The hard drive houses a USB 3.0 connection.  Features:

• USB 3.0 plug-and-play
• Easy-to-use pre-loaded backup software with encryption
• Includes GoFlex Desk USB 3.0 adapter with capacity gauge display
• Use on a PC and Mac computer interchangeably without reformatting
• World’s most versatile external drive – optional GoFlex Desk desktop FireWire 800/USB 2.0 adapter
• 2-year limited warranty
• Inside the Box: GoFlex Desk external drive, backup and encryption software pre-loaded on drive, NTFS driver for Mac pre-loaded on drive, GoFlex Desk USB 3.0 adapter base with capacity gauge, 4-foot USB 3.0 cable, power supply, quick start guide
• Streamlined design complements any workspace

A good example is DLink’s DNS-323 linux NAS box.  It is a very well priced ($150) linux NAS box that can be hacked and extended.  It won’t void the warranty either.  You can find lots of users out there that have blazed the trail and done some really cool thing with this box.  You can mirror your data in the 2 bay drive for data protection.  No, it’s not perfect, but it’s a fun little linux NAS that you can hack on the cheap.

There had been issues with D-Link removing ext3 support.  The latest firmware update corrects this issue.  Yes, that’s a significant issue for some folks.  Speed issues have also been corrected.  Yes, it has some cons, but the pros seem to outweigh it for most folks.

Laptop hard drives have to be small.  The form factor dictates it. Now Seagate pushes the envelope with a 7mm drive – shaving around 2.5mm off of the thickness of the drive.  What’s next, paper thin?

Though it does spin at 5400rpm, it does maintain very good storage ratios.  It comes in 250GB and 160GB versions.  It also support SATA connections and even the SATA 3 protocol.  All this means very good bandwidth in a small package.  The 250GB version will cost $55 when it comes out in January.

Thin is in.

These days people are busy flying around.  They go on business trips and wantaccess to stuff.  They move around in their own city and want the same thing.  What is a jetsetter (or everyday Joe) to do?  Grab the Pogoplug and plug into a major convenience at a super reasonable cost.

The Pogoplug costs only $129.  And that includes access charges.  There is no monthly subscription.  Once you plug in a drive, you can pretty much access it anywhere, just like a normal hard drive.  It is also accessible from an iPhone.  Here’s a video on it:

(WD Elite version pictured)

Western Digital has come out with a neat new edition of the MyBook Studio with an E-ink display.  When they announced E-ink, I knew that it would eventually start finding its way into more and more applications.  It is super easy to read and uses low amount of power.

The E-ink display can be tailored for every whim.  Label it and show the information that you want.  It also comes with a Firewire 800 interface and USB 2.0.  The 2TB version costs $299 and the 1TB costs $199.

It’s good to be first.  Well, most of the time.  Buffalo looks like they will be the first ones out of the gate with their HD-HU3 USB 3.0 hard drive.  But is it too early?

Well, for those of us who like living on the bleeding edge, the answer is a resounding no.  But the populace at large, the answer would most likely be yes.  But really, who asked them anyway?  It looks like the 1TB model will set you back around $250.  Nope, they aren’t available yet, but will be soon.  They will offer NEC’s IFC-PCIE2U3 2-port PCI Expressx1 controller so you can get to using it right away.  USB 3.0 will offer some pretty insane speeds.  I can’t wait.

Seagate is once again pushing the envelope of data storage.  The Barracuda XT delivers 6Gbps transfer rates.  If you aren’t familiar with the parlance, er, dat b really fast.

Just be careful when thinking about purchasing the Barracuda XT.  If you are really wanting that 6Gbps rate, you will need a SATA3 controller on your motherboard.  Sure, this thing will deliver back compatible SATA2 speeds.  But why in the world would you want that if you are buying this drive?

There are now a few higher end motherboards, like the Asus P7P55D Premium, that will give you such a controller.  Besides the blazing speed, you will be getting a 2TB hard drive.  It’s hard to fathom the capacity increases in hard drives.  You can grab the drive for around $299.

Home media is growing at an exponential rate.  It just happens that storage manufacturers are stepping up to the challenge.  The Iomega Home Media 1 TB NAS box gives you a central repository for all your media goodies.

NAS, or network attached storage, is just a storage box that sits on a network.  The great thing about it is that everyone with a computer on a network can get to it and store media there.  This means no more having pictures on 3 different computers.  This is also pretty important when you are backing up data.

If you want wireless access to the drive, just make sure the Iomega home media 1TB NAS box is attached to that router.  Then you have to run the included software.  This box is Windows and Mac (10.3+) compatible.  Another great feature of having a NAS box is that you can access the media on other devices, like the PS3.  If a device is DLNA certified (Digital Living Network Alliance), it should be able to access this drive.  This spec includes DRM and allows devices to share media.  blah.  Should set you back around $140.

I actually have lower capacities of this drive.  Flash drives are pretty ubiquitous these days, but still extremely helpful.  What makes the SanDisk Cruzer Micro 16 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive nice is the little features it comes with.

The first thing you will notice is the nice, simple, white slide on the front of the SanDisk Cruzer Micro.  This pushes the USB port out to insert into the computer USB slot.  This is much better than the mechanical swivels around the USB port.  Those invariably break.  Next, once you plug the SanDisk Cruzer in, you will notice the orange light appear, illuminating the slide.  This lets you know it is operational.

Next, the U3 smart software launches automatically. This is a really nice feature all around.  First, you can eject the card very easily, instead of following Microsoft’s archaic eject sequence.  Next, you can add a ton of prepackaged apps for the drive.  This allows you to run apps right off of the drive.  This is an incredibly convenient addition that helps you make all your favorite apps portable.  Install Firefox and simply plug into home and work.  Take your bookmarks with you easily.

A really solid buy for a mere $28.  You can also add an operating system if you are the adventuresome type.  I’ve done this a lot and it is extremely useful.

The tipping point on flash media seems to be about to drop.  We are closely nearing the storage values and prices that will make it the medium of choice.  Kingston pushed that point closer by announcing the 128GB flash drive.  But good luck finding it right now.

I remember buying an 8Gb drive for what seemed like an arm and a leg.  And that wasn’t that long ago.  Now we are talking storage sizes that boggle the mind.  The 128gb version will run you around $550.  Yeah, that’s not cheap, but give it like 6 months!  The 64gb runs for about half of that.  You could easily run an operating system off the drive and have plenty of space for document storage.  The portable OS.