BackupDrive
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Memorex intros Mirror for Photos external HDD, dares you to skip a backup
Taking a note from Clickfree, are we Memorex? The company that continually attempts to blow everyone away is back with its latest gust, Mirror for Photos. It's an odd name for an external hard drive, particularly when you realize that it functions nothing like bona fide photo backup drives that are designed to tether to your DSLR. At any rate, this here drive ships with software (PC and Mac compatible, in case you're curious) that instructs the HDD to backup to a host machine as soon as it's plugged in. Sounds great in theory, but we've always found it superbly annoying to try and halt those automated processes when you're just trying to drag and drop a critical meeting file while darting out the door. The unit itself measures in at 3- x 5- x 0.5-inches and gets all the power it needs from a USB connection; it's on sale today at Toys R Us (yeah, seriously) for $79.99 (320GB) / $99.99 (500GB) / $119.99 (640GB).
Lexar's 128GB Echo SE USB thumb drive continuously backs up your netbook, mobile life
Previously available in 16GB and 32GB versions, Lexar's Echo SE line just got gigantic. And a lot more useful, if we should say so ourselves. With many SSDs topping out at 128GB, and quite a few netbooks shipping with 160GB HDDs, having this USB drive plugged essentially allows your entire laptop to be continuously backed up. The built-in, "no touch software" automatically backs up files in use, requiring absolutely no activation on your end. We're told that the little bugger will work with Windows and OS X platforms, but the assurance of having your mobile life backed up at all times will cost ya. And by that, we mean "make you $349.99 poorer." It's available now at various e-tailers (Amazon, Newegg, etc.) if you're willing to pay the premium.
Digital Foci's Photo Safe II takes the load off of your flash card
Digital Foci didn't go out of its way to drastically redesign the original Photo Safe, but we 'spose that's alright in the grand scheme of things. Essentially, the Photo Safe II picks up where its predecessor left off by including a multicard reader (now with 100% more MS Duo and miniSD support) which automatically transfers photos from your flash card onto the built-in 80GB / 160GB hard drive. The integrated display tells you at a glance how much space is remaining and how much battery life is left, though it won't show your stored photos in slideshow (or any other) fashion. A touch steep at $139 (80GB) / $189 (160GB), but that's convenience for you.[Via jkOnTheRun]
Polaroid's CGA-02540 provides ClickFree backup for photos
For those aclimated just enough with technology to understand the basic functions of a point-and-shoot, but not intelligent enough to utilize a "My Pictures" folder or understand the concept of "one-touch backup," Polaroid's CGA-02540 is coming to the rescue. Designed for those who basically have a self-induced BSOD whenever they touch a mouse or keyboard, this 2.5-inch 40GB backup drive is programmed to work specifically (read: only) with photo files, and requires absolutely zero clicks to sniff around one's HDD, locate newly uploaded files, and backup only the latest pictures while leaving the originals in tact and in place. The ClickFree unit is so simple, in fact, that there's not even a single button on the enclosure, and if your PC sports a powered USB port, you won't even need to figure out how to utilize an AC adapter. Of course, clueless Mac users will certainly be in a quandary when trying to figure out why their machine isn't running "Windows XP or 2000," and we highly doubt 40GB is enough "for a lifetime of photographs," but nevertheless, the CGA-02540 should be available for purchase sometime this quarter for a currently undisclosed price.[Via EverythingUSB]
