fellow responsible for designing the outfit's line of sleek, sexy hard drives, has placed his touch on the speakers you see above. The simplistic Sound2 setup (which has a touch of Cabasse, just so you know) boasts 30 total watts of peak power, and all it requires to function is a free USB port, an open AC outlet and an Earthling kind enough to connect it all. If you just know these would look sound great on your desk, get ready to fork out $99.99 for the privilege.%Gallery-74347%
LaCie debuts LaCinema Black PLAY and RECORD HD media players
LaCie's LaCinema Black MAX is but a few months old, and already the aforesaid company is expanding the family. The newest two are the LaCinema Black PLAY and RECORD, both of which enable users to stream HD media over their network, house content internally with up to 1TB of space and connect sans wires via WiFi. As expected, there's a built-in UPnP client to suck down content from a networked PC or Mac, and it'll even handle 1080i upscaling of SD material. Oh, and if you couldn't guess, the RECORD also enables TV tuning and recording if you're into that type thing. Both can be ordered up right now starting at $429.99.
LaCie debuts 8TB 4big Quadra, new RAID bundles at NAB
Not sure if you've noticed, but NAB is in full swing over in Las Vegas. Not one to let a spotlight pass it by, LaCie has today introduced a new 8TB model of its 4big Quadra alongside a trio of new storage bundles for professionals who need gobs of free space and loads of speed. The 4big Quadra is a 4-bay RAID solution that handles hot-swappable disks and seven RAID modes, and by hitting up one the outfit's new combos (8TB, 16TB and 32TB), you also get a 4-port eSATA II PCI Express Card 3Gb/s card. Check 'em this May starting at $1,999.
LaCie offers up LaCinema Classic multimedia hard drive
It may not be Premiere or anything, but LaCie's LaCinema Classic can still dish media to your HDTV with the best of 'em. Available in capacities as large as 1TB, the multimedia hard drive weighs in at 33 ounces and promises to upscale your digital media to 1080p over HDMI. Of note, the unit is DivX certified and features a S/PDIF audio output, though it might have trouble handling some of the more exotic formats. It's up for grabs as we speak starting at $159 for a 500GB version.
LaCie breaks off quad-interface 2big Quadra RAID drive
LaCie already delivered two new pieces in its collection yesterday, but apparently the 2big Quadra simply demanded its very own day of promotion. The classically styled (thanks, Neil Poulton) drive arrives with twin bays for up to 3TB of storage and support for four RAID modes including the traditional RAID 0 / 1. Transfer speeds can hit up to 165MB/sec through eSATA (3Gbits/sec in RAID 0), and the quadruple interface -- USB 2.0, eSATA, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 -- means that whatever machine you happen upon will likely be equipped to handle it. Moreover, it's fully compatible with Apple's Time Machine software and comes bundled with Genie Backup Manager Pro / Intego Backup Manager Pro for those in need. It'll be yours for the taking later this month (in 1TB, 2TB and 3TB sizes) starting at $299.99.
LaCie intros 22x d2 external DVD burner, 2TB Hard Disk MAX
Two new ones have arrived today from the labs of LaCie, and neither are destined to ever end up inside of your PC. Up first, we've got the slightly speedier d2 external DVD±RW drive with LightScribe, which toasts discs at up to 22x and connects to PCs via USB 2.0 or FireWire (400, presumably). For those in need of HDD-based storage, the glossy black Hard Disk MAX comes with a pair of 1TB drives that can be set in either a RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration with the simple flick of a switch on the back panel. There's also a USB port on the front for additional expansion, and the USB 2.0 socket 'round back is what links it up with your computer. Both are available right now for $119.99 / $269.99, respectively.Read - d2 external DVD burnerRead - Hard Disk MAX
LaCie doubles external d2 Blu-ray burn speed to 4x
Not like 4x Blu-ray burners are anything special, but if you've got a special place in your heart for anything designed by Neil Poulton, this one's for you. LaCie has just announced that it's doubling the burn speed of its tried-and-true d2 external writer, enabling owners to toast BD-Rs at 4x. It'll also handle BD-REs (2x), DVD±RW DLs and CD±RWs, and it can interface with your computer via USB 2.0 or FireWire 400. The pain? $649.99 -- and that's before you go shopping for optical media.[Via Engadget Spanish]
LaCie snags Hitachi's 500GB 5K500, stuffs it into Rugged Hard Disk
LaCie's bright orange Rugged Hard Disk hasn't changed much externally since it surfaced over two years ago, but what used to buy you 160GB will now land you a full half-terabyte with dough left over for several In-N-Out runs. The latest Rugged drive packs Hitachi's 500GB Travelstar 5K500 and still maintains the scratch-resistant aluminum shell and shock-resistant rubber bumper. As for ports, you'll find a USB 2.0-only edition or a more versatile iteration that includes USB 2.0, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 sockets. Either flavor comes bundled with the company's Setup Assistant and backup software, and if you're tired of waiting for 1TB in your pocket, you can make do with this one for just $299.99 / $399.99 depending on your choice of interface(s).
LaCie's latest Neil Poulton external HDD does eSATA, too
In typical LaCie fashion, it's latest external hard drive isn't even mentioned on the outfit's own website, but nevertheless, it most definitely exists. The tried and true Neil Poulton HDD has been refreshed with two new ports to coexist alongside the USB 2.0 socket: FireWire 400 and eSATA. Outside of the two new holes flanking the rear, the drive looks essentially the same, and is available on the streets as we speak for $139.99 (500GB), $187.99 (750GB) or $276.99 (1TB).[Via CNET]Update: LaCie mounted these up on its website, after all. Thanks, bjrcboy!
LaCie gets minimalist with its latest external hard drives
We've definitely seen some wild designs come out of LaCie's workshops, so the company's latest external drive, billed simply as the LaCie Hard Disk, is something of a departure. The monolith-looking unit was designed by Neil Poulton for the company, and features a smooth surface marred only by a power switch, fan grate, and USB 2.0 and power connections. Not available until January, but LaCie's taking pre-orders now, with sizes ranging from 320GB for $119 to 1TB for $399.
