2.5

More than a year ago, Synology released the DiskStation DS409Slim, which was an excellent network storage solution for a space-conscious environment. The server was one of a few, if not the only, four-bay NAS servers that host 2.5-inch laptop hard drives, instead of the regular 3.5-inch desktop hard drives, allowing it to be much more compact.

Today, the company announced the upgrade of the same server, called DS411Slim, with a faster processor and 256MB of RAM (as opposed to just 128MB of the DS409Slim).

Like all NAS servers from Synology, the DS411Slim runs DiskStation Manager (DSM) operation system (… Read more

Much ado has been made over the impending death of the book as we know it, and while we doubt that brick-and-mortar bookstores are going to become extinct anytime soon, it's obvious that electronic books are changing the way that we read. And a separate e-book device, such as Amazon.com's Kindle or Barnes & Noble's Nook, isn't necessary to read them; programs like the Barnes & Noble eReader make it possible for users to purchase and read over two million e-books right on their computers. This is an incredibly useful program, but we have to … Read more

Google Chrome and Google Apps are a natural marriage, and Google Apps Shortcuts is the matchmaker. It's a free extension that adds Google Apps to the Chrome interface. If you haven't tried Google Apps, it's worth checking out. It gives quick access to the Google applications you use every day, such as Gmail, Google Docs, and Contacts. Chrome is already fast; Google Apps Shortcuts makes it a lot more versatile.

Google extensions install automatically when you open their download links in Chrome. We merely clicked to allow the browser to add Google Apps Shortcuts, and Chrome did … Read more

Aktiv Download Manager from Goforsharing is a free tool that enhances Windows' downloading capabilities. It can schedule and manage up to 99 simultaneous downloads, pause and resume downloads in a variety of connection types, accelerate downloads, segment files, and automatically search for additional and faster downloads.

Aktiv Download Manager's businesslike interface is divided into two panes, Current Downloads and Finished Files. A suite of control icons lets users add and delete URLs for download sites, reset the list, pause and resume downloads, and quit the program. An Options button initiates a properties dialog for setting general preferences such as … Read more

A few months back, Seagate released the world's first 3TB hard drive in the form of the FreeAgent GoFlex Desk. The release wasn't so exciting, though, because the drive wasn't intended to be available in the standalone internal form.

Today, Western Digital announced the availability its own 3TB and 2.5TB internal hard drives--the latest in the WD Caviar Green family--that you can bring home and install in your computer. This is great news for those who want a second and large hard drive for their computer that runs Windows 7 or Vista.

The reason that Seagate … Read more

Transcend's solid-state drives got a radical upgrade Tuesday, as the company announced a new breed of SSDs that offer speeds of up to 260MBps and come in capacities of up to 512GB, which the company claims is the highest in the industry.

According to Transcend, to boost overall performance, the 2.5-inch SATA SSDs feature an upgraded controller chip that supports a maximum sequential transfer speed of 260MBps read and 200 MBps write. The company claims that this will significantly improve the system bootup and application launch speed and at the same time will offer lag-free responsiveness. The new … Read more

AoA Media's Audio Extractor Platinum is an affordable all-in-one digital audio application that bundles the tools you're most likely to need the most often. It incorporates an audio extractor; a converter that handles not only common file types like MP3, WAV, AVI, and WMV, but also less common types like OGG and iPhone Ringtone; a sound recorder; a voice changer; and even karaoke.

AoA Audio Extractor's stylish interface is a bit different, even in the flashy world of mediaware. It's an interactive dialog like Windows Media Center, with four large buttons that call up descriptions of … Read more

Standard laptop hard drives (2.5-inch) come in three tiers based on their thickness: 9mm, 12.5mm, and 7mm.

The first one, such as the Seagate Momentus XT (500GB), is the most popular and used in most notebooks and other 2.5-inch-based storage applications. The 12.5mm standard, such as the 1TB WD Corpio Blue, is a newer standard that offers higher capacities but can only fit in later models of laptop computers. The third, 7mm tier is used for ultraportable applications, such as Netbooks or tablet PCs. For a long time, this ultracompact tier of internal hard drive was … Read more

You've probably heard of solid-state drives, such as the Intel X25, but haven't yet purchased one because you can't afford it. Or maybe you're turned off by the limited amount of storage these drives offer.

There's now an alternative that allows you to have high performance and more storage space, without leaving a hole in your wallet. It is the all new hybrid Momentus XT hard drive that Seagate unveiled Monday.

The Momentus XT combines the traditional platter-based storage with solid-state memory, incorporating 4GB of high-speed single-level-cell flash memory and a built-in algorithm, called Active … Read more