external storage
Latest
Engadget giveaway: win an iPad Air 2 and iXpand drive courtesy of SanDisk!
Let's face it, devices offer more storage space than ever, but our expectations (and file sizes) are growing too. If you'd like to free up some room and quickly transfer files between iDevices running iOS 7.1 or greater, SanDisk's new iXpand could be a welcome addition to your arsenal. This flash drive has USB and Lightning connectors for high-speed data transfers, and with its companion app, you can even watch AVI and WMV clips on your iPhone or iPad without conversion. The company has provided us with a 32GB iXpand for one lucky Engadget reader this week, and they'll also get a new iPad Air 2 to round out the deal. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this spacious tablet and flash drive combo. Winner: congratulations to Thomas N. (New Port Richey, FL).
Make some space: Xbox One June update begins rolling out
Microsoft announced the Xbox One's next major update is available starting today, and rolling out globally across the week. This morning we were able to download the 296MB update, which adds external storage support, automatic sign-ins upon booting, real name options for friends, and the live TV feature OneGuide for users in Canada and Europe. It also removes the Xbox Live Gold paywall from a number of apps like Netflix and Hulu, as does the update coming to Xbox 360 this week. The headline addition is the external storage support, which lets you connect up to two 256GB-plus USB 3.0 drives to the Xbox One. You can also choose which of the drives is your default for installs, including the internal 500GB number. Not a bad addition considering current-gen game installs seem to often hit the half-century mark for GBs.
Xbox One June update adds external storage support, real names, auto sign-in
The Xbox One's June update is headlined by external storage support, allowing users to connect up to two 256GB or larger USB 3.0 external drives to the system. The upcoming update also adds automatic sign-ins upon booting the system and the option to display your real name to select friends. Across the borders, Canada and Europe can look forward to finally receiving access to OneGuide and its live TV features. On external storage support, Microsoft says Xbox One owners can choose which of their drives, including the internal 500GB drive, is the default location for new game installs and so on. Microsoft also notes players can install games to an external drive, plug that drive to another Xbox One, and sign in or insert a disc to start playing there. As for displaying your real name to friends, this differs slightly to the implementation on PS4. On Xbox One you can select which - none, some, or all - of your friends can see your real name. You can extend that to include friends of those friends, but followers who aren't your friends will only be able to see your gamertag.
Major Nelson: Xbox One getting external data storage support 'soon'
The Xbox One will receive support for game storage via external hardware in a forthcoming update, Microsoft's Major Nelson confirmed in a Reddit comment this week. "Lots of good work going on to make the console even better - some you'll see soon, some will show up later," he said, later adding, "External game storage is coming soon." Nelson was unable to confirm the maximum storage size the Xbox One will support, and a timeframe for the update was not announced. The Xbox 360 enabled external storage in a 2010 update, later expanding its support for devices up to 32GB in size. [Image: Microsoft]
Xbox One external storage not supported at launch, says Major Nelson
The Xbox One won't support external storage at launch, and it's unclear when it will, going by the comments of Microsoft's Larry 'Major Nelson' Hyrb. In a Q&A session during his PAX podcast, Hyrb said his understanding is the feature "will not be there at launch because the team is working on some other things, but it definitely is on the list." He added that he doesn't know when it will be added. We've reached out to Microsoft for clarification. As Microsoft Senior Director of Product Planning Albert Penello told our pals at Engadget back in May, the Xbox One is expected to support external storage devices via the system's three USB ports. According to Penello, those devices will be able to store the same things the system's integrated 500GB HDD can, including game installs and downloaded software. The Xbox One launches in 13 markets this November.
Western Digital bumps My Book Thunderbolt Duo to 8TB, consoles regular My Book buyers with 4TB
Many of us may have liked the prospect of Western Digital's My Book Thunderbolt Duo, but there's no doubt some of us who discovered that even 6TB just wouldn't cut it. If that digital pack rat mentality describes you, the solution is here: the company has taken advantage of larger 4TB hard disks to stuff a total 8TB of storage into the Duo's enclosure. The extra capacity hikes the price to $850, although the company notes that it's including the often expensive Thunderbolt cable to avoid any surprise trips to the store. Those without the ports or budget for the Duo can still reap some of the benefits through an updated, 4TB version of the regular My Book that hums along on USB 3.0 at a more reasonable $250 price. Either of the new drives should be lurking in stores if you're hurting for space as we write this.
Slackware 14.0 now available, freshens and simplifies a Linux vanguard
When it comes to Linux distributions, Slackware could well be called the archetype. It's not just one of the longest-serving releases at nearly 20 years old -- it's designed to be "pure" and cut back on customized apps, many graphical interface assistants and the requirement to download anything during the installation process. Pat Volkerding and team have nonetheless given us a bit of a break with the launch of Slackware 14.0. While many open-source fans will be downloading a copy for the more recent Linux 3.2.29 kernel and other updated packages, ease of use is the guiding principle for the new build: there's now a graphical NetworkManager interface to manage wired and wireless connections, for a start. In tandem with the newer kernel, updated versions of the KDE and Xfce desktop environments also result in much broader hardware support than many veteran users will remember. Slackware is now much more savvy about removable storage, accelerated 3D video, SATA and other features that have sometimes demanded command line trickery. Anyone can download the revamped distribution for free, including for ARM-based devices like the Raspberry Pi, although we'd consider springing for the $33 subscription to CD-based copies of Slackware to fund Volkerding's long-term efforts.
LaCie reveals new Mac-friendly USB 3.0 external drives
Lacie's just announced its next generation USB 3.0 drives meant to take advantage of the new Ivy Bridge internals of the latest MacBooks. The fresh Rugged Triple, Porsche Design P'9223 and P'9233, and RuggedKey models all use USB Attached SCSI Protocol (UAS) for maximum data transfer speeds to and from machines running Lion or Mountain Lion. If you're looking to pick one of these slick storage devices, they'll be available in Apple stores and on LaCie's website this summer.
G-Technology kicks out USB 3.0 G-Drives for Macs, keeps your Retina MacBook Pro well-fed
If you've just picked up a MacBook Pro with Retina display or a 2012-era MacBook Air, you may be jonesing for a matching external hard drive to take advantage of that much-awaited USB 3.0 support. G-Technology has you covered -- and how. Updated versions of the laptop-oriented G-Drive Mini, Mobile and Slim (you're looking at the Mobile up top) all roll in the higher peak speeds and progressively trade raw speed as well as 1TB capacities for sleekness, while the twin-drive, 1.5TB G-RAID Mini will tax that 5Gbps bandwidth without becoming too ungainly. Not taking your external storage on the road? The single-disk G-Drive now climbs to 4TB in addition to jumping on the USB 3.0 bandwagon, and the dual-drive G-RAID will serve up as much as 8TB at the newly brisk speeds. All but the G-Drive Slim support FireWire to ease those jitters over transitioning from old to new, although they won't all arrive at the same time. Most of the G-Drive and G-RAID gear will be showing up in August at prices between $110 and $810, but the two Mini-labelled drives could be a bit late to the party with a less defined summer target. You can get the full scoop after the break.
Drobo debuts a duo of Thunderbolt drives: the 5D for desktops and the Mini for road warriors
Drobo's been delivering quality desktop storage for businesses and prosumers for awhile now, but previously, the company hadn't dipped its toe into Thunderbolt waters. But that's about to change with its two new units. The 5D is a BYOD desktop offering with two Thunderbolt ports and one USB 3.0 socket for connecting up to five hot-swappable, 3.5-inch drives to your Mac or PC. It also has an mSATA SSD for data-caching quickness and a variable-speed fan to keep things cool and quiet. We don't know exactly when the 5D will go on sale -- Drobo's not telling until July -- but it'll cost under $850 when it does, and that price includes a Thunderbolt cable.%Gallery-158786% Meanwhile, the Mini is the first Drobo meant to be taken on the road. It packs up to four 2.5-inch drives in its front bays, plus, like the 5D, there's an mSATA SSD nestled in its underside that serves as a caching tier to speed up your main storage -- all in a 7.3 x 1.8 x 7.1-inch package weighing three pounds when fully loaded. All the drives are hot-swappable, a process made simple and easy with a trick, spring-loaded mechanism (patent pending) that lets users swap drives as they would SD cards. As for connecting the thing to your computer, dual Thunderbolt ports (for daisy chaining) and one USB 3.0 port reside round back along with the power plug and two vents for the Mini's variable-speed fans. Ringing the front face of the Mini are five LED strips that serve as drive indicators and capacity meter to let you know when a drive has failed or you're running out of space. Intrigued? Well, we got a sneak peek at the Mini and a little history lesson about its origins at Drobo HQ, so join us past the break for more.
SATA-IO unveils USM Slim external storage jack for ultrabooks, tablets and 'other portable devices'
So, how do you best improve upon the USM standard and boldly take it to new frontiers? Well, as with most tech, simply shrinking it down never seems to hurt. The new USM Slim standard has just been announced by the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) as part of the SATA 3.2 Revision. It takes the ability to plug in powered, external storage with on-board SATA and slims down the port from 14.5mm to 9mm. By trimming the jack by of a third of its bulk the SATA-IO have prepped the standard for the next generation of products, including ultra-thin ultrabooks, svelte tablets and "other portable devices." What might those other devices be? Well, we can't help but hope for a smartphone that boots to Ubuntu when docked (or Ubuntu TV) and can connect to a sizable external hard drive... ah, pipe dreams. Check out the PR after the break.
LaCie eSATA Hub Thunderbolt Series now available for $200
Back at CES, we first got word of the LaCie eSATA Hub Thunderbolt Series that would put two hard drives of the eSATA sort to good use. The company announced today that the storage peripheral is available now via its online store with a $199 price tag. If you recall, the device will allow you to daisy chain up to 12 drives (six hubs) to a Thunderbolt-enabled Mac while still showcasing 3Gbps eSATA speeds. If you're wanting a closer look or you're ready to commit, visit the source link below.
LaCie 2big Thunderbolt series external HDD review
We've already seen what Thunderbolt's capable of when it's used in conjunction with a couple of high performance SSDs, but not everyone needs NAND to meet their external storage requirements. What many do deem essential, however, is a ton of room for system backups and multimedia, and Thunderbolt's ability to transfer bits and bytes in the blink of an eye makes it an alluring alternative to other connections. If you find yourself among those desiring such a solution, let us introduce you to LaCie's 2big Thunderbolt series external HDD. The 2big packs dual 3TB spinners on the inside for a grand total of 6TB, and comes from the factory in a software RAID 0 configuration to take full advantage of Thunderbolt's considerable capabilities. This aluminum desktop behemoth has a price to match its name and stature ($799), so we figured we'd put the 2big through its paces to let you know what kind of performance you'll be getting in return for all that cash. So, as the great Rod Roddy would say, come on down (after the break) and let's get to it.
LaCie 2big Thunderbolt series available now in 4TB and 6TB sizes
The aluminum-encased 2big has arrived, with its (up to) 311 MB/s transfer rates scorching the ground behind it. With hot-swappable disks and dual Thunderbolt ports for daisy chaining, the Portal-esque 2big is on sale now from LaCie's online store with a three-year warranty. Prices start from $649 for 4TB, moving up to $799 for 6TB. Those looking for the king-size 8TB model should hold onto their wallets for now-- it's listed on Lacie's product page, but apparently not available just yet.
LaCie announces 2big and eSATA hub Thunderbolt options, adds to high-speed arsenal
Back in November, we took the pricey LaCie Big Disk Thunderbolt SSD for a spin. The outfit has just outed two more Thunderbolt storage solutions at CES: the 2big and eSATA hub Thunderbolt series. Boasting blazing transfer rates of up to 311 MB/sec, the Lacie 2big is housed in its signature solid-aluminum casing while featuring RAID security, hot-swappable disks, daisy chain compatibility and storage capacities of up to 8TB. Looking to make use of those eSATA drives you've got lying around? The eSATA Thunderbolt series connects the latest Mac to an external hub outfitted for two of the aforementioned drives. If two storage units won't suit your workload, the hub also packs a secondary Thunderbolt port that allows up to 12 eSATA drives (six docks) to be connected to your machine -- all while sporting 3 Gb/sec speeds. You'll have to wait until later in Q1 2012 to get your mitts on either of these, though, which gives you a bit of time to get your piggy bank in order. Update: Our pals over at Engadget Spanish snagged a hands-on.
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.
Ice Cream Sandwich supports USB mass storage after all, Galaxy Nexus does not
When we gave our first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, we were a bit taken aback by the fact that USB mass storage wasn't supported on the device, leading us to believe that it was a flaw in Android 4.0. Android engineer Dan Morrill took to the 'net to sort out the confusion, explaining that Ice Cream Sandwich does indeed support the feature, but only on devices that offer removable storage cards -- which explains why we weren't able to use it on the Nexus. Here's why, according to Dan: It isn't physically possible to support UMS on devices that don't have a dedicated partition for storage (like a removable SD card, or a separate partition like Nexus S.) This is because UMS is a block-level protocol that gives the host PC direct access to the physical blocks on the storage, so that Android cannot have it mounted at the same time. With the unified storage model we introduced in Honeycomb, we share your full 32GB (or 16GB or whatever) between app data and media data. That is, no more staring sadly at your 5GB free on Nexus S when your internal app data partition has filled up -- it's all one big happy volume. However the cost is that Android can no longer ever yield up the storage for the host PC to molest directly over USB. Instead we use MTP. On Windows (which the majority of users use), it has built-in MTP support in Explorer that makes it look exactly like a disk. On Linux and Mac it's sadly not as easy, but I have confidence that we'll see some work to make this better. Mystery solved. To check out the full transcript of his comments, you can head over to the More Coverage link, where Android Police has done a nifty job of putting it together into an easy-to-read format.
LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt SSD review
Thunderbolt's the newest kid on the connection block, and its greased-lightning transfer rates make for an awfully attractive alternative to USB and FireWire for those who move big chunks of data on the regular. Despite its many advantages, it's still in its infancy, so there are few peripherals supporting the 10Gbps interface. LaCie's Little Big Disk Thunderbolt SSD is among the first to make use of Apple and Intel's new data superhighway, and it pairs a couple of 2.5-inch, 120GB Intel 320 series SSDs in RAID 0 configuration to take full advantage of all that bandwidth. But, such speed comes at a hefty cost: $899.95 when it goes on sale later this month. Is it as quick as they say? Is it worth the money? There's only one way to find out, so let's see how the latest Little Big Disk handles itself, shall we? %Gallery-138735%
Iomega Mac Companion 2TB hard drive on sale now for $240, we go hands-on
The Mac Companion hard drive that we told you about back in early August has started to ship from Apple's online store and is ready to take its spot beneath your iMac's monitor. We got a little hands-on time with the HDD and have to say, it's a slick peripheral that will certainly fit in with the collection of the aesthetic-conscious Apple devotee out there, with a metal-bordered exterior that seems to have taken a few fashion cues from the iPhone 4. On the front of the drive are four white LEDs, which turn off one by one as you fill up more space, letting you know how much room is left on the thing. Iomega's TV with Boxee (Box) hitting Europe by 'by mid-October,' or so it says Discount education-only iMac appears, makes you wish you'd opened that institute of higher learning Iomega Mac Companion Hard Drive offers 3TB of storage and a filling station for your iPad The top of the drive is a glossy black surface, which is a bit of a fingerprint magnet -- again, familiar territory to those with Apple products. Upon plugging it in (Iomega gave us the 2TB version to play with, though there's also a 3TB model), the Mac Companion will ask whether you'd like to back your system up via Time Machine. Transfer-wise, the drive does USB 2.0 and FireWire. In our limited testing, we got around 35MB/sec and just under 60MB/sec, respectively. The Mac Companion also doubles as a hub for your peripherals -- with two USB ports on the rear and a 2.1 Amp port on the side. The ports on the rear require the drive to be connected to a computer to charge and sync devices. The high-powered port on the side, however, will charge up devices like an iPad or iPhone even when the drive isn't connected to your Mac. The Mac Companion is a fairly straightforward, good looking drive, which worked quite well out of the box on the Lion system we tested it out on -- and the fact that it does double duty as a USB port sets the thing apart from much of the pack. The 2TB version will run you around $240 online.%Gallery-133759%
ADATA's SH14 hard drive packs a stylish yet rugged punch
Always thought ruggedized storage had to look tough and utilitarian? Think again, because ADATA's latest looks more like a fashionable disco-futon than the outwardly brawny externals we're used to. Buried somewhere under all that style is a 2.5-inch, 5400RPM drive that's IPX4 water-resistant and "military grade shockproof." It'll come in red or black and in 500GB, 750GB or 1TB capacities, which'll set you back €59.90, €71.90 or €92.90, respectively. The chic but virile drives also tote USB 3.0, equating to a relatively speedy 90MB/s transfer rate. No word on pricing for yanks yet, but they'll probably show up before long at the "select agents and distributors" at the source below.
