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Compact external hard drives now spin faster, too

More and more vendors have been joining the bandwagon of pocket-size portable external hard drives and it's interesting to see how each of them manages to make their product unique in its own right. The G-Drive mini Triple from G-Technology is one example of this.

The drive sports a very rugged, metallic look with its aluminum casing that also works as the cooling solution. Despite having metal all over, the drive is still very light, weighing only around 9 ounces. Designwise, the G-Drive is compact, however, if the Signature Mini appeals to the ladies, the G-Drive definitely screams masculine. … Read more

My name is Justin Yu, and I'm a digital pack rat

My name is Justin Yu, and I'm a digital pack rat. That's right, my hard drive is ultra cluttered with bad photos, ancient MP3s, and obsolete software, but I can never bring myself to trash them--who knows when I'll need that essay I wrote in middle school on Benjamin Franklin? I know that as soon as I empty the trash can, someone's going to ask for that blurry picture of their knee I took back in '98.

Iomega looks like they have my affliction covered--the company just released a 1TB version of the popular eGo desktop hard driveRead more

Intel 32Gb flash sets stage for solid-state drives

On Thursday, Intel introduced a flash chip that stores more data, paving the way for its rollout of upcoming high-capacity solid-state drives.

The chipmaker, along with Micron Technology, announced a 32-gigabit (Gb) NAND memory device built on a 34-nanometer manufacturing process.

The smaller 34-nanometer process bests Toshiba, which recently said it has begun using a 43-nanometer process that will enable solid-state drives with capacities as large as 256GB.

And Samsung said last week that it is slated to bring out a 256GB solid-state drive later this year.

Intel's 32Gb chip will enable more cost-effective solid-state drives, "instantly doubling … Read more

The incredible shrinking USB drive

We're still not sure about the wisdom of having a USB key so small that it can get lost among pocket change but, if you want something truly tiny, this is it.

The appropriately named "Nano Flash Drive" from Imation comes in storage capacities ranging from 1GB to 8GB, but the size remains the same for all of them: 1.75 inches long and a half-inch wide, weighing a scant 1.3 ounces. Not surprisingly, Imation says it's the smallest flash drive of its kind that it offers.

In our view, its smartest feature has nothing … Read more

Buffalo LinkStation Mini: Network storage device goes pocket size

I've tested and reviewed a good amount of NAS devices and found them generally bulky. Even those we consider "compact", like the Synology DS107+ or the D-Link DNS 323, are still in no way close to being able to fit in your pocket. This is why I let out a big "wow" today when I saw Buffalo's newest kid on the NAS block. The LinkStation Mini immediately and totally changed my expectation in regard to how tiny a network storage device can be!

By tiny I refer strictly to the form factor. Having the … Read more

A rude awakening behind the wheel

It's been months since we heard about scientists researching a car seat that would detect when a driver is getting sleepy, but there's still no word that it'll ever become reality. So until then, we're stuck with intravenous supplies of caffeine and other, more rudimentary technologies to keep us awake behind the wheel.

On that front, companies are taking small steps to refine wearable alarms that will scream your ears off if your head begins to bob in slumber-like fashion. The "Anti-Sleep Driving Alarm," for example, is smaller than previous models and can be … Read more

Samsung develops 256GB solid state drive

Samsung has developed one of the largest-capacity and highest-speed solid state drives to date.

CNET site ZDNet Korea reports that Samsung announced the development of a 2.5-inch, 256GB solid state drive (SSD) at the fifth annual Samsung Mobile Solution Forum in Taipei, Taiwan.

Typical solid state drives shipping in notebook PCs today have a storage capacity of 64GB.

With a sequential read speed of 200 megabytes per second and sequential write speed of 160MBps, Samsung is claiming some of the fastest SSD data transfer rates to date.

Like upcoming Intel SSDs, Samsung's drive will use multi-level cell (MLC) … Read more

WD's new external hard drives: More data that takes less space on the go

I recently reviewed the OWC Mercury and SimpleTech's Signature Mini external hard drives. I liked the OWC Mercury for its versatility in connections and its top-of-the-market storage space. I also loved the Signature Mini because of its light weight and compact, chocolaty design. On Wednesday, Western Digital (WD) joined this race of external hard drives that are so small in physical size, yet so large in storage space, with its My Passport Studio series. I now am a little confused and don't know yet how to feel about this one.

Weighing only 5 ounces, the My Passport Studio … Read more

Store everything and then some with blazing 750GB external hard drive, $99 (after rebate)

Wow, I thought the 500GB Cavalry drive for $79.99 was a good deal, but now comes the Vox V1 750GB external eSATA/USB drive for $99. That's an after-rebate price that doesn't include shipping (about $11), but it's still an amazing deal.

The Vox V1 can connect to either an external SATA or USB 2.0 port. CNET reviewed it with the latter and called it "the fastest USB 2.0 external hard drive we've ever tested." If your machine happens to have an eSATA port, the 7,200-rpm drive has the potential … Read more

Turn your hard drive into a classic

If external hard drives continue to get cheaper than thumb drives were not long ago, many of us may soon have just as many of them lying around the house. That would be fine if you've been collecting designer models that can double as works of art, but not everyone has such finely honed asthetic sensibilities. That's where Sarotech's "Hardbox" may come in handy.

Not unlike some media components we've seen, this 3.5-inch SATA hard drive comes disguised as a leather-bound classic to sit on a bookshelf. More important, it could be a … Read more