January 10, 2009 2:58 PM PST
Podcast: Turn any external drive into a NAS drive
LAS VEGAS--Network-attached storage for the home has been around for a while. It typically consists of an external disk drive surrounded by technology to connect it to a router so it can be accessed anywhere on your network or, via the Internet, from anywhere in the world. At the Consumer Electronics Show here, Daniel Putterman of Cloud Engines showed off a new device that allows you to inexpensively turn any external drive into a network-attached drive.
The $79 Pogoplug is a small plastic box with an Ethernet plug for your router and a USB plug for an external drive. With it, you can access files anywhere in the home or, through a password protected Web site, anywhere in the world. You can also use the device to share files with others.
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Larry Magid is a technology journalist and an Internet safety advocate. He's been writing and speaking about Internet safety since he wrote Internet safety guide "Child Safety on the Information Highway" in 1994. He is co-director of ConnectSafely.org, founder of SafeKids.com and SafeTeens.com, and a board member of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Larry's technology analysis and commentary can be heard on CBS News and CBS affiliates, and read on CBSNews.com. He also writes a personal-tech column for the San Jose Mercury News. You can e-mail Larry or follow him on Twitter @larrymagid. 
KieranMullen
http://360oregon.com
While you are correct that the price is a little high there are multiples services bundled with the device - like a web portal for you to access the files via a browser, an iPhone application, etc. It may actually be worth the money if you use any of the additional services regularly.
Minko Kissiov