hard drives
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Hitachi rolls out Travelstar 5K160 160GB 2.5-in perpendicular drive
It's about time. Hitachi may be the granddaddy of perpendicular media (if not, they're certainly the technology's biggest booster), but the company has been a little slow to shrink its high-capacity drives down to 2.5 inches. But the company is now prepared to follow such competitors as Seagate and Toshiba, with its own 160GB, 2.5-inch drive. The 5400RPM Travelstar 5K160 drive is expected to sell for $270 to OEMs and $300 to consumers. Hitachi plans a 1.8-inch version by the end of the year; they're playing catchup there as well, since Toshiba's 1.8-incher is already on the market.
Maxtor's Shared Storage Plus NAS device reviewed
Reg Hardware seems to agree with our own astute pundit Ross Rubin that Maxtor's Shared Storage Plus Network Attached Storage device is a winner as a solid backup solution while doing double-duty as a capacious media server. Testing the 500GB version of the SSP, El Reg found the device easy to setup and share among several users, with software that provides a simple way to set up incremental backups, network printing, or media streaming to compatible uPnP devices. There do seem to be a few downsides here, most notably the irritating fan whine and skimpy one year warranty, and less importantly, the fact that it tags the icons of folders selected for backup with a little tick mark. If tick marks and fan noise don't bother you, though, the $465-as-tested SSP sounds like a pretty good way to backup data for small offices and homes with multiple computers, while giving you a little extra functionality to boot
Fujitsu announces ETERNUS8000 Model 2100: 1.3PB array
So that one petabyte Symmetrix DMX-3 array from EMC you bought a few months ago just isn't meeting your storage needs anymore? Well Fujitsu's new ETERNUS8000 Model 2100, with its 1.3PB capacity, may be exactly what you've been looking for. Besides those extra 314,572GB, you also get a system capable of accommodating up to sixteen 3.4GHz processors, 256GB of cache memory, and RAID 6 configuration for ensuring data integrity even if two of the 2,760 500GB Nearline FC drives happen to crap out simultaneously. Other nice features include built-in data encryption, multiple automatic backup options, live capacity updating, and iSCSI support for copying files over a network. Although no price has been announced for this storage behemoth, considering that your DMX-3 set you back over $4 million, we imagine that the Model 2100 will also be priced out of the reach of mere mortals.[Via DailyTech]
Plextor PX-SP "shock-proof" external drives
We're always a little suspicious when a company releases a line of products labeled with terms like "ruggedized" or "shock-proof," especially when those items are packed into tiny packages. So, we're a little wary of Plextor's claims that the company's new PX-SP USB hard drives, which weigh in at less than 8 ounces, are shock-proof. However, according to the company, the drives -- which are available in capacities of 80GB and 120GB -- are protected by a "silicon jacket bumper," which allow users to carry them "anytime, anywhere." We'll reserve judgment for now, though we're eager to hear how these survive some real world "anytime, anywhere" tests involving drops, falls and the wheels of large military vehicles.
HOW-TO: turn an NES cart into a USB HDD
File this under "hacks of dubious value involving video games." If you've got a leftover copy of The Legend of Zelda* lying around -- and you don't mind destroying it -- then you can follow this simple guide on how to mount a 2.5" HDD into a hollowed-out NES cart to make the nerdiest external hard drive case possible without blue LEDs. Needed: proprietary bit to open the cartridge, Dremel (recommended), drill, 2.5" HDD, USB HDD adapter, and some free time.*Joystiq does not condone destroying classic video games, like The Legend of Zelda; instead, please substitute other, less-valuable titles like Rush 'n Attack. See also:HOW-TO: Make a Nintendo controller into a PC Joystick[Via BoingBoing]
