LaCie have announced that their Rugged Hard Disk will now be available in a 500GB model. This hard disk features a shock resistant metal and rubber bumper and internal anti-shock absorbers.

500GB of storage will be supplied with a Hitachi 5K500, 2.5 inch internal hard disk. Interface options are USB 2.0 (480Mbits/s), FireWire 400 (400Mbits/s) and FireWire 800 (800Mbits/s).

This Hard Disk comes with the LaCie Setup Assistant. This utility formats the drive to the users needs and is available on Windows and Mac. Also included is the LaCie '1-Click' backup software.

The LaCie 500GB Rugged Hard Disk is available now for a recommended retail price of US$299.99 and can be purchased direct from LaCie.

Lacie have announced a Triple Interface version of its Hard Disk with USB 2.0, Firewire 400 and eSATA interfaces. Available with storage capacities of 500GB, 750GB and 1TB, the new Lacie Hard Disk also features an exclusive design by the noted designer Neil Poulton.

One of LaCies main marketing points for the new Hard Disk is the Neil Poulton design. It features a black mirrored finish and blue LEDs to create a glow from beneath the unit. The design isn't all about looks though and includes a sturdy casing and bottom plate holes for a natural airflow.
With a choice of USB 2.0, Firewire 400 and eSATA interfaces and PC or Mac compatibility the Lacie Triple Interface Hard Disk is a very universal device. And with storage sizes of 500GB, 750GB and 1TB, users can choose the correct Hard Disk for their requirements.

Data transfer rates are up to 1.5Gbits/s for eSATA, 400Mbits/s for FireWire 400 and up to 480Mbits/s for USB 2.0.

Frequent system backups are made easy with the pre-loaded LaCie '1-Click' Backup Software for PC and Mac. The SilverKeeper backup software is also available for Mac users. The LaCie Setup Assistant is also preloaded and allows the drive to be optimised to the users needs.

Compatible operating systems are Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS X 10.3 or higher and Linux based systems. And of course, a USB 2.0, eSATA or FireWire 400 port is required.

An external power supply is required and comes in the box.

The Lacie Triple Interface Hard Disk is available direct from LaCie for the following prices:
500GB - $169.99
750GB - $219.99
1TB - $319.99

A USB only version of the drive is also available for $109.99.

The Macally T-S350SU External Storage Enclosure for 3.5" SATA hard drives features a new environmentally friendly, power saving technology. This enclosure has been designed for all SATA I and SATA II 3.5" hard disk drives. An eSATA port with transfer rates of up to 3Gbps is available.

The T-S350SU enclosure is compatible with USB2.0 and USB1.1 host connections and USB2.0 transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps are supported. USB plug and play functionality is available for both PC and Mac computers.

The enclosure provides a conveniently located power button on the front with One Touch Backup for PC. An active LED indicates power and data access status.

Compatible operating systems are Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003 or Vista for PC and Mac OS 9.2, Mac OS X 10.1 to 10.5 and above for USB connection. OS X 10.2 and above is required for eSATA connection.

The Macally T-S350SU 3.5" External Storage Enclosure is available to buy now for an MSRP of US$24.99.

Verbatim have recently launched a new line of portable hard drives featuring a stylish new design and a choice of USB or USB/Firewire interface. This palm sized portable hard drive is available in capacities of 120GB, 160GB, 250GB and 320GB.

The Verbatim 2.5" Portable Hard Drive has been designed to make file storage, backup and file sharing a fast and simple task. Once connected to a computer, the portable HD can be accessed like a standard computer hard drive and files can be conveniently dragged and dropped into the drive.

This drive runs at 5400 rpm and supports data transfer rates of up to 480MB/s for USB2.0 and 400MB/s for Firewire.

Both PC and Mac operating systems are supported by the Verbatim portable hard drive. Additionally, the Time Machine backup feature of the Leopard Mac OS X from Apple is also supported.

The Sitecom LN-030 Network USB 2.0 Adapter allows you to quickly connect your Notebook or PC to an Ethernet LAN.

This device is hot pluggable which means that you can plug your PC into your LAN to get instant network access. If your PC or Notebook doesn't have a network connection, the Sitecom LN-030 is an ideal solution for providing quick and simple network access.

Data transfer speeds of up to 100Mbps are supported. This means you can access 10/100Mpbs Ethernet networks at full speed.

The Sitecom LN-030 is compatible with Windows 2000, XP and Vista. Drivers are provided with a supplied CD.

A USB A-B cable and user manual are also supplied in the box.

Iomega Corporation have this month announced the REV 120GB Backup Drive, a backup solution that provides the performance of a hard drive with the removability of tape.

Iomega REV drives are designed for zero maintenance with automatic head cleaning, air filtration, and automatic data verification with two stage error correction. The REV disk is also sealed from outside air contamination while in operation and not in the drive.

The Iomaga 120GB Backup Drive supports data rates of up to 35MB/s and offers an estimated one million rewrite lifetime. These features combined with automatic head cleaning and low cost, make the REV drive an ideal replacement for traditional tape products.

The 120GB drive is a third generation REV model with a 35BG backup drive released in 2004 and a 70GB model released in 2006. These award winning drives gained a reputation for reliability and simplicity.

The Iomega REV 120GB Backup Drive is expected to be available worldwide from April 2008 in USB 2.0 and internal SATA models. The price is expected to be announced closer to when the drives become available.

The new DataTraveler Micro Reader from Kingston is a USB Flash drive that can read, write and store information from mobile phone memory cards.

This drive is compatible with microSD, microSDHC and Memory Stick Micro (M2) formats. Mobile devices that support any of these card technologies, can take advantage of the DataTravelers features.

Drag and drop functionality can be used to move files between your mobile phone and PC or Mac without the need to plug in a cable. To move files from your PC or Mac to mobile phone, simply plug the DataTraveler Micro Reader into an available USB port, drag your files onto the drive then remove the memory card and insert it into a memory slot on your mobile device.

Windows Vista ReadyBoost is also supported to allow Vista machines to use the Flash drive as additional memory for enhancing system performance.

The Kingston DataTraveler Micro Reader is available with storage capacities of 1GB, 2GB and 4GB. The recommended prices on the Kingston website are as follows:
- DTCRC/1GB - US$19.25
- DTCRC/2GB - US$27.25
- DTCRC/4GB - US$42.00

Iomega have this month announced the StorCenter Pro NAS 200rL, a Linux Server family available with storage capacities of 1TB, 2TB and 3TB. Aimed at workgroup network environments and small businesses, the 200rL server family will offer enterprise level hardware features, print functionality and advanced file services.

Designed to easily integrate with existing networks, this server family also supports Active Directory Services (ADS) to provide group and domain user compatibility with Microsoft Windows networks. Built in print server functionality allows for up to four USB printers to be shared on a network.

The Iomega StorCenter Pro NAS 200rL servers support Gigabit high-speed Ethernet with data rates of 10, 100 and 1000 Mbps. RAID data protection is supported and four SATA-II drives are included that can be configured for RAID 0, RIAD 0+1 RAID 5 or JBOD operation. The StorCenter 200rL series are true hot-swappable hard drives which means that any one or four harddrives in a RAID 0 + 1 or RAID 5 array can be removed from the NAS enclosure while it is operating.

Compatibility is provided for clients running Microsoft Windows Vista, 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, XP Pro x64, Mac OS X 10.2.7 or higher and Linux including Mandrake 10, Gentoo, Redhat 9, Debian 3.0 and FedoraCore 3. Network file storage protocols that are supported by the 200rL family include CIFS, AFP, FTP, NFS and NTFS.

The Iomega StorCenter Pro NAS 200rL family of Linux Servers are expected to be available worldwide from April 2008 for the following prices:
3TB model: €1,699 (EU)
2TB model: €1,449 (EU)
1TB model: €1,249 (EU)

The PS-LX300USB USB Stereo Turntable from Sony allows you to transfer music from Vinyl Records to your PC, iPod or portable music player. Supporting a USB interface and Audio Studio software, the process of bringing your Vinyl albums to the digital world is made easy.

This device can also operate as a fully functional turntable, allowing you to playback Vinyl albums through your sound system. A moving magnet phonograph cartridge and built in phonograph preamp provide compatibility with AV receivers without a phonograph input. A belt drive system is used for rotational stability and reduced motor noise.

The Sony PS-LX300USB Stereo Turntable will be available from March 2008. You will be able to buy it at sonystyle.com for around US$150.

Features:
- 33 1/3 and 45 RPM Record Playback
- Built in Phono Preamp
- EQ Switch for non phono Input Devices
- RCA Type Output Jacks L/R
- Signal to Noise Ratio: >50dB
- Wow and Flutter: <0.25%

Other new Sony Audio products: Sony SRS-BT100 Bluetooth speaker

The new Freecom Network MediaPlayer 450 WLAN features a large storage space of 1TB (1000GB) and can operate as a wireless HD multimedia player or USB external hard drive.

The player connects to your wireless access point, allowing you to watch any multimedia content stored on any computer on your network through your TV. Alternatively, you can store your multimedia content onto the hard drive and play it directly through your TV or HiFi equipment without the use of a computer.

The Media Player WLAN supports HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) video, allowing you to watch high definition movies direct from the player.

A USB 2.0 interface is provided and allows the MediaPlayer 450 to be used as an external hard drive. The USB port can also be used to play movies or music direct from connected USB storage devices such external hard drives or USB flash drives.

The Freecom Network MediaPlayer 450 WLAN is also available as a "drive in" kit, allowing it to be used as a network AV streaming device with no hard drive required.

Audio output is available as Stereo, Digital Coaxial and Optical 5.1 surround (DTS downmix to stereo).

Video output is available in HDMI (480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p), HD Component Y, Pb, Pr (480p, 720p,1080i), S-Video and Composite.

A fanless design ensures a quiet, noise free operation.

Accessories that come with the Media Player 450 include an AV connection cable and a remote control for convenient operation.

The Kingston DataTraveler Style USB Flash Drive supports changeable 'Skins', allowing the owner to personalise the drive to their own taste. The following six Skin designs are included - redhead mosaic, bamboo, sunflower, lace, retro and tangerine dream.


An online skin designer is available at http://www.kingston.com/flash/dt_style.asp where users can create their own designs or view and download more designs and insert text. Once a design has been finished, it then needs to be printed out and slid into the clear cover.

Designed with style and simplicity in mind, this flash drive also features a capless design. The USB connector can be housed safely inside the drive with the help of a thumbcation slider.

The Kingston DataTraveler Style is available in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities.

Plug and play compatiblity is provided for Windows Vista, XP (SP1 and above), 2000 (SP3 and above), Mac OS (1.0.x and above) and Linux (2.4 and above).

Corsair have announced the Flash Voyager GT, a 16GB USB flash drive that offers data transfer rates up to 4 times faster than standard USB 2.0 drives.

Hand selected NAND flash chips and advanced flash controller technology are utilised to provide the high data transfer rate. Here are some transfer speed figures from Corsair:
20 office files (1.06MB) - 2 seconds
60 pictures (279MB) - 24 seconds
One movie (1.63GB) - 358 seconds
Reasonably good figures but still no where near the 35MB per second speeds offered by the OCZ ATV ultra fast flash drive.

The Flash Voyager GT model provides all of the benefits and features of the Voyager range that include durability from an all rubber housing, water and shock resistant data integrity, TrueCrypt AES 256-bit encryption and a 10 year warranty.

Plug and play functionality is provided for Windows Vista, XP, 2000, ME, Linux 2.4 and later, Mac OS 9x and later.

The Flash Voyager GT 16GB fast flash drive is available now for a MSRP of US$169.99.

Related posts:
Corsair 32GB USB Flash drive

The new SanDisk Cruzer Gator USB Flash drives feature one click security password protected access control and are available in 8GB, 4GB and 2GB memory capacities.

Available in pink, red and black, this range of Flash drives feature a unique design that obviously complements the name 'Gator'.

Featuring U3 compatibility, the Cruzer Gator USB Flash drive will allow you to carry your software applications on the same drive that carries your files. U3 compatible software applications are loaded on the Flash drive itself. You can plug the drive into any PC and send emails, message friends, edit photos and play games. When the drive is unplugged, no personal data is left behind. U3 compatibility is provided for PC users only. Linux and Mac operating systems are not supported.

With capacities of 2GB, 4GB and 8GB, the Cruzor Gator USB range of Flash drives provide a good selection of memory space for your personal requirements.

These drives are available to buy now for the following prices
- Cruzer Gator 8GB - US $79.99
- Cruzer Gator 4GB - US $39.99
- Cruzer Gator 2GB - US $24.99

System Requirements:
- USB port (USB 2.0 high power required for high speed transfer)
- PC (Windows 2000 SP4, XP Vista), Linux and Mac OS X v10.1.2+
- U3 functionality is only supported for PC

Related Posts:
SanDisk Cruzer Titanium Plus USB Flash Drive

The Gefen 2x1 DVI KVM SL Switcher allows one DVI display, USB 2.0 keyboard and mouse to be switched between two cross-platform computers (PC or Mac). Stereo Audio signals can also be switched and are routed though with the video to the display.

This unit is a single link DVI switch, a term that describes the standard use of DVI with resolutions of up to 1920x1200. Dual link DVI is capable of resolutions of up to 3840x2400 and uses all 24 pins of the DVI connector.

Setting up the Gefen 2x1 DVI KVM SL Switch is a simple task that involves connecting your DVI display, USB 2.0 keyboard and mouse to the switchers outputs then connecting the DVI, USB and audio ports of both computers to the switchers inputs using provided cables. A supplied IR remote can then be used to switch between the two computers. Alternatively, the front panel push button or any contact closure remote control such as the Gefen RMT-2 may be used.

DDWG standards for DVI monitors are followed and display resolutions of up to 1920 x 1200 at 60Hz are supported.

The Gefen 2x1 DVI KVM switcher is powered from a 5V power supply that is included with the package.

Specifications:
- Video Amplifier Bandwidth: 165 MHz
- DVI Connector: DVI-I 29 pin female (digital only)
- Audio Connector: Mini phone stereo 3.5mm
- USB 2.0 Input Connection: type "B"
- USB 2.0 Output Connection: type "A"
- Power Supply: 5V DC
- Power Consumption: 15 watts (max)
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 8.5" x 1.75" x 4.625"
- Rack mountable: 1U half rack

Related Posts:
Avocent SwitchView 100 KVM switch
Belkin SOHO USB KVM switch

The Alesis M1Active 320 USB Audio Speaker System lets you play audio from your computer and also record audio coming into the speaker to your computer. This speaker system is claimed to set a new world class for USB audio playback and capture.

The M1Active can also be used as a convenient audio interface for keyboards, mic pre's, guitar effects, DJ mixers and standard audio devices such as CD and tape players.

No device drivers are required which means that the speaker system is ready to use as soon as the USB cable is plugged into your computer.

For situations where more bass emphasis is required, a Bass Boost switch feature is available to emphasize bass frequencies.

The Alesis M1Active 320 USB Audio Speaker System has been designed for portability and only weights 3.4kg.

A range of interface connections are available and include Pro-grade 1/4" plugs and standard RCA Jacks, TRS Headphone output, two 1/4" phone jacks inputs, stereo 1/8" TRS mini-jack input, Stereo RCA inputs and a 1/8" TS output to passive speaker.

Specifications:
- USB 1.1 audio interface
- Magnetically shielded for placement near TV and computer monitors
- Woofer: 3" lightweight, magnetically-shielded, polypropylene cone with rubber surround and high power handling voice coil [4 Ohm impedance]
- Tweeter: 1" silk dome
- Frequency Response: 80 Hz – 20 kHz
- Bass Boost: 4.8dB at 100Hz
- Power: 10 W per channel RMS
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 88dB weighted
- Input Impedance: 20k ohms
- DAC/ADC: 16 bit delta sigma, 44.1kHz or 48kHz sampling rate
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 6.0" x 5.0" x 7.5" / 15.3 cm x 12.7 cm x 19.0 cm
- Weight: 7.5 lbs / 3.4 kg

Other USB Audio Posts:
M-Audio Fast Track Ultra with USB 2.0

Startech.com have announced the availability of new USB to DVI and USB to VGA adapters. These devices will allow users to conveniently add second or third displays to their computer.

Both adapters connect to a single USB 2.0 port on a host computer and can be used in addition to the existing VGA or DVI capability provided by an existing graphics card.

These devices provide a simple and versatile method of adding multi-display capability without the cost of additional video cards. The small size and portability of these devices will make them ideal for a wide range of applications where additional monitors are required.

USB to VGA Adapter
The USB to VGA adapter (USB2VGA) allows for the connection of up to five additional monitors when five USB2VGA devices are connected. This device offers display resolutions of up to 1600 x 1200 (32-bit) and up to 1920x1600 at 16-bit colour.
The MSRP for the USB2VGA is US$116.99.

USB to DVI Adapter
The USB to DVI adapter (USB2DVI) also allows for the connection of up to five additional monitors when five USB2DVI devices are connected. This device offers display resolutions of up to 1600 x 1200 (standard) at 32 bits and 1680 x 1050 (wide) at 32 bits.
The MSRP for the USB2DVI is US$179.99.

The new Avocent SwitchView 100 KVM switches are space saving desktop solutions that allow a single keyboard, mouse and VGA monitor to be shared across multiple computers. These devices allows you to take full control of your small-office-home-office (SOHO) desktop environment.

The SwitchView 100 switches are simple to setup and come bundled with all of the necessary cables. Full audio support is included which means that one set of speakers and microphone can be used across all computers.

There are four models available in the SwitchView 100 series, providing two and four port configurations with either PS/2 or USB connections. This allows access and control of two, three or four multimedia computers.

Channel selection is provided with pushbuttons or hotkeys.

The SwitchView 100 family of KVM switches are available now from US$45 to $100.

Related posts:
Belkin SOHO USB KVM Switch

The new My Passport Essential 320GB USB Hard Drives from Western Digital feature a sleek new glossy black finish and will easily fit in your pocket or the palm of your hand. These devices are light weight (105g) and USB powered making them highly portable drives.

The My Passport Essential drives come equipped with sync and encryption software (Windows only) to provide security for the many files that may be stored on the 320GB disk. WD Sync software allows consumers to take desktop content with them by simplifying the sychronisation of personal files and Microsoft Outlook data. Data on the drive is protected with 128-bit encryption. Google software is also included on the drive to let users quickly find files with the Google Desktop Search tool and manage photos with Picasa photo organiser.

No installation is required for the WD My Passport 320GB Hard Drives - they are ready to use from the moment they are plugged in. Compatibility is provided for Windows and Mac computers although the 128-bit encryption is only available with Windows.

The Western Digital My Passport Hard Drives are available now for US$199.99.

Specifications:
- Interface: USB 2.0 with a bus transfer rate of 480Mbits/s
- Capacity: 320 GB
- Weight: 105 g

Related posts:
IOMEGA eGo 160GB and 250GB USB Hard Drives

The latest NAS (Network Accessible Storage) unit from Freecom is the Network Drive Pro. Housed in a high-quality aluminum enclosure, this unit features a multi-functional data centre and is available in 500GB and 1000GB (1TB) models.

The multi-functional capabilities of the Freecom Network Drive Pro include network storage, file server, web server, FTP server, USB server, USB print server and torrent client. This NAS drive could be used to host your own website, manage your own FTP server, add more storage via the USB Host ports, share your USB printer, manage your downloads with the built-in torrent client plus many other tasks that could take advantage of the multi-functional capabilities.

The Freecom Network Drive Pro is compatible with both PC and Mac and comes with a built-in configuration assistant to help you get setup. NTI Shadow Backup software for PC and MAC is also included to automatically & continuously backup and protect your data.

This NAS drive can even be configured so that it can be securely accessed via the internet, making your data available from anywhere in the world.

Specifications and features:
- Storage Capacity: 500GB and 1000GB (1TB) models
- Gigabit Ethernet (downwards compatible with 10/100Mbit networks)
- USB Host: 2 x USB 2.0, fully bus powered to connect and share USB printers etc
- LED capacity indicator
- One button backup
- TCP/IP protocol for network communications
- Temperature controlled, dual ball-bearing coolfan
- High quality, award winning design in heat absorbing aluminium enclosure
- Two years manufacturer’s warranty and unlimited free helpdesk support

With the new Sweex 1.5 inch Digital Photo Key Chain (MM004) you can store up to 69 photos on the internal 1MB memory and view them as a slide show with intervals of 0 to 120 seconds.

The display is a 1.5" CSTN full colour LCD with a resolution of 128x128 pixels. Quite impressive for a key chain!

Menu buttons at the rear of the key chain can be used to navigate through the pictures and set the slide show time interval between 0 and 120 seconds.

A USB interface is provided for uploading digital photos to the device and also for recharging the integrated rechargeable battery (a USB cable is provided).

The Sweex Digital Photo Key Chain supports JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, TIFF image formats and is compatible with Windows XP and Vista.

The recently announced SOHO USB KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse) 4-port switch from Belkin will let you share one keyboard, monitor and mouse between two or more computers.

A 2-port USB 2.0 hub is also included with one port on the front and one port on the back. These ports may be used to plug in an MP3 player and listen to music while you switch between computers.

There will be six versions of the SOHO KVM available in the following configurations:
VGA, USB & PS2 - 2 port(F1DS102J) and 4 port(F1DS104J)
VGA & USB - 2 port(F1DS102L) and 4 port(F1DS104L)
DVI & USB - 2 port(F1DD102L) and 4 port(F1DD104L)

The Belkin SOHO KVM will be available in the US from February 2008, with launches in Asia, Australia and Europe to follow later in the year.

Specifications:
- Available in VGA or DVI, PS/2 or USB
- Features independent audio switching
- Touch-sensitive buttons on front with icons indicating what port you’re on
- Hot-key support
- USB 2.0 2-port hub included (1 port on the front and 1 port on the back)
- KVM cables included

Stysen have released the E08 external hard drive kit, a 2.5 inch hard drive housing featuring high speed USB 2.0 and RFID key recognition for increased security.

If you're frequently concerned about how secure your external hard drive data is, then why not lock it up with RFID? This is certainly one of the more secure methods that I can think of. The E08 comes with two RFID sensor keys that should both be activated when you use the drive for the first time. The drive is locked or unlocked by bringing the RFID keys within close proximity to an RFID sensor on drive housing.

So what happens if you lose both RFID keys? Your data will probably be locked away for ever as the Stysen documentation says that they can't provide a third key and if the enclosure is removed from the disk it will re-format itself, erasing all your data. Perhaps a good idea would be to store the second key in a safe deposit box for peace of mind!

Specifications:
- Interface: Internal: SATA HDD, External: USB 2.0
- OS: Windows 2000 / XP / Vista, and Macintosh OS 9.0 and greater version (MS-DOS Format)
- Transfer Rate: 480Mbps (USB2.0)
- Power supply: 5V/2A

LaCie have announced the USB Key Max, a credit card sized hard disk available in 30Gb and 40GB capacities. The 1.3inch hard disk technology comes as the result of a collaboration with Samsung.

“The development of these small products was enabled due to Samsung’s new 1.3-inch technology that offers a small footprint with vast capacity improvement,” said Nolwenn Rozen, LaCie Mobile Product Manager. “By using this technology in these new mobile offerings, LaCie was able to see an increase in maximum capacity from 12GB to 40GB.”

The USB Key Max devices are driver free, preformatted to FAT32 for cross platform support and are compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS X 10.2 or higher or Linux 2.4 or 2.6. They come preloaded with LaCie's 1-Click backup software for PC and Mac and also SilverKeeper Backup software for the Mac.

The 30GB drive (orange) is available for US$119.99 and the 40GB drive (Black) is available for US$149.99.

Both USB Key Max disks may be purchased from LaCie direct:
http://www.lacie.com/

Iomega Corporation have added new high capacity and dual interface external Hard Drives to the popular Iomega eGo Hard Drive family. The new additions include 160GB and 250GB models with dual USB 2.0 and FireWire interfaces.

The Iomega eGo Drive was launched in June 2007 and quickly gained popularity due to its styled design, a contrast to the plain rectangular gray and black hard drive cases that consumers were used to. The 160GB and 250GB additions to the eGo range are available in Cherry Red, Jet Black and Alpine White. Iomega have also announced that new 250GB USB 2.0 powered models are available in Cherry Red, Midnight Blue and Jet Black.

Additional to good looks and a high storage capacity, the Imega eGo Hard Drive also offers functionality, portability and data safety. All drives in the eGo range come with a version of EMC Retrospect software for automatic backups, scheduled backups or on-demand backups.

No power supply is required by the Iomega eGo external Hard Drive and the entire range features DropGuard, a data protection technology that protects the drive from falls up to 51 inches. According to Iomega, this is far superior to the drop-height specification of other branded portable hard drives.

The Iomega eGo portable Hard Drive range is compatible with Microsoft Windows 2000 Pro, XP Home/XP Pro/XP Pro x64 and Windows Vista. Compatibility is also provided for Mac OS X 10.1.5 or above.

The latest Iomega eGo external Hard Drives are available now, worldwide, for the following prices:
160GB USB 2.0 eGo drive - US$139.95
160GB Dual Interface eGo drive - US$159.95
250GB USB 2.0 eGo drive - US$209.95
250GB Dual interface eGo drive - US$229.95

Iomega eGo portable Hard Drive retailers are available from www.iomega.com. Select your country then click "Where to buy".

In May 2005 the Wireless USB Promoters Group announced the completion of the Wireless USB standard and in July 2007 the first wireless USB products were certified. In this post I am going to look at the Wireless USB protocol and discuss the some of Wireless USB products that are currently available.

First of all, I should mention that this post refers to "Certified Wireless USB" from the USB-IF, not WirelessUSB from Cypress Semiconductor which is a different technology.

Certified Wireless USB is a low power, high speed wireless technology designed to meet the interconnection requirements of PC peripherals, mobile devices and multimedia consumer electronics. It's based on UWB (WiMedia Alliance's Ultra-WideBand) radio platform and can operate at 480Mbps over 3 meters and 110Mbps over 10 meters. The intended frequency range is 3.1 to 10.6 GHz although this may be restricted in some countries.

Certified Wireless USB is designed to preserve the functionality of wired USB. This means that Wireless USB support can instantly be added to a device by plugging an adaptor into an existing USB port. A Wireless USB connection will be able to support up to 127 devices.

Among the first products to be certified for Wireless USB were Lenovo's ThinkPad T61/T61p notebooks, Dells Inspiron 1720 notebook and Wireless USB hubs from D-Link and Iogear.

We are most likely to see Wireless USB technology being used in multimedia applications. Devices such as mobile phones, PDA's and MP3 players are already starting to use wireless connections but they don't have the high speed and low power consumtion that Wireless USB can offer.

Certified Wireless USB from the USB-IF